But is it art?

SnapTheFrog

Something interesting and odd happened to me, and I'm trying to make sense of it. I'd like your thoughts on the matter.

I enjoy photography. Shooting my own and seeing others. I had spent some time nosing around different forums before joining this one. I was struck by the really great pictures I've seen here and many times I'd think to myself, "That's as good as a professional could do it."

That lead me to the idea that anybody can shoot a good photograph. That's not a bad thing, and being an 'anybody' doesn't mean the amature photographer is a boob who somehow manages to get his lens in the right direction from time to time, so please don't think I'm putting the 'anybody's' down. In my book, 'anybody' is the person who doesn't have an open bank account to fly any where in the world to shoot with their pick of equipment, and can spend weeks on safari, walking with polar bears, and delving in to the heart of rain forests. Our backyards will have to make due, for us.
I suppose another way to look at it is that people make taking these great photos, easy.

So... if it's easy, a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and anybody can do it... is it still art? Think of di Vinci, Michealngelo, Picasso, Rembrandt, and other masters were hanging out all the time, sharing their work. After a while, something you and I be wowing over, they'd say, 'Yeah, that's, uh, nice.'

Maybe I'm jaded and spoiled by your brilliant photographs. I don't know.

dragon300zx

Some things to keep in mind. There are alot of professionals or semi pro's on the board here. Plus the members of this board make up what maybe 1% of the population if that.

Then remember art requires a certain talent or "eye" if you will. Anybody can take a good photograph. But not everybody can take good photographs consistantly, get the composure right, the exposure right, etc. And even if a person can get the photographs technically perfect it may still not have that appeal. Not to mention that art is like beauty. It depends completely on the person viewing it. Some people may think my dirty plate after lunch is art as far as thats concerned. Some photography is most certainly art, other photography is something nice to look at, some photography is simply documentation, and other photography is simply snap shots.

For examply. Stick a woman on a chair and take a camera and give the camera to a regular person on the street who isn't a photographer. They can take a picture and it can be sharp, properly exposed, technically perfect. Take the camera and give it to Yuri and he will make a work of art that makes people drool. Now could that regular joe get a picture like Yuri's from time to time. Prolly. Can he do it consistantly like Yuri? Prolly not unless he is a photography nut like the rest of us here.

gus

Im sure some pro's are only being supported by Great Uncle Bulgarias will & when it runs out they will be eating beans like the rest of us.

Its about what 2 different people see as they look in the same direction.

One will say '..nothing there to shoot' whilst the other will say '..look at the way that one ray of light is backlighting '.

SnapHappy

In my opinion Art is a beautiful product of a creative skill and imagination, and these skill's can be learnt.
You can have 'good' art & 'bad' art, and there are certainly different levels of skill in artists and their art alike. You can also argue that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and by stating this I am trying to define that some people may like one thing whilst others may not. I for one struggle to accept a lot of todays 'contemporary' efforts as actual art (I fail to see the skill element in a lot of it).

What we have with photography is a visual medium where some are far more superior skilled than others (your Michaelangelo's). Technology is bringing these skills closer and easier to the masses and thus enabling your 'Joe Bloggs" to produce the odd master piece or two (ahem. cough. anyone noticed any of my pics lately, not likely.) with greater ease.
To be a good photographer I think you have to have a creative soul, the camera allows you to express that creativity and the technicalities of the game offer the skills you can learn. If you can become proficient in any game then you can apply it as a profession, to create art you must offer creativity and imagination.
Having a 'good eye' is both creative and imaginative.
Being consistent, to a degree is a factor in photography. But Picasso didn't paint a masterpiece each time.
Right place right time must = money, opportunity, luck or creativity.

Is it art? Most definitely can be. Is it any good? Thats up to you to decide.

I seen a Quotation, can't remember by whom but it went "You can take a good photograph of anything". The more I think about this the more I tend to agree.