What's Next?

Foam Amsterdam is celebrating its 10 year anniversary this year and using this opportunity to reflect on the future of photography - asking you, me, and of course industry experts, What's Next?   I  like this piece  from the About section:

"In fact the question 'What's Next?' is about far more than 'just' the future of photography. It is also about the future of a society dictated by visual media, of a society in which people primarily communicate with technological tools that have been developed and made into consumer products with incredible speed. It is about the future of a society in which every layman can and will be a photographer, sharing his experiences with newly made online communities, a society in which the experience of time and space have drastically changed.


In short, 'What's Next?' is about the future of a medium and of a society in transition."

Needless to say, the digital age has revolutionized photography; it is both exciting and challenging to think about how it will continue to shape our visual language in the coming years.  There are lots of interesting conversations taking place on the site, so check it out and participate when you have a minute.

 © Alec Soth/Magnum Photos for the NY Times

I'll leave you with an image from a What's Next contributor,  Alec Soth (who happens to be one of my favorite photographers).  He recently spent some time in my home state making portraits in Rockford, Illinois; this image from that series resonated with me.  The photos and accompanying article can be found here.