Comments on: Preceding Photography http://thesimulacra.net/journal/2007/08/07/preceding-photography/ "Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane." - Philip K Dick Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:16:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Edd http://thesimulacra.net/journal/2007/08/07/preceding-photography/comment-page-1/#comment-2306 Edd Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:29:28 +0000 http://thesimulacra.net/journal/2007/08/07/preceding-photography/#comment-2306 That's a really interesting point you make about the shutter speed, a picture being successive moments; I haven't thought about it like that before. That stuck "moment" isn't just that physical structure captured in the picture, but all the thoughts and feelings that circulate around that time; most of which are only visible in hindsight. That’s a really interesting point you make about the shutter speed, a picture being successive moments; I haven’t thought about it like that before. That stuck “moment” isn’t just that physical structure captured in the picture, but all the thoughts and feelings that circulate around that time; most of which are only visible in hindsight.

]]> By: rachael http://thesimulacra.net/journal/2007/08/07/preceding-photography/comment-page-1/#comment-2302 rachael Thu, 16 Aug 2007 03:36:53 +0000 http://thesimulacra.net/journal/2007/08/07/preceding-photography/#comment-2302 Hi there- I just recently read your comments on qube blog. Sorry not to have noticed but I've been absent from my blog for a lot of the summer. I've posted replies, if you're interested. Re: photos, I agree that they are a powerful art form. One of my favorite. Photographs of my life always end up making me sad. You're perceptive to point out the alienation they can make us feel. I have a friend who doesn't own a camera for what I gather are some of the reasons discussed here. I've always found it interesting that the still scene we observe in the photo is dependent on shutter speed. We see ourselves on paper, frozen in time, but the actual photograph represents several successive moments of our life; say 1/60th of a second. Life is continually in flux; it isn't really comprised of 'moments' in any definable way. Any 'moment' can be broken down into further moments. So, seeing your life stopped, crammed into a moment, is a strange experience. You said, "it's like being alone on a separate but identical planet Earth stuck in that single moment." Maybe this is partly why. Hi there- I just recently read your comments on qube blog. Sorry not to have noticed but I’ve been absent from my blog for a lot of the summer. I’ve posted replies, if you’re interested.

Re: photos, I agree that they are a powerful art form. One of my favorite. Photographs of my life always end up making me sad. You’re perceptive to point out the alienation they can make us feel. I have a friend who doesn’t own a camera for what I gather are some of the reasons discussed here.

I’ve always found it interesting that the still scene we observe in the photo is dependent on shutter speed. We see ourselves on paper, frozen in time, but the actual photograph represents several successive moments of our life; say 1/60th of a second. Life is continually in flux; it isn’t really comprised of ‘moments’ in any definable way. Any ‘moment’ can be broken down into further moments. So, seeing your life stopped, crammed into a moment, is a strange experience. You said, “it’s like being alone on a separate but identical planet Earth stuck in that single moment.” Maybe this is partly why.

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