The meaning of photos

[Gerhard]

It is true, tastes differ. We take photo for our own pleasure and strife to take better photos. Then we tell the world to go to hell if they don't like them, but deep down, we would prefer that everybody thinks our photos are fantastic.

[nirofo]

Hi Gerhard

I must agree with that thought entirely, I used to do lots of slide talks to natural history societies,bird and photographic clubs etc., I got a great buzz when there were oo's and aarr's from the audience, I got an even bigger buzz if the club chairman/woman praised the quality of my photographs at the end of the show.

nirofo.

[Snowyowl]

Originally Posted by nirofo

Hi Gerhard

I must agree with that thought entirely, I used to do lots of slide talks to natural history societies,bird and photographic clubs etc., I got a great buzz when there were oo's and aarr's from the audience, I got an even bigger buzz if the club chairman/woman praised the quality of my photographs at the end of the show.

nirofo.

What you are saying is completely true.
I did a slide show recently for our Natural History Society that was really well received. I gave me a real lift to hear the reaction.

[Terry O'Nolley]

Photos cannot have inherent, quantifiable meaning.

There may have been meaning in the heart/mind of the photographer at the time s/he took the photo, but the result - the photograph - carries with it no absolute meaning.

For themes or symbols which, due to statistical happenstance, are easily recognizable by a large portion of the viwers, a tacit agreement on the photos "meaning" might be assumed but that does not impart actual meaning to the photograph.

[Snowyowl]

Originally Posted by Terry O'Nolley

Photos cannot have inherent, quantifiable meaning.

There may have been meaning in the heart/mind of the photographer at the time s/he took the photo, but the result - the photograph - carries with it no absolute meaning.

For themes or symbols which, due to statistical happenstance, are easily recognizable by a large portion of the viwers, a tacit agreement on the photos "meaning" might be assumed but that does not impart actual meaning to the photograph.

OK, if you say so.
Meanwhile my photos have meaning, good or bad, to me and to the people seeing them.

[nirofo]

Originally Posted by Terry O'Nolley

Photos cannot have inherent, quantifiable meaning.

There may have been meaning in the heart/mind of the photographer at the time s/he took the photo, but the result - the photograph - carries with it no absolute meaning.

For themes or symbols which, due to statistical happenstance, are easily recognizable by a large portion of the viwers, a tacit agreement on the photos "meaning" might be assumed but that does not impart actual meaning to the photograph.

Hi Terry

I'm sorry, I can't agree with that entirely, whilst it's true that some photographs carry no obvious meaning other than they depict a scene, an object etc, other photographs can and do carry implicit meaning. For example, the nostalgic feeling one gets when viewing a photograph of a particularly beautiful and well lit scene that brings back memories of being there, or it could be that even if you're not familiar with a particular scene you still get the feeling that you would like to be there because the picture instills that feeling. Another instance perhaps is where you have spent many hours photographing wildlife and to have the feeling of intimacy with the subject returned to you all over again when you view the photographs. There are many instances I can think of where the photograph imparts "meaning" for myself and no doubt others!

nirofo.