On (& Off) Photography
So I posted this freaky pic of myself around 2 a.m. last night (this morning) and left it there overnight. I had misgivings about leaving it there this morning, so snatched it safely back and there it has been sitting, a blob of html code saved as a draft in the editing section of blogger.
I think of myself as a generally rational person - but I admit to being somewhat prone to superstition. I have to say that I have paranoia that is almost extreme about having an image of myself - well, one in particular that shows my eyes - floating around "out there". The posted/unposted pic shows one eye, some cheekbone, some hair, part of my ear. I decided it was too much.
Now, I sure as hell don't look at photos that friends have posted of themselves on some of those haaaarible social networking, or worse, dating sites, and think - "Wow! Their soul is leaking out all over the internets!" And yet, I know I - my soul - would feel somehow "compromised" were I to allow similar images of myself to just be "hanging out" in the ether. (Here's where you can roll your eyes and mimic a cuckoo clock)
As most of you probably know, many "primitive" cultures regard photographs/cameras themselves as very suspect, with the idea being that, potentially, they can and will in fact steal your soul, or at least part of it. I guess the "primitive" part of my mind responds to this notion.
I don't feel quite the same about "real" film and photos that require a darkroom to develop as I do about digital photos. There is less of a sense of endless replication, of images taking on lives of their own once they "live" on the internet. There is some sense of solidity and control. Still, I instinctively shy from the camera. And still, I do own a digital camera, in addition to several traditional ones.
I'm not swearing off ever posting a photographic image of myself. I did it once already on this blog, an image of my neck. I just don't see it happening to the point where I could actually be recognized or identified. No, that will never happen. It's not important to the content of the blog, certainly, though I understand that in a basic way photos add interest to blogs, at least they do for me.
Sigh. I don't know how to end this post. Have a bitchin' weekend, all.
I think of myself as a generally rational person - but I admit to being somewhat prone to superstition. I have to say that I have paranoia that is almost extreme about having an image of myself - well, one in particular that shows my eyes - floating around "out there". The posted/unposted pic shows one eye, some cheekbone, some hair, part of my ear. I decided it was too much.
Now, I sure as hell don't look at photos that friends have posted of themselves on some of those haaaarible social networking, or worse, dating sites, and think - "Wow! Their soul is leaking out all over the internets!" And yet, I know I - my soul - would feel somehow "compromised" were I to allow similar images of myself to just be "hanging out" in the ether. (Here's where you can roll your eyes and mimic a cuckoo clock)
As most of you probably know, many "primitive" cultures regard photographs/cameras themselves as very suspect, with the idea being that, potentially, they can and will in fact steal your soul, or at least part of it. I guess the "primitive" part of my mind responds to this notion.
I don't feel quite the same about "real" film and photos that require a darkroom to develop as I do about digital photos. There is less of a sense of endless replication, of images taking on lives of their own once they "live" on the internet. There is some sense of solidity and control. Still, I instinctively shy from the camera. And still, I do own a digital camera, in addition to several traditional ones.
I'm not swearing off ever posting a photographic image of myself. I did it once already on this blog, an image of my neck. I just don't see it happening to the point where I could actually be recognized or identified. No, that will never happen. It's not important to the content of the blog, certainly, though I understand that in a basic way photos add interest to blogs, at least they do for me.
Sigh. I don't know how to end this post. Have a bitchin' weekend, all.
posted by Black Egg at 11:53 PM
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