Ingwar PerowanowitschSame energy
Rebecca Wirfs-Brock@Perowinger94 I happen to know where that fire photo was taken (in the Columbia Gorge). The golfer was on the other side of the Columbia River miles away from the fire which was on the Oregon side around Multnomah Falls. In short, it was a very deceptive photo which gained a lot of traction. The golfer was in no danger...
Jeolen Bruine@rebeccawb @Perowinger94 It doesn't make it a lesser symbol: a golf course demands acres++ of short grass and thousands of liters of water, only as a hobby for rich people. From a biodiversity standpoint, it's a dead zone. And yet it steals water that would be needed elsewhere when it's so hot the trees are burning. In the meantime individuals are asked to do "small gestures for the planet".
It's the essence of uncanny human priorities in front of the disaster.
It's the essence of uncanny human priorities in front of the disaster.
@jeolen @Perowinger94 The Columbia River scenic area being destroyed by a fire caused by an errant firecracker thrown by a goofy teenager who was on a hike is the real tragedy. The environmental impact of the golf course? Well. indeed, that may be an issue, but I think the real issue is how forest management/controlling of fires is such a complex problem with no easy answers. Especially in a scenic wilderness area where access to firefighters is limited by the terrain.
@rebeccawb Thanks for the background info, but I don't see how that lowers the symbolic charge of this photo.
I'm not saying erasing golf courses is a solution to wildfires. I'm saying this picture is a potent symbol in a world of human-made global warming.
I'm not saying erasing golf courses is a solution to wildfires. I'm saying this picture is a potent symbol in a world of human-made global warming.
@jeolen I get your point. But as a symbol, we need to be aware of both its power and at the same time its lack of nuance.
By the way, I am an not arguing that this is in anyway a fake photo (it was not)...but that there is / was more to the story than that photo conveyed. The world literally was not burning down around that golfer. And the photo was amazing.
azI'm reminded of this art work. It's a composite image, Tony Blair was never in danger.
I think a better word than symbol might be metaphor. We're generally comfortable with this in written language, there's no reason that photography must always directly represent reality.
