Introduction
I am delighted and excited to welcome you to Photo Aesthetics.
As photographers, our emphasis is on the image. Therefore, I feel it is of utmost importance to prioritize and present images in a proper way. We have made every effort to insure that in our cover page as well as in all the other pages, the images receive the importance they deserve.
We focus first and foremost on topics that will help individuals appreciate and produce better images, as well as topics that enhance the appreciation and understanding of photography.
Periodically we will also publish articles and videos that help improve the enjoyment of the art and craft of photography. Other topics will include science and art essays that relate to photography and human vision. We also intend to share the personal stories of key individuals whose passion and dedication make photography what it is today.
Why Photo Aesthetics?
Many friends and fellow photographers have been asking me to start a new digital magazine for the better part of two decades. I have resisted because I was content being a writer and contributor to other publications as well as teaching workshops and continuing to develop my own work. I did not want to undertake the responsibilities that come with having to manage a publication or a website, so I left that to others.
There are a number of factors that have coalesced to motivate me to finally start Photo Aesthetics:
For starters, there seems to be a growing tendency by the general public and by photography publications and websites to postulate that what matters the most in photography is the equipment and the software. This is a wrong assumption and avoids having to discuss the harder, deeper and more important topics related to photography.
Many photography publications and websites have become little more than a collection of rewritten user manuals and/or shallow comparisons between different brands and different models.
Other photography websites and publications are mainly marketing vehicles for, photography trips and workshops.
The rest seem to address things like the equipment that a few people prefer to use at the moment, new equipment introductions at recent photography shows, or the F/Stop, lens, camera and shutter speed someone used for a specific image.
While all of the above may be interesting at some level, in my humble opinion it has little relevance for those trying to truly improve their skills and knowledge in order to produce compelling images.
What is more disturbing to me is the lack of accuracy and downright false or misleading content that is pervasive on the web. This obviously happens not only in matters that relate to photography, but in many other areas as well.
Part of the joy and strength of the internet is that it is a free-for-all. But there are some negatives and one of the negatives is that there are many self appointed experts that have neither the knowledge nor the training to be well informed (let alone be experts!), and are able to easily disseminate wrong and misleading information.
Unfortunately, photography is particularly vulnerable to incorrect and/or misleading content.
Because photography is closely interwoven with many scientific and technical disciplines, a number of writers and publishers inadvertently parrot a wrong statement or reach the wrong conclusions due to their lack of scientific and technical knowledge. Often times they also use incorrect technical terms which can compound the level of confusion and misrepresentation.
Wrong pseudo-scientific explanations and assumptions by people without scientific training, understanding or credentials seem to be a fact of life on the web. I constantly find statements that are factually and technically incorrect.
One of the great things about photography is that because the photographer is actually creating an image and producing some form of output to share, it engenders a deep passion for certain methodologies, strong product loyalties and a child like excitement when someone is trying out something new for the first time (equipment or other). This passion, loyalties and excitement are fabulous, but when taken to extremes can also lead to incorrect statements and incorrect conclusions.
It was my frustration with the lack of relevant content and the presence of so much erroneous and/or misleading information that first got me thinking about starting a new on line publication.
The impetus to move forward was greatly enhanced when someone I really respect and trust not only asked me to do it, but also suggested that he would be willing to join me in the effort. I have known Jim Taskett for a long time and I am thrilled to be working with Jim as my partner and co-founder. There are very few few people that know more than Jim about photography, and I do not believe I know anyone else who is as committed to making a contribution to the medium as Jim is.
From the very beginning, Jim and I decided it was extremely important to add to our team some of the most interesting and knowledgeable contributors we know. We are honored that several world class photographers have agreed to become key contributors to Photo Aesthetics. They add significant insights into the art and craft that we believe will be very meaningful to photographers.
Therefore, I would like to encourage you to go to the ABOUT page of our website and read the information presented about our group of founders and key contributors.
There are many scientific, technical and artistic issues that are key to understanding photography at a deeper level. We have a number of close relationships with world class professional experts in these fields. We intend to deliver unique high level relevant content authored by these world class scientists, engineers and artists.
It is critical for the reader to realize that our main motivation is our love for the art and craft of photography and our desire to fill what we perceive to be a big vacuum that is not being addressed. We have no other agenda and we have no influence from any external parties. We are deeply committed to preserving this independence and will always adhere to the highest levels of ethics and accuracy.
The bottom line is that we will do our best to provide content that is valuable, artistically stimulating and technically accurate to anyone striving to produce and appreciate superb images.
Rest assured that we treasure and take very seriously the time and trust of those who visit our website and enjoy our content.
Please visit us often and please tell your friends and colleagues about us.
Welcome to Photo Aesthetics.
Mark Dubovoy
Founder, Editor
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