Photographic Memes
Cultural Ideas Unknowingly Shared by Strangers
I came across this incredible shortform that challenged the reader to find royalty-free photos that had similar but different qualities of their own, and compare them. I thought this was a brilliant idea, and an interesting way to see how ideas are shared across cultures and society. In 2021, memes are commonplace — used by adults, businesses, children, governments, political parties, and anyone else who has access to the internet. But what is a meme? It’s cultural information, shared to others by repetition or imitation.
I selected three photos, as directed by the original piece, and searched for similar ones. As we compare the work of professional artists and my own amateur photography, let’s remember that these ideas — these camera angles, locations, and subjects — are just what came to mind when the artists took the pictures. Let’s take a look:
A mother and child in the woods…
or on a sidewalk…
A sunset through the trees…
A violent yawn…
If you’re interested in giving this challenge a go, check out Will Hull’s original post here:
If you’re interested in more shortform from the author, check out these pieces here:
