The new photography

Over previous months I’ve attended two concerts. This is unusually social for me. I got a band-promoting t-shirt at one of them, and the opportunity of observing my fellow humans at both. I was struck by two things: 1) if bands are going to charge so much for their t-shirts they should make them out of decent quality material; 2) the number of photographs being taken during the performances.

Re #2, this seemed excessive. One person took >10 shots during one song (I stopped counting after that). Assuming that the photos were taken as an aid to future memory, I couldn’t help but wonder how having >10 almost identical photos is better than having 1 or 2. Now multiply that by the number of songs played….. Everyone seemed to be snapping continuously, even incessantly. It was relentless. Flashes exploded in every direction as people snapped images of the stage, their friends, themselves and themselves photographing the stage.

It struck me that my original assumption was wrong. People weren’t taking these photos as, or merely as, an aid to future memory. For a large part of the audience, taking photos was an essential part of the experience itself. Considering that an individual might have snapped close to, or more than, 100 shots, how many of these images would ever be looked at? How many will be discarded, deleted?

It’s difficult for me to interpret this. But it’s interesting to think how technology effects our social behaviour and our expectations of events.

This is one aspect of the new digital culture that I don’t get. For me, photographs capture moments of our lives and provide us with evidence of our past. At the same time I generally find it annoying to stop whatever it is I’m doing in order to create this evidence. It breaks the flow. So I don’t understand photography so intertwined with life that it becomes part of what you’re doing.

The King's March witnessed

The weather's turned cold again here in London but on the weekend it was glorious sunshine. On Sunday I popped down to Whitehall to see the king’s army from the English Civil War Society perform their annual commemoration of the death of King Charles I in 1649. On the last Sunday in January the king’s army march from St James’ Palace to the Banqueting House where they place a wreath, say some speeches and give out medals. It’s all pretty cool.

Archivists with imagination

There is a piece in the London Metro today “Careers decided when you are six”. Here it is in full:

"A child’s career can be predicted at the age of six , based on their sex and personality. Primary school girls with less imagination tended toward record-keeping jobs while boys chose construction and agriculture said the Aston University study."

If you wanted to insult female record-keeping professionals, that’s not a bad way to do it. I don’t remember dreaming about files while my contemporaries played at being actresses or Prime Minister. In fact, as I recall, I spent many hours being wonder-woman; sometimes I was the greatest sports-woman that ever lived.

Wales

I had New Year in Wales with some friends. It was an interesting and relaxing holiday filled with walks, castles, rain and lovely scenery. Here’s a photo of a sheep.

Xmas party

Last night I went to the joint Society of Archivists London Region and Archives for London Christmas Party. It was held on the HMS Belfast. Sue Hill sponsored the event and as I’ve found them helpful in the past for finding work I was pleased that they’re taking such an interest in the archive profession in London. The customary quiz took the form of a hunt for information around the ship, which was excellent fun. Although there was at least one other party on board (an IT department from some firm) we seemed to have the ship to ourselves and got to poke around into the cabins, nooks and other places, run up and down ladders and admire London by moonlight. All up it was a good night.