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| This is the work of the ultimate photographer killer |
The buz caused by this image and story have been all over the web. A guy named Mark Meyers produced the image portrayed on this post using a free software called Blender. Mark is the mind behind the always excellent PetaPixel. Easy to use (for some) and free for all, this little compilation of line commands would be the obliteration to all photographers. I agree and disagree, read on to know if this could be the end.
Others have produced many things with Blender (I have seen a frog done by Jimmy Beltz), just as Meyers produced the nuts and bolts. This is with no studio, no lights, no camera, no lens, no models. Amazing, isn’t it? Also no need to travel to any location, save loads of money not buying heavy and expensive equipment and for the happiness of some, no reason to cope with supermodel crankiness ever again! Imagine a world where you don’t have to direct the model, there is no bad weather and no difficulty with lights and strobes. Can you do it? With Blender you can live on it today.
According to some this would be the Boogeyman for photographers all around the world and I do believe some need to worry. As Chase Jarvis said, if you do not add any personality or ideas to the shots, you are just taking snapshots and you SHOULD be replaced. Thinking that software will replace the careful study of composition, precise placement of lights to produce mood, creativity to travel outside the (litter) box and bring life to the images? I don’t think so. That would be as simple as thinking that an automatic digital camera would replace years of training and learning photography, lighting and art itself. Can you picture this?
In my time I have seen photography trying to imitate painters. Photographs are more and more like paintings, running away from reality. Either if you consider Photoshopped models and stills, with zillions of pictures and effects to compose whatever ‘unreal reality’ a mind can design. Don’t get me wrong, I respect this kind of hard work and do some myself. Take HDR as another example, when used with the Dark Forces of excess it becomes more a surreal painting than a picture. On the other hand I have seen paintings come closer and closer to photography, with amazing examples from urban art graffiti to the mind blowing Paul Cadden. If you consider this the ultimate reality, than maybe photographers have found their doom. But not more than the movie industry! Do you believe that all future movies will be pure CG?
As I believe, there will always be room for talent and well done work. Read again, I meant AND. One does not live without the other! Any photographer that puts his vision to his art and produces beautiful captures, full of creativity, mood, ideas, innovation will have his place granted. No software will replace that. Also, there is no replacement (at least for now) for registering unique moments and emotions. Or can you imagine a virtual shoot of a prom night or wedding? There will always be amazing portrait photographers, those guys that extract that captivating shots that capture your eyes and make you feel strong emotions. And on the strong emotions area, photojournalism will always be around, since no Google Maps image and Photoshop will ever be able to recreate the place and time when real life happens.
Will photographers ever become obsolete? I believe some already have, but others will prevail, despite any new tech and gadgets. Talent will never die, but Darwin got somethings right, Nature preserves only the fittest.
