JD750 Loc: SoCal

And there it is.

Free “timeless” storage, google’s “project”, is done at the whim of a corporation.

Mr Bill 2011 Loc: southern Indiana

we know of a handful of the best, most popular Impressionist painters. How many great, good, or just average Impressionist painters were there whose paintings were eventually trashed by their grandkids, or acquaintances who received them as gifts, just to get them out of the way. Like photographs, very few survive to be described as "timeless;" the vast majority can simply be described as beautiful, but really nothing out of the ordinary!

JD750 Loc: SoCal

VanGogh’s work was considered childish and it was rejected by art critics of the time. Through out most of his life he was shunned by the artistic community.

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

I don't doubt what you are saying about Nixon ordering the Apollo drawings destroyed but would like to read more about that. Can you point me to a book or article, perhaps, where this is discussed. Thank you.

gwilliams6

I disagree. Throughout time, many great artists' works have endured for hundreds of years, some for over a thousand years and more. Many will be forgotten, but not all.

As a pro and also a longtime Professor of Photography at the university level, I teach my photo students about the greats, and expose them to their works, including Ansel Adams, and these great are getting new fans all the time. There are Facebook and other social forums that expose younger generations to the works of photo greats like Ansel Adams and W. Eugene Smith.

I include photo history as a required and necessary part of the curriculum in all my university courses I teach, including Photojournalism, Digital Photography and B&W Film Photography.

The person's life story may be forgotten but thankfully many of their best images live on and are still being used in books, in TV commercial spots , in movies and lots more..

Do I care if my personal life story is forgotten by the public, no. But I know some of my best shots will long outlive me, having already been included in collections in museums, in university permanent collections, in libraries including the Library of Congress, and in some classrooms and online courses.

Cheers and best to you.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

I heard that on a TV Special about the space program, unfortunately I cannot now find that source so I must retract that statement. My apologies. However it is well documented, Nixon cancelled the Apollo program.

stanikon Loc: Deep in the Heart of Texas

It is my understanding that he cancelled it because it was too expensive. He wanted to concentrate on reusable hardware; hence, the shuttle program. I have never heard anything about the drawings being destroyed. In fact, the original drawings are in NASA archives.

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

Thanks, no need to apologize. I wasn't trying to hold your feet to the fire about providing proof, but was just curious about it.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

I am glad you asked.

vpeek1947 Loc: Louisville, Ky

I have shot Male High School Baseball & Football for a long time - I still get comments from players, parents & Grandparents on the photos - they are posted on my website and can be downloaded (full rez) at no cost. I played sports for the same school (1960's) and have ZERO photos, especially action photos. Sure hope some of the photos make it long enough they can show their kids and grandkids that they were young once.

Hip Coyote

You bring up a good point, which, in fact, somewhat is hindering me in my pursuit of photography art. I sometimes question my self, "why bother?" For the most part, any artistic shots that I may take are not all that meaningful to me, and certainly my heirs, as far as context and history. It is a fun hobby, but that is about it. When I die, the photos I took which were rated high in some way by a third party judge, are probably not going to be viewed and enjoyed. But the photos I take of family, events, life's moments that mean something to the collective "us" will be save. This MAY be a contributor to the popularity of the camera on the phone...generally not used for art,but for spontaneous events. For instance, when I babysit my grandchild, I take shots with my phone...they are not always great, but which pics will I cherish in the long run? Which photo will be viewed as timeless, the photo I took of a landscape in Yosemite which was rated as nearly perfect or a not so sharp photo of two of my elderly aunt and uncle kissing at Christmas, only to have both of them pass away within in a few months? Which evokes emotion?
Which is timeless?

anotherview Loc: California

So, one could argue as a general proposition that every photograph carries the potential of timelessness depending on the viewer of this visual record.

User ID

Like playing chess against a computer, you just do it to be doing it. You enter your own personal parallel universe.

User ID

Absolutely not. There hasta be at least a small dose of ephemeral nature to the content. An example of the absence of that would be a "beautiful ocean sunset".

Absolute worst case extreme scenario for lacking any ephemeral nature whatsoever is a huge fave subject amongst Hogsters playing with their new 500mm zooms.

(Download)

anotherview Loc: California

Please define this descriptor: "ephemeral nature."

BTW: I meant my offered proposition in the context of now and the far future with its hindsight applying variables then that today we cannot foresee.