Value, What Does It Mean To You?

I've been thinking a lot about value lately. The other night on NPR, there was a program about how Americans have lost the ability to discern what value is - they are confusing it with cheap.

It was based on buying cheap products that we know are "disposable" They used Ikea's business model as an example. That's no surprise, we've been trained to do that. Our options today are top-shelf (expensive) stuff or Wal-Mart. There's nothing that's well made for a reasonable cost available to us. At least not like the previous two options. I think our grandparents knew what value was (at one time). We've all been trained to buy cheap - get it as cheap as we can - use it and throw it away. We don't even look for quality - we look for cheap.

Quinn and his National Resonator Guitar aka, DobroIt got me thinking about photography. Photography has changed so much over the last 10 years, it's hardly recognizable to me. I don't want to sound like I'm stuck in 1851, or that I'm a Luddite, because I'm neither. My thoughts go to the word value, again. I wonder what's happened to "cheapen" photography so much?

Susan Sontag wrote that all photographs are meaningless and have no value. This was based on her belief that because we're inundated with so much imagery every day, it all becomes a big, blurry, meaningless mess. We are quick to dismiss images, or ignore them - I know I am. And Summer's (my daughter) generation seems to be far worse. This worries me and it also tells me that I can share some valuable information with those young whipper-snappers (as he reaches for his cane)!

When I'm out doing my "performances" there are some obvious things happening. There's a big wooden camera/brass lens and a portable darkroom set up - these are unique, not often seen items that draw attention. Moreover, there's something tangible in watching me "perform" and listening to my stories. They see quality, dedication and passion. They hear the narrative of photography - it gives meaning to them, even to the ubiquitous digital image.

The result of the "performance" is extraordinary, or special, to their eye (the image itself) mind and heart. Photography is universal, everyone understands the basic concept of what I'm doing, but I believe they recognize the value of what I'm doing.

And lastly, please don't think that the images I posted have any value - I just wanted to expose you to another set of meaningless images today.