May 2009
Photography has often been divided into artistic and applied, or creative and commercial categories, but people usually forget to include the most immediate and obvious one: family memories. These three photographic directions each have their own motives, specific goals, and, importantly, success or failure criteria suited to each case. However, there is seldom mention of a special and widespread category, that of the photographic hobby, whose sole reasons for existence are enjoyment, entertainment, and relaxation. Here, specific motives or desired goals are absent, rendering any critique unnecessary and redundant.
Everyone has one or more activities in their life that require effort, face challenges, and assume responsibilities. The hobby serves as a break from these activities, a return to the lost innocence of childhood's carefree games, which lacked specific motives and goals and were beyond critique. Hence, children, immersed in play, do not need hobbies; they simply play, with their games assuming utmost seriousness in a usually carefree life free from demanding activities.
The journey of photographers who wish to transcend the bounds of nostalgic photography varies. Very few choose it as a livelihood, even fewer pursue the path of artistic creation, and the majority embrace the hobbyist direction. The hobbyist photographer treats his engagement with photography as a beloved game, occupying his mind and time pleasantly but relaxedly. A love for equipment and technical improvement defines this playful scope, but the essence of the hobby is that it's not chosen to complicate life further. Consequently, it's neither logical nor customary for the hobbyist to seek critique, which would confront him with his shortcomings.
In contrast, photographers who see equipment and technique as mere means for artistic expression add a challenging allure to their life, where criticism, often negative, can hurt but mainly serves as a stimulating motive to better understand their limits and sensitivities. Such freely chosen activity is neither a burden nor a mere game or escape. These photographers know that negative critique, likely more frequent than positive, is not just acceptable but desirable, adding a significant intellectual joy to the inevitable disappointment.
These observations negate the existence of a generalized and absolute photographic critique. To deem a critique useful or indifferent, welcome or unwelcome, correct or incorrect, one must consider the photographic domain in which the photographer operates and the direction towards which his photography tends.
Plato Rivellis