What I appreciate about photography is that beyond technical knowledge and skill, it’s a media which can reflect the photographers personal view and artistic vision.
Note – I don’t have clearly set boundaries at what classifies as art and I’m not sure where photography based art begins and ends.
Technical equipment, capabilities and skills are the tools we use to fulfill our photographic visions.
We do this prior to making the photograph while selecting camera, lens, filters, settings, subjects and compositions. Post-processing is a process of lessening the gap between what was captured and what we “saw” or envisioned.
Note – I believe if the purpose of a photo is to document something that there should be no manipulation of the photo. If a documentation photo has been manipulated then changes should be clearly and fully stated up front. However, if the photo is an expression of the photographers vision, art, all options are acceptable.
My own technical skills have always been a couple of steps behind what my mind could envision. I’ve found that when I’ve improved my technical knowledge my minds creative boundaries have also changed and expanded. It’s a see-saw of learning new skills, gaining new capabilities and then envisioning all the things that can be done with these skills.
It motivates me to keep pushing both technically and personally. It’s a guarantees photography will never become stale or redundant–there will always be new possibilities.
I found the building in the above photo to be imposing with strong lines, large multi-pane windows and complimentary lighting–a very technical/detailed structure but artistic too. The sky being overcast added to the effect.
To me, photography becomes an art when you want to express something through it. If you make a picture with the only intent to document something, that being an object, place or some people, it can hardly be called an art. Of course, you can later on pick up all these snapshots and make art of them, when you have came up with something to say or express through them. This is my personal view of it, anyway.
Hi Earl, I like how the reflections change in this image, progressing from left to right, almost like they are telling a story. I think the boundaries of photography as art are best left as no boundaries at all. :-) There are so many degrees of interpretation of both the photographer and the viewer that it will drive you crazy trying to put it in a box.
@Ove: I tend to see photography as art much the same as you but I’m not sure there are real boundaries to it and maybe as Mark commented it would be best left that way.
@Mark: I find the question of art to be an interesting mental exercise–any boundaries I arbitrarily assign are soft and continuously changing. It often seems such a matter of personal taste. I think it’s also important to note that just because it’s art doesn’t mean it’s “good” or liked by everyone. There is certainly such a thing as art that’s bad–again a matter of personal taste? :-)
Count me in the no boundaries camp. I see your point, Earl, in the “mental exercise”. But, if I spend too much time thinking about the big picture (sorry about the rotten pun), I become paralyzed. I try to stay focused on doing and areas where I want to make changes. I agree that the judgements of good or bad art are pretty much all about personal taste, regardless of how many want to deny that. I have already admitted that spending a lot of time on these questions doesn’t work for me, but I certainly am glad that others do contemplate the issues and pose the questions. I suppose I just want others to do that heavy lifting for me.
@Anita: Not to sound too “deep” here, but I know for me finding an appropriate answer is often a matter of constructing the right question. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about this stuff but I keep coming back once in a while to see if I’ve had any new insights.
Hey, I don’t believe anyone needs to do any heavy lifting for you… ;-)
I’m glad you responded, because you caused me to look at this from a different angle than the one from which I originally viewed your post. It’s a fascinating question to revisit as long as we don’t feel we have to finalize an answer.
Now, about that heavy lifting. I have a ….