The Interrogation of the Image

Alec Soth on Wlliam Eggleston, highly recommended:
• Rambling through Eggle...
www.justinjones.info
Instagram user name: justin.m.jones

[@REDAyabuza]

... i was afraid, afraid that you've given up on the channel. I love photography as an art form, but apart from almost 90% or more of the other youtube channels, that are always trying to sell us new cameras and lenses; i thank you Mr. Jones for your dedication in teaching us, showing us new things, that really count to improve one self.

[@msaicproject]

Absolutely true!

[@adambielawny]

Good to see you back. For me your videos are one of most valuable ones in youtube when it comes to photography. Thanks!

[@mariodabu6767]

Come back! This is arguably the best photography channel that talks about the art of photography.

[@barrycohen311]

This bloke is really the only photography person on KZbin, with enough brain-power and knowledge of art, to dive deep into important questions on the matter. He dissects and questions photography, as an intellectual would- with surgical precision.

[@patrickdowney2778]

Welcome back!

[@nothistory]

I too had seen Alec Soth's video and am thankful for the likes of you and Soth discussing these issues in the public sphere. As an avid photographer, and lover of the medium, I couldn't care less about gear reviews and "follow me as I climb a mountain and take this epic shot" videos which proliferate on the internet. I long for the serious discussions about the art, so thank you. I only came across your channel a couple of months ago and quickly devoured the videos. I noted that it was some time since you had posted a video. Part of me wanted to contact you and say "hey, any more coming?" The other part, which won out in the end, thought I should be thankful for what I had gained from the videos and that it was not my place to ask for more. If you wanted to do more great but that was up to you. And so it was a very pleasant surprise to have this pop up on my subscription list today. Thank you.

[@stilllife-artandthephotogr3494]

Thanks for your patience!

[@martynpearson6900]

I’ve missed your insightful commentary. As a university lecturer I always point new photography students to your FB talks. Excellent stuff. Keep at it.

[@luismedina8241]

Could you put a link to the FB site, please?

[@martynpearson6900]

@@luismedina8241 Sorry, it was a slip of the key, I mean't YT - or You Tube.

[@justininfrance]

Good to have you back Justin!

[@tommartin9731]

Several years ago now, I was out on a walk by the river, carrying my camera as always, and stopped to examine a rotting stump. Two young girls came along and cautiously asked me what I was looking at so intensely. I paused for a moment and answered, often when looking at something ordinary, something extraordinary will happen. That has been my motto ever since. Thank you for this video. I am going to the Gibbes museum in Charleston, SC this Saturday to see an Eggleston exhibit and will keep these thoughts in mind.

[@brunobenavides9977]

Thank you Justin for your channel and the analyses you've made over the years on the art of photography. It's truly refreshing to find your videos among the ocean of disney you-tubers out there.

[@andytymon9795]

Yeah you're back!

[@liveinaweorg]

I was brought here because I asked myself who am I photographing for. I asked that question because I had a moment yesterday where I posted a picture I had taken in November 2021 that filled me with awe (and was the precursor to my choice of website name) yet it garnered no feedback on my Instagram when I posted it in early 2022 and no comment in the forum in which I posted it yesterday. I was so disappointed people didn't 'appreciate' it like I do. Ha! This was the alarm going off and I could have just hit the snooze button I suppose. I didn't, instead I came here to try to understand my situation a bit better. Listening to Mr Jones has been like suddenly being woken from a long sleep, a sleep I wasn't even aware of till yesterday. So, thank you sir.

[@Bellyoflion]

Welcome back. Missed ya

[@samuel_d]

I think this is one of your strongest videos, which is saying something because they’re all fascinating. Good stuff. I never quite made it to art school, but this feels like the next best thing. By the way, although it doesn’t matter much, Alec Soth’s name is pronounced like both rather than moth.

[@kevinlimcool]

The best photography channel on YT. I thank you Sir

[@MessengerOfGod76]

You are a breath of fresh air. Good to see you back

[@SlavaVeres]

❤ THANK YOU FOR WONDERFUL VIDEOS you made… they are among the best videos on true photography… PLEASE COME BACK!

[@kevinlimcool]

Best-in-class photography channel bar none

[@mariodelapiedrawalter9274]

Please come back, your videos are an inspiration. 😢

[@kenmarten6049]

Your channel is a recent discovery and a great source of inspiration and information, so I'm glad you're still producing new content. I would love it if you discussed the likes of Jeff Wall and also Thomas Demand in detail at some point, not that you've asked for requests!

[@andrewc56]

So glad to see you back! Your insights on photography and art were sorely missed.

[@paullesliehutson5818]

Excellent because it’s thought and argument provoking. I find myself contradicting you in my head but then questioning my reaction, so you’ve set me thinking about my own photography

[@derricksansome236]

Thought provoking material yet again Mr Jones. Thankfully your insight has answered a question for me that has troubled me for many a year. It IS all about context. This is proven by your Dad’s images, because they are NOT in a book, a gallery or by someone who has been acclaimed as an artist then they are considered inept snaps. Put them in a book or a gallery and tell the world this is the work of a great image maker and people will nod in agreement make sage comments about their “getting it” and may even purchase the book. Your Ball of crumpled paper on the office floor/gallery comment crystallised this for me, thank you. With a certain amount of relief I am going to be happy and content from now on enjoying what my eye is stimulated by and not worrying about “not getting it.”

[@stilllife-artandthephotogr3494]

Yes, thank you.

[@micgent]

The 'crumpled ball of paper' on or off the pedestal really does summarise the whole topic. So glad your still producing interesting content.

[@robertocollo2890]

I linked your channel as a comment at the Soth’s video. Glad you’re back. Great, great job!

[@low3242]

I am really glad that you're back. Photography KZbin badly needs your channel.

[@jpbob4907]

Thank you so much!!!! Hope to see you many more and more!

[@JasonGreensides]

Please come back. Your videos are needed on YT. After spending hours and hours watching landscape photography and getting more and more dissatisfied and angry, your channel is where I come to cleanse my soul. Plus you don’t stick your talking head over everything

[@arthurwright9007]

Another amazing video essay, I love your content! Just found it and binged almost every critique and film. Turned me onto a lot of great photographers and is already going a long way to my thoughts and practice behind the lens. I also love some of your fathers photos too. Lovely memories and proof that not everyone is a great artist but that great art can come from anywhere.

[@markpimlott6056]

Welcome back, i find your insight very interesting and hope you carry on challenging people perception of photography. In a world where photography and photographing is so readily accessible, and through social media it seems to have become more about the equipment and less about the person and their vision

[@lifetimesofamultiplemediam1003]

Loving these thought provoking discussions... I actually feel growth. Keep on keeping on!

[@mjakotka]

As everyone here I am very glad to see a new video from you. It is always a pleasure to hear your opinion about photography and art in general. Thanks.

[@tveerco6800]

So excited to see your latest video. I hope you keep posting here because I miss your commentary and insights about art of photography. I have watched and rewatched your videos a countless times and I look forward to hearing more from you.

[@grahammcarthur1794]

Excellent. Wonderful to see you back on the you tubes.

[@stilllife-artandthephotogr3494]

Hey, thanks Graham!

[@james.00]

the long awaited return ! good to have you back

[@aaronng5566]

Another great commentary. Thanks! By the way, where's that Peter Fraser video? I miss that one...:)

[@louhautdavid6451]

I've come back here again, asking me why. I guess it's because it's encouraging me to make images I'm quite sure anyone but me would like. I came at a Michael Kenna's exhibition last year in Paris, too happy to find someone who wanted to look at photographs with me. I felt uncomfortable because I I found his images quite well composed but incredibly boring, just as visitors would stand in line to have an autograph. I enjoy Gossage's photographs and naively showed one of his last books to my family members, hoping from them a sort of insight that's something was going on here. Complete failure. I sometimes regret that you closed the channel but I think that you've left your message. Of course, you can probably convince only people who are already convinced. Anyway, it find refreshing to feel that I'm not completely alone, and I'm grateful for this.

[@barrycohen311]

This bloke is really the only photography person on KZbin, with enough brains cells and knowledge of art, to dive deep into important questions and such. He dissects photography, as an intellectual, or surgeon would.

[@louhautdavid6451]

@@barrycohen311 I think his channel is like an little island in the middle of the ocean. If you're looking for deep analyses or reflections on photography, I suggest you take a look at the last book of Stephen Shore, Modern instances (Mack). He's making some really interesting links with other arts, and even further. It reminds me the very open approach of Justin Jones.

[@praxis1138]

Always very happy to hear your voice Justin.

[@shutterradio]

What a great thoughts, Thank you a lot. Your work is so important!

[@alexxanderdimitrov]

So glad you're back! Thank you!

[@ryanpaulretouch]

Thank you so much. This is the content we need.

[@MarcoFantin1]

Content like this is why I still keep the bloody KZbin app on my phone

[@Hermes33Trismegistus]

Thanks so much for these videos. I've dealt with the issue you're talking about here in the way I paint pictures or take photos. There is a gap on KZbin around what you very accurately call ''visual literacy''. I'd love to see more videos on this channel because what you have to share matters. best wishes

[@davidmoseley5247]

Great to see you back missed your insight in to photography very refreshing views it makes a change to see and hear different outlook on photography

[@tarnevar]

Oh, how I’ve missed your videos! Great work, as always!

[@CarlosLopezPhoto]

Wohoooo! you are back!!!

[@angelamartin8339]

I was so excited to see that you had finally posted a new video; more please. More, more, more! Your voice is uniquely informative. I need more.

[@perkins4253]

Great to have you back Justin! I want to see a one video every week now! Hahaha! Just kidding. I know it's not easy. Anyway, the most powerful image over here for me is the one from your fathers roll of the shallow water.

[@philmartin5689]

Also hello again and an yet again, an interesting talk. Just some thoughts. I also love Michael Schmidt's work and he is certainly capable of conventional composition, so if the image doesn't conform, then it was most certainly deliberate however I wonder if we are missing something when we see the image on line? If we saw the image in it's original form, maybe as a fine silver print or a high quality digital version, there would be the whole interplay of subtle tones and shades of grey, which are surely intended as part of the image?

[@stilllife-artandthephotogr3494]

Yes that's certainly true, seeing an actual exhibtion of beautifully printed photographs is way better than anything online.

[@philmartin5689]

@@stilllife-artandthephotogr3494 But is still surprises me to hear people deny this and claim online is better than the original print.

[@JakeBorchenko]

Great video as always! Glad to see a new one. One thing did trouble me though...you didn’t seems too concerned with critiquing the statement that “context is everything.” I personally find this concept troubling and I can think many great artists transcend the the limitation of context. Just curious for your thoughts! Cheers

[@KevinRusso]

Great insights and thought-provoking. I also found a few of your dad's images delightful.

[@ateliercunha2876]

2 years without a video .-(

[@sam11985]

Excellent, thank you for sharing your hard-earned insight.

[@jlaw8882]

God bless your dad. Not even a full contact sheet and already up there with Soth and Eggleston! Missing your videos by the way.

[@imagenatura]

Wonderful content. Thank you.

[@seanthomas5400]

I miss your commentary.

[@fado605]

Thank you. Very instructive and enjoyable.

[@josemartinphoto]

Muchas gracias por el MAGNÍFICO video. Gracias desde España.

[@stanislavrico]

great news to see new video from you!

[@imagenatura]

I'm curious to know your thoughts on lomography, "shooting from the hip", and "spray and pray". I came away from this video (after watching it 3 times) thinking that art is in the viewer and not so much in the creator, or perhaps both. Is there such a thing as "over-thinking"' a work of art beyond what the intention of the artist was/is?

[@ateliercunha2876]

Welcome back .-)

[@antonykyriacou8300]

Very good / Many thanks.

[@orionfoote2890]

I quite like some of your dad’s photos - I’m sure if you looked at them for 16 or 32 minutes you might reconsider. Nice to see another video from you - I assumed you had thrown in the towel. How wrong I was.

[@labehindthescenes]

What happened to the Peter Fraser video?

[@stilllife-artandthephotogr3494]

@james clark Very well spotted! I have been in contact with Peter Fraser who advised certain changes, so I have temporarily deleted that video, but it will be reuploaded soon.

[@labehindthescenes]

​@@stilllife-artandthephotogr3494 Thank you so much! I found that his work, through the vehicle of your analysis, burrowed somewhere deep in my head. I would very much like to rewatch it when republishing is convenient for you. Also, if you don't mind me making a request, I am very curious about your opinion on the work of Stephen Shore?

[@samuel_d]

I appreciate that “soon” is a relative term but would love to see that Fraser video re-uploaded sometime.

[@JohnnyMcMillan]

While I agree mostly with your statement my counter argument would be, that publishers now are coming out with books printing "new" unseen images as a way of selling. Now I'm a find admirer of Egglestons work but going through "The Democratic Forest" just feels like there's alot of filler and to be frank, some weak imagery?

[@stilllife-artandthephotogr3494]

Yes, there is always work stronger than others. But it\s called Democratic Forest for a reason, the idea that he didn't just choose obviously beautiful images. In the series, like life itself, you have to take the rough with the smooth. I recommend you watch the Alec Soth video who explains this well.

[@markbloor7649]

time for another vid, i think,.....please.

[@martinmkca2320]

Watched once is not enough to fully understand the narrative in the video. get to be twice or three ^^

[@low3242]

Eh, everything becomes boring after a while. These so called "challenging" artworks are boring and repetitive after Michael Duchamp's Fountain. There is already too much in this world to the point of absurdity and if artist the can't reduce to bare minimum and present his unique vision by combining different elements with a common thread then sorry I don't care about that work.

[@TheVoluntariast]

Welcome back!

[@choongching]

Welcome back!