Photographic Community Identities

There is no question about the existence of many photographic communities around the world. Their purposes are various and reflect the different interests that reunite people to photographic themes such as styles, schools, professions, genres, gear, etc. What the introduction of Internet had changed was the higher facility to reach and share these diversified groups of interest.

Socializing through digital virtual channels is not really a new thing since the Internet had been becoming for more than two decades the privileged communication structure of most modern communities. But in doing so the people relations are now proceed a to more on an international base with an obvious cultural blending. It has opened the exchanges at a more instructive and enriched cultural level.

With time many group plate-forms have specialized their subjects creating niche interests that eventually evacuated other subjects initially discussed. As a generalist myself, I have found more and more difficult to avoid all the associations with narrowed subjects that are now orienting many Web (or Blog) sites. An easy example can be observed into the numerous Web sites reviewing photographic gear. Many of these sites have been transformed to (political) commercial self-promoting groups that have loose almost any detachment regarding the various photo equipment products. There are even fierce wars between specific gear users divided by their manufacturer’s product choices.

So the identity debate is very actual. In a way nationalism had been substitute by commercialism. With the actual sanitary and economic crisis, it may be the time to realize how we have loosened touch with the essentials of Photography that is ... doing photography and share it! Everybody is talking about a "pause" imposed to your way of life dominated by consumerism. Is the way we want to ultimately transform, spend and dispose of your planet resources for short-term selfishness? Are we happier with that way of life that excludes more and more mind opening to someone or to something different that could push us to emulate and to progress?

As photograph, curiosity should be a strong stimulus to get original contents that will be interesting to share. Let's hope we won’t lose this photographic universal fundamental spirit.