The controversy about whether photography is art is one that has been raging in the art world for a long time and we are not likely to totally solve it here. But it can be an important decision you have to make if you are considering a career in photography with the goal of producing quality art works. If that is where you are, the idea that someone would say “That’s not art, you just took a picture” is pretty disturbing. So it’s worth looking at the question from several different angles before we pick which side to weigh in on.
Of course, art is a subjective thing. Many people would look at a Jackson Pollack “splatter” artwork and determine most definitely that modern art is not art because it “doesn’t look like anything.” And if you spend any time in the modern art world, you will definitely see something at some time along the way occupying space in a perfectly respectable art museum that, to you, could never be considered art.
So is it just a matter of opinion? To some extent, yes. But there is an art world and an industry behind it that depend on there being some standards upon which art is judged. One such standard is the intent of the artist. If you produce a photograph or an art work derived from a photograph that is intended to be viewed as art, then the viewer is obligated to try to see the artistic merit in it. Whether the viewer sees that merit or not may depend on the viewer’s abilities, how good you are at getting your artistic message across or many other factors.
But just wanting something to be art doesn’t make it art does it? As a layman in the art world, I sometimes go with the “I don’t know art but I know what I like” system of evaluating pieces I see. Art, after all, has a tendency to touch us in another place that is above and beyond the image. It is an emotional place, a place of reflection and understanding. Maybe we would say it touches our “soul”. For a work to be art, there should be a message, a feeling, a reason the artist made the work because he or she wanted to say something, even if how I interpret the statement is different than what the artist meant.
So that might also be an evaluation of a photograph as to its artistic merit or not. Now the primary objection to whether photography is art sometimes is that a photograph is often a realistic depiction of a moment taken with a machine and some would say that “anybody can take a picture.” The implication is that the same mechanical skill it might take to paint a picture of sculpt a statue is not needed for photographic art.
It’s true that the mechanical skill that the guy at Wal-Mart might need to take baby pictures may be the same as a great photographic artist might need. But the objection doesn’t hold up because the same human language is used to create great poetry as it takes yell out obscenities at a baseball game. So it isn’t the skill that makes it art.
Good evidence comes from the credit some great art experts have given to photographic exhibitions in the fine museums in the world. The very fact that photography is considered art by those who know may be evidence enough. So the conclusion must be that because the arguments against the artistic value of photographs are weak and people who know consider photography to be art, then we are safe in viewing what we do artistically too. And that opens up that side of your soul to express yourself through the medium you love the most – photography.
Photography for Newbies, Beginner, and Professional Photographer, all about Camera, Photo Techniques, tips and tricks for your best Photograph.
Photo Techniques For Viewing And More
Photography is not hard. It may seem hard for a beginner. In this articles are easy to follow photo techniques you can start using right now. This is an easy technique to take better shots. Be sure to practice as much as possible and experiment with different ideas and techniques as well.
* A Guide For Newbies In Photography * Achieving The Wedding Photography Of A Couple's Dreams * Aerial Photography * Become A Competent Professional Photographer * Black And White Photography * Capturing Images On Creatures Of Nature * Determining The Best Angle In Photography * Different Kinds Of Filters For A Camera * Enjoy The Hobby Of Capturing Wonderful Pictures * Features Of Zoom Lenses * Maintenance and Cleaning * exposure bracketing * Get The Most Out Of Taking Great Pictures * Guides To Help You Improve The Quality Of Your Food Pictures * Having The Proper Lighting In Photography * Having Your Own Photography Lab * How A Digital Camera Works * On Loading Film On A Manual Camera * Proper Makeup To Capture The Perfect Shot * Selecting The Correct Camera * Shoot Like Professionals * Starting A Photography Business * Strategies For Portrait Photography * The Appropriate Selection Of A Photography School * The Benefits That Photography Clubs Can Bring * The Best Time To Choose A Wide Angle Lens * The Role Of Photojournalism * The Things That You Have To Consider When Buying A Camera * The World Of Modern Photography * Tips On Exercise Good Travel Photography * Tips On Taking Pictures With A Digital Camera * Use Of Depth Of Field Lenses Wisely * Choosing Your First Digital Camera * All About Digital Photography Secrets * 267 Simple Tips for Sensational Photos * Digital Photography Software * Photo Editors For Windows - Top Picks * A Guide to Professional Styles and Techniques in the Art of Digital Wedding Photography * Tips on Making the Best Digital Wedding Photography even Better * Digital Enhancement for Picture-Perfect Photo Prints * The Boost of Digital Photography in the Fashion Industry * A Closer Look at Digital Photography * The Greatness of Digital Photography * Understanding Digital Photography: Techniques in Getting a Great Picture * Macro Digital Photography: Some Concerns * Mastering Digital SLR Cameras is Mastering Photography Itself * Art or Science: the True Nature of Digital Photography * How to Achieve Picture Perfect Shots via Digital Photography * Digital Photography Made Eas * Top Reasons to Opt to Digital Photography * The Art of Digital Photography * Goodbye to Films, Say Hello to Digital Cameras * Digital Photography Lighting for Picture-Perfect Photos * Choosing a Printer for Digital Photography * Have You Read any Digital Photography Review Lately?v * Choosing a Printer for Digital Photography * Choose Your Own Photo Editing Software * Digital Photography Tip #1: Don’t Assume that DigiCams Do All The Work! * Let’s Get Digital: SLR Photography Basics * Taking Wedding Pictorials One Step Forward with Digital Photography * Getting the Right Angles on Digital Nude Photography * Your Choice of Digital Photography Printing
* A Guide For Newbies In Photography * Achieving The Wedding Photography Of A Couple's Dreams * Aerial Photography * Become A Competent Professional Photographer * Black And White Photography * Capturing Images On Creatures Of Nature * Determining The Best Angle In Photography * Different Kinds Of Filters For A Camera * Enjoy The Hobby Of Capturing Wonderful Pictures * Features Of Zoom Lenses * Maintenance and Cleaning * exposure bracketing * Get The Most Out Of Taking Great Pictures * Guides To Help You Improve The Quality Of Your Food Pictures * Having The Proper Lighting In Photography * Having Your Own Photography Lab * How A Digital Camera Works * On Loading Film On A Manual Camera * Proper Makeup To Capture The Perfect Shot * Selecting The Correct Camera * Shoot Like Professionals * Starting A Photography Business * Strategies For Portrait Photography * The Appropriate Selection Of A Photography School * The Benefits That Photography Clubs Can Bring * The Best Time To Choose A Wide Angle Lens * The Role Of Photojournalism * The Things That You Have To Consider When Buying A Camera * The World Of Modern Photography * Tips On Exercise Good Travel Photography * Tips On Taking Pictures With A Digital Camera * Use Of Depth Of Field Lenses Wisely * Choosing Your First Digital Camera * All About Digital Photography Secrets * 267 Simple Tips for Sensational Photos * Digital Photography Software * Photo Editors For Windows - Top Picks * A Guide to Professional Styles and Techniques in the Art of Digital Wedding Photography * Tips on Making the Best Digital Wedding Photography even Better * Digital Enhancement for Picture-Perfect Photo Prints * The Boost of Digital Photography in the Fashion Industry * A Closer Look at Digital Photography * The Greatness of Digital Photography * Understanding Digital Photography: Techniques in Getting a Great Picture * Macro Digital Photography: Some Concerns * Mastering Digital SLR Cameras is Mastering Photography Itself * Art or Science: the True Nature of Digital Photography * How to Achieve Picture Perfect Shots via Digital Photography * Digital Photography Made Eas * Top Reasons to Opt to Digital Photography * The Art of Digital Photography * Goodbye to Films, Say Hello to Digital Cameras * Digital Photography Lighting for Picture-Perfect Photos * Choosing a Printer for Digital Photography * Have You Read any Digital Photography Review Lately?v * Choosing a Printer for Digital Photography * Choose Your Own Photo Editing Software * Digital Photography Tip #1: Don’t Assume that DigiCams Do All The Work! * Let’s Get Digital: SLR Photography Basics * Taking Wedding Pictorials One Step Forward with Digital Photography * Getting the Right Angles on Digital Nude Photography * Your Choice of Digital Photography Printing