Thought provoking video……
We all struggle with what is fair when it comes to making a photogrpaph. This video
does not attempt to anwer that question, but does breath life in to the possibilities!
Blessings,
the pilgrim
This entry was posted on Monday, April 15th, 2019 at 4:10 pm
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Interesting. Makes me think more broadly about what are art really could be.
Me too!
Perhaps I’m too simplistic in my looking at photography. I break photography into three groups. The first group is photojournalism: an accurate representation of a place or event with minimal adjustments to color, brightness, contrast and cropping. It may be a staged event as we have seen with national leaders shaking hands for the cameras. A second group is the snapshot. The images serves to remind someone of a place and time. As such, the technical quality is almost a secondary consideration at best. The faded, off color pictures from a vacation 40 years ago remind us of the vivid colors and excitement of that time. The rest is the last group which is art. Some art is simple, almost plain while other art images are complex constructions. The difficulty is with the pictures that want to be in more than one category. Consider the grainy image that was the cover of Time magazine that showed the first manned space shuttle launch. Was it art, photojournalism, or a snapshot? What about the image of a parent (or grandparent) holding a newborn child? What about the still life image of an old old car sitting in weeds with a tree growing between the fender and bumper and the paint giving way to rust? Is this image documenting nature reclaiming something, a reminder of something from our past, or an exploration of color, shape, and patterns? Perhaps the answer is another question: “What story is the photographer trying to tell?”
All valid and good points!
In my simple mind I categorize my images into (1) a documentation of something that is there and (2) an artistic interpretation based to varying degrees as to what was there. I shoot both “genres” and feel comfortable with both. I just don’t represent my “artistic” endeavors as documentation. If a painter can select and choose what to put in their image; then, why can’t I as long as I am honest about what I have done. The computer screen is merely my canvas – Photoshop my brush!
Jerry R
Agreed, Jerry – exactly what I think.
Great film. I shared it on my photo Facebook page.