The Paralyzed Cyclops In The Democratic Jungle*

Everything is changing…

… how we take photographs, manipulate them, share them, store them — even how we pose for them. Our tools are mutating quickly, promising ever faster, clearer, brighter and cheaper pictures. Meanwhile telephones become cameras, desktop printers morph into mini-printing labs, and high-definition screens threaten to dislodge the venerable photographic print from gallery walls. And the eyes of the whole world are only a click away on the computer keyboard.


Where are we all heading?

During photography’s entire history, the amateur and the professional have represented distinct and often contrary approaches to photography, each battling for supremacy. Has the digital revolution tilted the field of battle irrevocably in the amateur’s favour? Or has it swept this traditional rivalry into the dustbin? Can anyone say?


And what about your photographs?

Why not share one or more of your photographs with the festival’s visitors? They’ll be projected in the public arena, with your name clearly visible in the corner of each image. And afterwards, you’ll get back proof in the form of an email -- your photo as it appeared on the festival screen!

Sincerely,

William A. Ewing
Curator
New York Photo Festival '09
Director, Musée de l'Elysée, Lausanne
















*taken from a lecture given by Alec Soth on 4.16.09