Photography

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A place to politely discuss the tools, technique and culture of photography.

This is not a good place to simply share cool photos/videos or promote your own work and projects, but rather a place to discuss photography as an art and post things that would be of interest to other photographers.

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Great Photographers that make you uncomfortable (alien.top)

submitted 1 year ago by JupiterJazzX@alien.top to c/photography@viewfinder.pro

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What's a photographer that bothers you? I was introduced to Sally Mann's photography a few years back and have been scared the FBI have been tracking me ever since. Truly morally compromising work to display on the internet.

JFC I haven't been able to look at her work since. Just very uncomfortable weird shit.

Rotting skulls, if I recall. Taking nude pics of her kids and putting it on the internet. Just wtf.

I felt vindicated when I found she was considered controversial when I read an OP-ed in the NYT archives highlighting her controversial work and people asking for full on arrest.

And yet for whatever reason her work still sticks with me and captivates me. There's a good video on YouTube that highlights what makes her so shocking but also what makes her so good. There's an elegance to her work in the midst of the uncomfortable feelings. It's hard to digest.

Here's the video:

https://youtu.be/_vwGlxKkNz8?si=aQ_cwjx31FNOAgID

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[–] Bodhrans-Not-Bombs@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I'd disagree on whether he's "great" and he's certainly not an influence on me, but Terry Richardson is high on the uncomfortableness, to put it mildly

[–] magnakai@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

He’s an actual rapist. No idea how he’s not been 100% cancelled.

Edit: sounds like he has been.

[–] yermaaaaa@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Goes beyond that with TR, the allegations of abuse make it feel like you are looking at crime scene photos not fashion/art photography.

This got me thinking about separating the art from the artist, and how in photography that can be especially difficult because the problems with the artist are writ large in their work.

[–] Davie_Prod@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

But his work is horrible and substandard with deep shadows everywhere and of course his cock being displayed and in a models mouth is unsettling as well ( I probably be okay with it if he took decent photographs thou ,) just my thoughts