Unforgettable Ethiopia – after trip photo notes – part iii.
Good time of day, my dear friends. And again i would like to invite you to my time machine. Mostly, my posts about freshly photographed materials, But please tell me what should I do with the old archives?. All the photographed moments will die if you don’t shed light on them. So, the time is now.
Last week i read some interesting post-“investigation” written by Bil Brown, who discussed the “The Illusion called the Documentary” paper-essay, talking about the “profound limitations and a radical potential of photography”. The author of this paper was Takuma Nakahira – Japanese photographer, critic, and theorist. He was a member of the seminal photography collective Provoke, played a central role in developing the theorization of landscape discourse (fūkei-ron), and was one of the most prominent voices in 1970s Japanese photography. (from WIKI). The found this work, available for free read on the “Asia-Pacific Journal Japan Focus” site.
“We have all too easily disarmed ourselves to the problems of photography and images. But it’s just like this. In capitalist society, despite the myth of universality that the bourgeoisie spread everywhere, we are inevitably divided into either exploiter or exploited. No reconciliation is possible between these two sides. This essential quality should be even more vividly clear in the image media of today’s information society.” wrote Takuma Nakahira in 1970. It was a long time before the Social media started to fool us, that a content creating and the social influence is the main reason of living (I’m exaggerating as always). But some of “us” are really took this very seriously, that finally unaware that they had become eternal victims of exploitation.
The main idea of the Provoke (magazine) founders and publishing photographers (Daido Moriyama, Takuma Nakahira, Takahiko Okada, Yutaka Takanashi, and Koji Taki) to free photography from subservience to the language of words. To take it out of the mainstream road, to deprive monopolies and publishers of any of their rights to promote their products and so on in the same spirit. In 1970, this was very naive.
In the modern era of doing “everything” with the help of AI, we are, photographers for my examples, create the FOOD for the AI machines, to chew, analyze, and create a statistical average from everything we save on the Internet without mentioning names or paying original authors. Every new idea becomes an over-chewed, boring cookie in a very short time. The process became a loop when it’s impossible to tell who’s the chicken and who’s the egg.
If you haven’t done it yet – please check my recently made photo slide show. These photographs of my good friend Nomi i photographed with both Ricoh GRii and the 15 years old old work-horse Canon 5d mkii cameras during the night session in the white dunes. Naomi is amazing Fire Art artist. take a look and preferably on large monitors, please.
And, additionally, my last photozine “Isolated in 2020″” is still available on the Blurb store. I photographed the images in the far 2020, during the second (or third) massive isolation due to the only known by our government methods to combat the pandemic. It was a Holidays time and our offices were closed, so the only thing I had to do was staying at home and walking around my village and taking images.
Thank you for the Nakahira reference. Provoke is always among my favorites.
I’m reading his paper now. the whole Provoke team photography always amazed me. Thank you for taking a read Matthias
Excellent series Victor, you made the most of your trip for sure.
thank you very much Fraggle. I’m dreaming of going there again. For some longer time.To the farer villages.
Hope it comes true!
Wonderful set, great!
Thank you very much. I turned off the course of the main theme of this post in my writing here but it seems i will investigate this paper of Takuma Nakahira and will write more of my reflections in the next post accompanied by close to the theme images ;-)))
Ohh! These are the life! Great.Very interesting read .l love Takuma Nakahira so as Yutaka Takanashi his photography shows real life. of course no AI . AI is for generation XYZQabc whatever ;);)
That photo piled up water bottle. Life essentials.Donkeys.. Quiet simple life yet hard life speaks .Great documentary Victor .
PS you are right. I have photos i didn’t share on instagram.i thought was good when i took then I’ve looked on PC “WTH!”;my photo will be forever stays in machine 😅:):)
Hi Naomi. Thank you for the wonderful words, darling. Glad you loved this series and it’s not the last one ;-)))
Sure you will love your images one day when you will forget about how you photographed them and what you wanted to get in the results. Somehow it’s working for me for some images and sessions.
hehehe ..Absolutely not the last one 😄
Yes the photos are not fresh nor milk nor egg so yes .. stays in like dinosaurs 🦖until i decide lol I appreciate your opinion as advice thank you Victor. Shalom!! 🙏🩷
Please let me know if you’re planning go back to Ethiopia I love to join . Africa is another area i am very interested next to Israel ..
I really want to go there. Maybe one day. I’m thinking more and more about a trip to Japan..Less for Tokyo more about some Osaka or other far places less touristy. Or possibly the Tokyo bus suburbs.
I hear you . Especially the way you photographed is much more deeper meanings Not just shooting. TUSKIJI MARKET is interesting but just fish market:) i bet tourists are everywhere in Japan 😅The suburban area in Tokyo had much more historic. YANAKA . old town village..i love village people are so nice too . Okay Arigato 🙏
Oops sorry i meant to reply you . About japan trip / dream 😅
Sure i get notification about every kind of comment here. Thank you for the recommendations. Sure i will need some more then..And probably will get connection with some local photographer loving adventure;-)