Thoughts on a beach photograph

I just had a thought whilst uploading photos to Flickr. None of them exist in a physical form. I’m getting high on my own pictures. I think some of them are good but then I would wouldn’t I.

Evermore I feel I need to try harder with photography. I am limited by a good but not-professional quality D40x, the debateably reduced personality and soul of digital medium, and competition of millions of other people taking photos of people and places around the world.

“Good photography captures the essence of a situation and location-”

e.g. a fishing boat rocking about on the waves brings crates of tomato sauce and fizzy drinks for a beach side cafe. Locals unload them from the boat carrying them on their heads whilst a white man leisurely crouches, lays on the ground arms and legs outstretched and builds a sand castle (like a child on holiday).

Should he help the locals? They are providing a service for him. Are the locals being exploited? Who is out of place here?

The man looks thoughtful like he is thoroughly relaxing and contemplating life. He looks like he should look on holiday. Time off from work maybe, feeling the sand all over his body and water between his toes…

Straight out of the brochure. Which came first the marketing spiel or the man’s actions? Is he convincing himself by living up to what he read in the air travel brochure or is he really blissfully enjoying the setting, childlike, playful, meditative… the new Goa… Paradise beach.

The tourist minister for Karnataka used to be in control of the mining in the state and ‘has never left his village’ – I was told by a local.  Where does coastal development end and can careless and thoughtless development be reversed?

Why do I get the feeling I’m shouting into the vast ether of lost? expression that is the internet? How useful is the process of being exposed to information through the internet? Most of the time it seems the majority the the information washes over me.