Documentary Planet Garbage

Very strange ...

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M.
 
Ignorance or refusal to face the truth I guess. People still smoking obviously don't agree with the effect it has on their own bodies. And those next to them.

This is really awful, smokers kind of think it’s ok to leave stumps where ever. And those are highly toxic and takes a lot of time to disappear from nature, if ever. I really don’t get this
 
Do not go to any market without the right and sufficient stuff.
Matt and Walter, I have evaluated this thread from a rather basic point of view and find so far six contributors.
In case there is no increase in co-workers from a lot of places you will not raise any interest in twitter or venues that do have the funds to pay for an exhibition.
I do not say this to deter anybody from taking pictures of garbage and posting them in this thread. With enough material it may become known to people outside this forum. Therefore some real work needs to be done before going public with the results.
Concerning aesthetics, there is no need feeling queasy, photos do not soil fingers and they do not smell. What is acceptable socially is quite another question.
I hope I have not been too harsh.
It took me a little time to think this over.
I quite agree with you, Rolf, let's not hang it too high, let's stay on the carpet. We're quite a small group of posters, no world-wide effect in view. And most of my posts would be pigeonholed as documentary (not art) anyhow.
Up to now I've kept my distance to the social media, I'm a bit picky as to where I spread my pics. Twitter and all the rest of these so-called social media have no social importance for me and will not have in the remaining years that I'm a guest on this planet. Here in this forum I'm having some fun at the moment, and that's reward enough for me.
 
Rather than give up, we might try to create a bit of interest and see if there is any response. We are 6 posters right now, but small movements sometimes grow. In my country, our famous Civil Rights Movement, began very tiny and unknown. Don't be disheartened so easily (but don't put too much emotional cargo in this either). Simply contribute if you want, and promote it gently. If it grows, it grows. If not, no problem (IMHO).

But certainly the world can't see the images unless we show them; right?
Quick, handheld, not an iconic image or an inspiring landscape being ruined by garbage, but a plan for an image tomorrow.
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Coincidentally, I just saw and article in the newspaper (on-line) about France. 1 in 3 questioned drivers admitted they sometimes dump trash from the car along the highway.
25 metric tons of garbage is collected per day along the highway during the vacationperiod.

I think this issue is somewhat beyond sensibilisation as a way to solve it.
I doubt the kind of people responsible would look at this kind of images, much less "see" the issue and even less act on it.
We have a saying (don't know if there's an equivalent in English): what good is providing a candle and glasses when the owl refuses to see.
The owl shouldn't even need a candle or much less glasses to see.

When the restrictions on the rules for covid19 were relaxed, the government communicated that they counted on the "sense of responsibility" of the citizens to adhere to the more relaxed rules.
Adding that following these rules, couldn't and wouldn't be controlled.
I suppose I don't need to describe what happened next.

A lot of people - most?, a significant majority?, an annoying minority? - only follow rules that demands something from them, in as far as they can get caught in the act & in as far as a fine / penalty is significant to them.
Cynical? Observation rather.
Think speeding, avoiding VAT on labour, getting behind the wheel when under influence, ducking import taxes, ...
And everyone has an explanation ready why breaking this or that rule was no big deal. Or completely irrelevant even.

I think there's a place in Asia (Singapore?) where you get fined even for trowing a cigarette or spitting on the pavement.
This might not be such a bad idea.

And all of this is only about simple individuals. Not even touching the much more complex issue of illegal dumping by companies.
 
Coincidentally, I just saw and article in the newspaper (on-line) about France. 1 in 3 questioned drivers admitted they sometimes dump trash from the car along the highway.
25 metric tons of garbage is collected per day along the highway during the vacationperiod.

I think this issue is somewhat beyond sensibilisation as a way to solve it.
I doubt the kind of people responsible would look at this kind of images, much less "see" the issue and even less act on it.
We have a saying (don't know if there's an equivalent in English): what good is providing a candle and glasses when the owl refuses to see.
The owl shouldn't even need a candle or much less glasses to see.

When the restrictions on the rules for covid19 were relaxed, the government communicated that they counted on the "sense of responsibility" of the citizens to adhere to the more relaxed rules.
Adding that following these rules, couldn't and wouldn't be controlled.
I suppose I don't need to describe what happened next.

A lot of people - most?, a significant majority?, an annoying minority? - only follow rules that demands something from them, in as far as they can get caught in the act & in as far as a fine / penalty is significant to them.
Cynical? Observation rather.
Think speeding, avoiding VAT on labour, getting behind the wheel when under influence, ducking import taxes, ...
And everyone has an explanation ready why breaking this or that rule was no big deal. Or completely irrelevant even.

I think there's a place in Asia (Singapore?) where you get fined even for trowing a cigarette or spitting on the pavement.
This might not be such a bad idea.

And all of this is only about simple individuals. Not even touching the much more complex issue of illegal dumping by companies.
Maybe we should try a different approach: when administrations in France put up a sign that something is forbidden this proves the best guarantee people do it. Forbid to bathe at a small sea or pond and you'll have it crowded with small boats and people bathing. Maybe that's the way people tick.
 
Maybe we should try a different approach: when administrations in France put up a sign that something is forbidden this proves the best guarantee people do it. Forbid to bathe at a small sea or pond and you'll have it crowded with small boats and people bathing. Maybe that's the way people tick.
I think that is touching on basic human nature. "You can't " is generally met with "oh yes I can". But I think that pictures of garbage miscommunicate here. Pictures of garbage ruining a lovely image communicates something "actionable" pictures of garbage alone do not.
 
I think that is touching on basic human nature. "You can't " is generally met with "oh yes I can". But I think that pictures of garbage miscommunicate here. Pictures of garbage ruining a lovely image communicates something "actionable" pictures of garbage alone do not.
Is this (narrow) restriction not limiting our possibilities, Walter.

I don't think there's just one way of showing our deep miscontent with this maldevelopment in human behaviour.
Posing the ugly next to the beautiful is certainly a way of rousing feelings. Using contrast is a strong means, I'm with you there.
But I would not restrict this thread to just one way of showing things. We all take different views, and each one of these is justified.
And - most important to me - art should be free.

Wherever possible I've tried to give the atrocities I see a "photographic" presentation, having in mind composition, DOF, coulours and the special perspective. Documentary pics of "garbage alone" are not my thing either though I wouldn't consider them unjustiified.
So let's please not have scissors in our heads as to what is good - bad, beautiful - ugly, acceptable or not.
Let's agree to disagree in what we think and what we show.
This has always been the impression cameraderie gave me as "their philosophy".
I think we should not hang this too high and come back to showing what we see.
 
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