The Future of Photography

Is photography a viable medium for abstraction? A ranging discussion this week on the nature of abstract photography - we cover technique, equipment, serendipity, artistic intent and of course WDTMFTFOP? Some links from the conversation: Man Ray, Stephanie Jung, Decim8, Crazy macro lens, Lens ball. Picks of the week: Learn about abstract photography, Andrew S Gray, Alfred Stieglitz - cloud series, Frances Seward - ‘inner’ landscapes.

We are in a time of global crisis - fire, flood and virus. What role does photography play in these times? How are we affected as working photographers or hobbyists? This is an extra show slotted into our normal weekly schedule to make sure the conversation is still relevant when it is published. There is some light-hearted stuff to balance the heavier - and we also discuss just how important photography can be.

Can photography really capture the essence of another culture when we travel? This is the question Chris has brought back from his recent trip to Lake Baikal in Russia. How do you get to know a culture anyway? Does a camera help or hinder making relationships? What are some good ways to succeed in travel photography? All this and a story about Russian craft gin! Check out Chris' Lake Baikal images and podcasts: 01 - Moscow Extension, 02 - On the Lake, 03 - Voices. Picks of the week: John Beasley Greene's early photos of Egypt, the Sunny16 Live podcast recording, 1906 photography article.

How can photography help address the climate crisis? Can we document and raise awareness now? In the future will we travel mostly in virtual reality? Is photography actually adding to the crisis by luring us away to exotic places? We know photogrpahy can drive social change - so how do we use it for good? Picks of the week: Edward Burtynsky TED talk and gallery, 2019 Environmental POTY winners, J Henry Fair and our very own TFOP Instagram.

This week we ask the question - how do we move photography forward? Is it harder today because all images look the same? Is it easier because technology makes tools and learning content so easily avaialble? How should we study? How is that different to years ago? All the team have different experiences and expectations from study and practice. Do we know how we will personally improve? Picks of the week: Magnum photographer [Susan Meiselas](https://www.susanmeiselas.com ), Julian Charrière, Lucy Phelan.

What defines a genre? How does a genre come into favour and then fall out again? We can all name some traditional genres - landscape, reportage, street, portrait... but what about new genres like fishface selfies and cat pics. Do genres breed technology or does technology breed genres? All this and more in TFOP this week! Picks of the week: 3StreetGallery, Future cameras, Portraying pregnancy.

In this episode we ask the team what their favourite thing to photograph is... which genre, favourite subject, what do you return to? Has it always been so? Have you gone through different ‘phases’ over the years ? WDTMFTFOP? Well, it's all personal really - and we're all different, which is a great thing! Picks of the week: Terry Jones RIP, Dark Side by Cody Cobb, TFOP Zines (teaser).

Quibi: a new phone-only video streaming service but with quirks. Everything is sliced into 4-10 minute segments. You also get a different angle/camera/scene if you flip your phone between landscape and portrait orientation kept seamless because it is bound to the same soundtrack. Will it succeed? Will it change the face of video production or maybe even still photography? Some clickables... BBC summary of Quibi including interviews with the two founders. Article describing the service. Quibi keynote from CES (loooooooong).

This week Eimear and Adrian riff on photo trends for 2020. What's coming? What does it mean for photography - specifically for us? Conversational sources from Fstoppers, Shutterstock and YouTube. Picks of the week: Magnum Streetwise, ‘Mixtape’ Student work from Limerick School of Art & Design @ South Tipperary Arts Centre, South Tipp Arts Podcast with Aideen Barry & Arts Centre Director Helena Tobin, Sculpture & Combined Media and PhotographyFilmVideo @ LSAD. Web: thefutureofphotography.com – Twitter: @tfopnow

This week we discuss the interplay and cross-influencing of painting and photography throughout the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. There are soooo many references to choose from so here is a big long list... Sally Mann, Wet plate of Greta Thunberg, Akihito Takuma, Stephen Shore, Bill Gekas, Max Rive, Gemmy Woud-Binnendijk, John Baeder Daniel Castonguay, Nadar, John Constable Moma, Martin Parr, Victorian Fairy Painting, Reddit: Accidental Renaissance, Jeff Wall, TFOP on Glitch Art Jason Anderson, Adrian's February photowalk. Picks of the week: Camera and shaver (and more) sounds, The Bisaillon Brothers, Alexey Kondakov - If Classical Paintings Roamed the Streets