Wow. So these Olympic photos that were recently taken and received a lot of scrutiny are now being showcased at Powerhouse Arena and this is what they say:
“Such criticisms miss the work’s powerful and nuanced compositions and display of personality. Here we see real individuals at the peak of their athletic career in ordinary and impromptu poses, sometimes playful, some quite intense, in an unplanned setting. You will not see world-class athletes like this anywhere.”
Really? This is embarrassing if you ask me. What do you think?
via A Photo Editor
Embarrassing is a photo that is not distinctive nor memorable, and these are. They are not heroic, not uplifting portraitures of American athletes, but rather portraits of people who happen to be athletes, in quite unheroic poses.
The first impression is the correct one. This guy admits he was unprepared. He did what he could with what he had, which was precious little. To read deeper into his images is to give meaning to randomness, which is a complete waste of time and energy.
They’re not random people, there’s a purpose to the subjects being there, the occasion, and the pose and presentation in some way relating to a specific sport. Even ifabsent all of this, some of photography’s great work is what you call “random.”