Portland, Oregon: In an unexpectedly candid turn for the new year, local photographer Jack Bennett has resolved to ditch the artistic jargon and admit he’s simply “taking pictures.” This straightforward declaration is causing quite the stir in a community known for its often grandiloquent descriptions of their craft.
“For too long, I’ve draped my work in fancy terms,” Jack confessed. “I once described a blurry photo of my lunch as ‘an exploration in culinary abstraction.’ Let’s be real; I just forgot to focus.”
The change has been both refreshing and disorienting for Jack’s followers. “Last week, he posted a picture of a sunset with the caption, ‘Sunset.’ I spent hours trying to decode the deeper meaning,” said a long-time Instagram follower.
Jack’s new approach stems from a recent epiphany. “I attended a gallery where someone showcased ‘a meditation on the existential plight of urban pigeons.’ They were just pigeon photos. Good ones, but still.”
Responses from the photography community have been mixed. “It’s revolutionary,” praised a local art student. “He’s stripping away the veneer of pretense.” Conversely, a fellow photographer lamented, “Without the flowery language, how will anyone know we’re serious artists?”
Jack’s newfound simplicity extends beyond captions. “I considered explaining ISO settings to a beginner. Halfway through, I just said, ‘It makes your photo brighter or darker. Play around with it.'”
Some speculate this resolution might be short-lived. “I give him until February,” remarked a cynical camera club member. “By then, he’ll be back to calling a tree ‘a study in arboreal resilience.'”
Despite the skepticism, Jack remains committed to his resolution. “Next, I might start naming my photos with just numbers. Or better yet, the file names straight out of the camera. ‘DSC_0053’ has a certain ring to it, don’t you think?”
Whether this no-nonsense approach will catch on is yet to be seen. For now, Jack is enjoying his new-found liberation from the shackles of artistic verbosity, one plainly-named photograph at a time.
