Are you a photographer or an artist?
- Thread starter Browncoat
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I take photographs and as such I am an artist.
Photography is Painting (or drawing) with light. That is the Greek origin of the name.
Therefore i paint with light just as an "artist" paints with crayon or paint.
The real argument, and one which I think is trivial and unnecessary, is whether one paints with light using a computer or a camera.
When I think of the tricks I used in the days of chemicals and darkroom I smile when I hear this discussion. I did all what you now do on a computer using an enlarger and chemicals, so what is new!!!!
When we take a photograph we decide what to include and what to leave out, what light gives the effect we want, etc etc. Hence we create the image and are artists.
A personal feeling is that something is not art if the aim has to be explained to the viewer. Art should spontaneously react with the viewer in some way or another and not be explained before it gets a reaction.
Keep painting guys and gals
Photography is Painting (or drawing) with light. That is the Greek origin of the name.
Therefore i paint with light just as an "artist" paints with crayon or paint.
The real argument, and one which I think is trivial and unnecessary, is whether one paints with light using a computer or a camera.
When I think of the tricks I used in the days of chemicals and darkroom I smile when I hear this discussion. I did all what you now do on a computer using an enlarger and chemicals, so what is new!!!!
When we take a photograph we decide what to include and what to leave out, what light gives the effect we want, etc etc. Hence we create the image and are artists.
A personal feeling is that something is not art if the aim has to be explained to the viewer. Art should spontaneously react with the viewer in some way or another and not be explained before it gets a reaction.
Keep painting guys and gals
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DenisSavoie
New member
I think of myself as an artist first. I was raised going to art galleries on weekends, drawing and painting. i work as a graphic designer. I'm not afraid to rearrange elements to create a composition, or edit photos after the fact. The camera is a tool. Part of a process. As such, I'm not a photographer. Not a purist. I'm an artist and the camera is my tool.
DenisSavoie
New member
Thanks. I'm still a bit overwhelmed by how this site works. I can't really figure out how to view other peoples' images.
Flugelbinder
Senior Member
I know this is an old thread, but it's a great one and ever so current, so, why not... Art is so subjective, or more, than food... First thing to consider, since the great masters of painting where brought to the conversation, is that, ultimately they painted what was in their vision. Take Picasso - since he was mentioned before - as an example. Did his subjects look the way he painted them? I dont believe they did... But he still posed and arranged what he were to paint. So, I guess we can exclude photojournalism as a form of art. An artist takes time to prepare - arrange - the image he wants to depict; a photojournalist gets what he/she can... And here, we can also include landscape, or architecture photography - yes, even Ansel Adams - or wild-life, or street-photography, or Ken Rockwell's washrooms ;D... Those are just images... Some amazing and with an incredible monetary value, but just an image that was there for anyone to take... They just captured what was there. Lots of paintings do that even more accurately than the great masters... It's like comparing a movie (lets say, the Godfather) to a documentary... So what was it about them, that made "us" call them artists? The posing, most importantly, and also the composition. Have you looked at Michelangelo statues' hands? Or the way they are posed, the way they lift their heads, ever so slightly, the way the weight is distributed on the hip, etc? That's what some photographers try to achieve in their images. Even most wedding photographers are but pjs, although some, do take their time composing their shots (arranging the subject, light, backgroud, the way the dress falls, the way the hands are placed, etc) and that comes closer to those great masters. And they charge a lot for their images, and people buy them to hang them on walls... Ask Annie Leibovitz, or Bamby Cantrell, or Sue Bryce, or Jerry Ghionis if they say they are artists? NO!!! So why should any of us mere mortals???
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BackdoorArts
Senior Member
Good Lord, there's not a thing on this planet you and I seem to agree on, is there?! LOL
I simply Googled "Famous Photojournalists" and grabbed the first link. Tell me, are there truly no artists here?
Top 10 Photojournalists - Toptenz.net
"Getting what you can get" is an art form in and of itself. Knowing where to go in the middle of constant action to grab the perfect moment to express everything in a split second - that's not a form of artistic vision?! I'd argue that it's even more impressive in that it's being accomplished in real time rather than mulled over for hours, days, weeks or months, with no preparation other than your camera and your wits.
Are all "photojournalists" artists? Not by a long shot. But to exclude it as a form of art would be as ignorant as saying... well, you said that in another thread.
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Scott Murray
Senior Member
Art is simply put as.
art[SUP]1[/SUP]
noun
art[SUP]1[/SUP]
noun
- 1.
the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
Scott Murray
Senior Member
And an artist.
artist
noun
artist
noun
- 1.
a person who creates paintings or drawings as a profession or hobby.
You could also add, someone who creates a photo regardless of genre.
Scott Murray
Senior Member
[h=3]Introduction to Photojournalism[/h]Photojournalism emerged in the late 1920s and can be broadly defined as a spontaneous and topical photographic narrative of human events. Though the best images in this genre blend informative content with emotional impact, journalistic value holds pride of place over aesthetic quality. This is because photojournalism has its roots in news delivery and strives to maintain as objective a record as possible. There are many laws around journalistic integrity, despite the ongoing philosophical debates regarding the possibility of pure objectivity. Despite this key way in which photojournalism differs from other photographic arts, it has gained increasing acceptance as a fine art since the late 1970s, with gallery shows and museum exhibitions. Luc Delahaye and Chien-Chi Chang are just a few examples of celebrated photojournalists. Henri Cartier-Bresson, whose photo Behind the Gare St. Lazare has been called the greatest photograph of the 20th century, is held as the father of modern photojournalism. He is known for his candid shots of powerful moments that seem to suspend time. Having an ever-ready, small, light camera and always being on the look-out for decisive moments has become a hallmark of photojournalists. And as technology offers smaller, faster, lighter, and more memory-packed devices, as well as lap tops, publishing one's photos from remote locations can be almost instantaneous. However, the golden days of big, glossy prints in Time magazine are over. The field is rapidly changing, leaving photojournalists to explore new ways of interpreting events, being published, and making names for themselves.
Flugelbinder
Senior Member
Are all "photojournalists" artists? Not by a long shot. But to exclude it as a form of art would be as ignorant as saying... well, you said that in another thread.
Again with the name calling... Is that what you do with everyone that disagrees with you???
Flugelbinder
Senior Member
1.
the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
1.
a person who creates paintings or drawings as a profession or hobby.
Yup, photography is definitely an art form...
the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
1.
a person who creates paintings or drawings as a profession or hobby.
Yup, photography is definitely an art form...
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
Getting a shot in the spur of the moment is an art form all by it's self. Not everyone can do it and get a great photo. I had the pleasure of meeting Charles Porter many years ago and hearing him speak at a meeting I was at. His shot of the fireman carrying a small child is one that I will not forget. It is art.
Lopresti: Thunder revive Oklahoma City, but 1995 bombing remembered
The image of firefighter Chris Fields holding the dying infant Baylee Almon won the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography in 1996.Two people, Lester LaRue and Charles Porter, standing just three feet apart took almost the same image yet it was Charles Porter’s image that won the Pulitzer.
Lopresti: Thunder revive Oklahoma City, but 1995 bombing remembered
The image of firefighter Chris Fields holding the dying infant Baylee Almon won the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography in 1996.Two people, Lester LaRue and Charles Porter, standing just three feet apart took almost the same image yet it was Charles Porter’s image that won the Pulitzer.
I also happen to disagree with you, Flugelbinder. I consider artists/photographers to be something akin to first responders....they are quickly able to assess a situation and apply whatever measures are necessary to render the best outcome. As in the case of photojournalists, usually they don't have many options to set the stage so to speak--quite often they need to use what they are given and make the best of it. A skilled photojournalist will be able to quickly decide the best DOF, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and any other technical aspects as well as where to stand and wind up with a beautiful piece of art. In other words, a skilled artist/photographer will take a bunch of lemons and make some delicious lemonade!
As for your comment about Ansel Adams, I certainly consider him to be an artist. Sure the scene is there for anyone to capture. I once read where someone went along with Ansel and photographed the same scene. When the guy saw Ansel's final image, he was stunned and said the scene didn't look like that. It's because Ansel applied artistry to the image--similar to what we can do with post processing in today's world.
And personally I don't consider time to be a factor in whether something is determined to be art or not. Here's an example of an artist who paints a stunning canvas in just a few minutes. Well, perhaps you won't consider it to be art, but I wouldn't mind having the final art work hanging in my home!
My take,, is let the outside label you, and not the other way around. In time,, I suppose your body of work will decide
if you are a photographer, an artist, or both.
I take photos, because I enjoy the practice of photography,, and well,, my eye is my own,, and the edits, is as I
choose, so that the end results are uniquely mine which I freely share with others,,
laughs (oh, prints cost extra)
So pursue your passions, wherever they may lead.
if you are a photographer, an artist, or both.
I take photos, because I enjoy the practice of photography,, and well,, my eye is my own,, and the edits, is as I
choose, so that the end results are uniquely mine which I freely share with others,,
laughs (oh, prints cost extra)
So pursue your passions, wherever they may lead.
BackdoorArts
Senior Member
It's not what I do when someone disagrees with me, it's an accurate portrayal of someone who offhandedly and matter of factly pushes aside something that many have devoted their lives to, with little to no justification, ignoring (i.e. same root word) all evidence to the contrary. Ignoring all such evidence, while it is plentiful, categorizes a person as ignorant. If you feel differently then perhaps one needs to do more than just be offhandedly dismissive and finite when wiping a recognized art form off the face of the earth?
Flugelbinder
Senior Member
I like this a lot! I simply believe that it takes an enormous ego and a complete lack of humility to one consider oneself an artist...
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