The Essence of goth

[fetischfweek]

Good morning, im a photographer living in new zealand and ive had several ideas on how to capture the essence of goth to help others understand, i know most people will never understand, and most people dont want to understand, but this is my idea

a crowd of buisness people (men and women) all dressed in their flashy buisness suits, standing in ranks like military, with one person dressed real ubergoth standing out of rank in the middle staring at the camera

i guess the reason for this post is to find out peoples ideas on how they see the essence of goth, this is a photo ive had in mind for a long time, any changes to my idea or any ideas of your own are welcome, but let me know what you think

[bleedingheart344]

Make an intro first, darling. *crosses legs and re-opens book*

[Godslayer Jillian]

I really don't like it.
To me it sounds like everyone continues their lives not caring about the goth, while he, alone, looks at the camera with disdain of his surroundings.

If there's such a thing as an essence of goth, it should be backwards:
The ubergoth (I liked that. Preferably a deathrocker like the singer from All Gone Dead) would be walking and smiling while the rest of the people (which would look pretty much the same) would look at him with a question mark on their faces or with disgust on their faces. It's not about hating the status quo; it's about disregarding it.

[IsolatedReptile]

Perhaps just someone all done up doing something as banal as brushing their teeth in a normal looking bathroom (except maybe a few extra hair products).

[fetischfweek]

thanks for the feedback, this is what i wanted i do like the ideas and ill keep working on it, initial ideas are meant to grow, keep the ideas coming, and to bloopie, this idea came to me while i was reading the goth bible by nancy kilpatrick (awesome book)

[KontanKarite]

What would be nice is a shot of someone who ISN'T super gothed out.

Say, a girl with brownish red hair, with a black tank top, a black sweater tied around her waist, with some kind of dark colored pants.

She's crossing the streets looking very unconcerned while everyone else, who looks very republican friendly either doesn't notice her or the ones that do have this odd look of confusion and disgust.

A follow up to this would actually be taking some shots of goth clubs and scenes. That would be kinda cool actually.

[Gothic.net]

Originally Posted by fetischfweek

...this idea came to me while i was reading the goth bible by nancy kilpatrick...

Ugh... No wonder...

[KontanKarite]

There's a goth bible???

[Clockwork]

Originally Posted by KontanKarite

There's a goth bible???

O_O

Looks promising, no?

[fetischfweek]

Yes theres a goth bible. by Nancy Kilpatrick. we can make another thread about it if you like. Find out peoples thoughts on it.

[Godslayer Jillian]

Eh, I've never heard a good review of it. They tell me it's exhaustingly stereotyping.

[Gothic.net]

Originally Posted by Godslayer Jillian

Eh, I've never heard a good review of it. They tell me it's exhaustingly stereotyping.

That about sums it up.

[KontanKarite]

Oh my goth! A bible! I've been doing it wrong the whole time! AAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH

*shrivels up into a pile of confused poseur*

[fetischfweek]

Nobody ever said you must live you life by a bible, and reviews are never very good for most things, im enjoying the book and so far i havent come accross anything that stereotyping in it, mainly its saying goth isnt a fasion sense, or a type of music you listen to, its just who you are inside

[KontanKarite]

LoL!!!!

I do hope everyone else is catching my humor. I'm just having some fun in this thread.

[Clockwork]

Originally Posted by fetischfweek

mainly its saying goth isnt a fasion sense, or a type of music you listen to, its just who you are inside

That right there's a belief that many will oppose =p

[Gothic.net]

I think you should be the saviour before you write the bible.

[fetischfweek]

But the "Saviour" never wrote the bible....this is way off topic, i think this whole religion thing needs a new thread

[KontanKarite]

Okay, enough with the fun. Back to the topic...

[Gothic.net]

Originally Posted by fetischfweek

But the "Saviour" never wrote the bible....this is way off topic, i think this whole religion thing needs a new thread

Well, if you wanted feedback on a picture idea you had, that was inspired by a book that claims to be the Gothic Bible, then feedback on the book is directly related to the original question. The picture idea sounds trite and not particularly original and it isn't the least bit shocking that it was inspired by the book, given that the book was written by an outside observer that mistakenly thinks they have the authority and or experience to describe the culture the way they did.

[Godslayer Jillian]

The thing is that that same thing of 'Goth is something you are' is simply wrong.
I always advocate against those types of 'goths'
I'm one of the most elitist goths you'll find and I still know better than to say that.
As I'm always saying, people that say that are just monopolizing a series of feelings and opinions they have, and scramble them up together under the banner of Goth. But if it's not about music, then why call it Gothic in the first place?
Only because they think that word is cool, which comes back again to just wanting to be something you are not.
Goth is simply about music. It makes it easy to define. There are several things that most goths have in common beside music (my favorites being a fear of mediocrity, an obscenely obscure sense of humor, an almost entire disregard for the status quo, and the clothes) but these are not badges you must earn before being Sgt. Goth Pepper.
If goth were a manner of life, a way of thinking, or a philosophy, then how come there's such diverse ideals inside the culture?
I'm a materialist, some here are ascetic (or sort of, as an ascetic wouldn't have a computer), some are socialists and some are anarchists, some are theists and some are atheists, some are altruists and some are oportunists, some are Victorian and others are Bohemian...

[fetischfweek]

Gothic.net, feedback on the book is unnesecary, i dont care what you think about the book, thats your opinion, i respect your opinion, but i dont really care when it comes to my photography, all i care about is what you think of my idea, not where i got it from, youve given your feedback, all of which is bad, if you think my idea sucks, fine, why dont you come up with something that you think is better, i just wanna capture the essence of what goth is in the comunity, that was my idea, now how bout yours? instead of blasting me with negative feedback try some constructive critasizm.

[Clockwork]

I think you'd do better with a collage than with a photograph.

[fetischfweek]

Godslayer, it has to be something you are, because if your not it, how can it be you? and the fact that theres so much diversity in the culture, means you cant just call a group of people goths because of what they listen to or they way they dress, its just who they are

[fetischfweek]

Originally Posted by Clockwork

I think you'd do better with a collage than with a photograph.

Like heaps of photos turned into one big image? or a series of photos displayed like a story?