We do it automatically and without thinking. Most often by mobile, of course. Sometimes we don’t even see the result, other times we display it on social networks. And we want likes for it. Yes, we are talking about taking pictures.
It is estimated, probably very inaccurately, that we take around 1500 billion photos worldwide in a year. That’s about the same amount, according to other estimates, as there were from the invention of photography to the launch of the iPhone in 2007. And thirdly, another estimate says that people take more pictures in two minutes today than were taken in the entire 19th century.
And yet – photography has a magic in it that people still succumb to, as photographer Kamil Rodinger says. He still makes a living from professional photography, even though it is difficult. The media and journalism are in crisis, the demand for commissioned photography is also falling.
People feel that nowadays cameras and phones take pictures by themselves. To a certain extent, in the narrow technical sense of the word, they are partly right. Although photography is of course not only about technical perfection, it is at the same time a complex craft and art.
But what does not decrease is the desire of people to learn photography. So Kamil Rodinger has been “teaching photography” and conducting courses for more than 10 years. Formerly at the Institute of Digital Photography, today so-called on your own shirt. He can’t complain about lack of interest, as he confirmed several times during the interview out of superstition by knocking on the table in the studio.
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My relationship with Kamil is also a bit special in that I traveled with him as a photographer after 1990 for my very first magazine reports. That’s what you’ll have to endure in the podcast: two old men’s heroic memories of their wild youth.
We talked about all this together: who Kamil photographed and who he didn’t, even if he wanted to, but today those people are no longer alive. Who does he feel like taking pictures of today and is still alive. And we also talked about the fact that things don’t always go well in life. And that when times were more difficult and Kamil Rodinger wanted to keep his own studio, he had to, for example, deliver groceries to Rohlík or paint rooms for a while.
When you love a photo, there’s nothing to worry about. I wish you a pleasant listening.
One percent
What would you do if you only had the last percent of battery left on your phone? What is your dangerous thought? Will the world be better or worse than today in ten years? One percent is a podcast Miloš Cermák with people who interest and amuse him.
You can find the archive of One Percent here, other podcasts Seznam Správ here. What should we improve? Which part did you enjoy the most? You can send your observations, suggestions and tips to audio@sz.cz.
