Molases

Question time.

There is a place where my photography is seen more than anywhere else, but probably appreciated the least. Where do you think that is?

Google Maps.

My photos have been viewed 31,000 times and counting there. Thirty One Thousand times. I have a total of 42 pictures on there, so the ratio of picture to view is pretty high. I would imagine there are way more of my images online, on my website, on social media, etc, but probably less views in total for all my images online since I began sharing than for those small number of pictures on Google Maps, especially if you consider view count per image.

There are images I have slaved over, that took hours to set up and shoot, one image I had in mind took more than 7 hours in post-production alone, and yet it has probably been viewed less than a random upload to Google Maps; a picture I probably rattled off on my cellphone and retouched a little in a matter of moments. No planning or prep, no concept in mind, no location scouting, just a click of the digital shutter button and a quick upload.

I do not raise this fact nessecarily to brag about view count in Google Maps, neither do I mention it to talk about the ‘death’ of artistry and creativity, but this in turn raises wider questions about the nature of ‘art’. Why do we create; is it for validation, for views, is it for appreciation, is it for self fulfilment or to scratch a soulful itch?