DSS 118: Question....scenic vs. landscape

tinamarie52

I'd like to ask everyone if scenic = landscapre or is landscape a subset of scenic? Does anyone have an opinion? Joyce stated. "The scene has to have nature in some form in it and its needs to be wide angle as much as your equipment can provide!"

For me, scenic is an image that shows a scene that tells a story. It could be all buildings, streetscapes, etc. Only this time Joyce asked for nature to be included.

I'm asking this because sometimes I get confused about this definition. I notice that almost every shot in the gallery has no man-made objects in them. Does that mean that most of us consider scenic to = landscape.

I know that this is open to interpretation. I really am posting this question out of curiosity. Sometimes I go along making assumptions, only to find out that my assumptions were wrong from the start. I am curious as to how all of you think about this... or am I the only one who splits hairs over the English language?!!

Chris

PedalGirl

I do believe that JAG also said it could be a city scene or something of that nature as long as there is like a tree or some flowers in the shot as well. When I hear scenic, my mind automatically goes to a landscape of some sort... but I don't think the two are really the same.

DonRicklin

That is what lawyers are for, splitsing "hairs over the English language?!!"

Many images of buildings are considered "Landscapes"...

I believe Joyce mainly wants a "wide angle" shot of a scenic landscape that is not only manmade, i.e. includes nature.



Don

Jenn

tinamarie52 wrote: »

I'd like to ask everyone if scenic = landscapre or is landscape a subset of scenic? Does anyone have an opinion? Joyce stated. "The scene has to have nature in some form in it and its needs to be wide angle as much as your equipment can provide!"

For me, scenic is an image that shows a scene that tells a story. It could be all buildings, streetscapes, etc. Only this time Joyce asked for nature to be included.

I'm asking this because sometimes I get confused about this definition. I notice that almost every shot in the gallery has no man-made objects in them. Does that mean that most of us consider scenic to = landscape.

I know that this is open to interpretation. I really am posting this question out of curiosity. Sometimes I go along making assumptions, only to find out that my assumptions were wrong from the start. I am curious as to how all of you think about this... or am I the only one who splits hairs over the English language?!!

Chris

For me, it's about how to interpret "The scene has to have nature in some form in it". It's just my opinion, but I love images that are outside the typical definition of what is generally accepted by photography rules. Maybe the standard way of thinking about it would be mostly a landscape scene, but when you add creativity into the mix, the definition would be much wider and dynamic ... or out of the ordinary and stand out from everything else.

I probably don't have the status to claim I'm that skilled as a photographer, but it seems that many people can take a decent scenic photograph even if it's a lucky shot (which is usually the case with me ... it being a lucky shot). What I've noticed is when the photograph becomes art the rules can tend to scream "ouch" from being stretched to their limits.

That said ... It's just my thoughts on the subject. I don't know how close I am to how anyone else views the same subject.

JAG

DonRicklin wrote: »

......Many images of buildings are considered "Landscapes"...

I believe Joyce mainly wants a "wide angle" shot of a scenic landscape that is not only manmade, i.e. includes nature.



Don

correct! give that man a cigar!

DonRicklin

JAG wrote: »

correct! give that man a cigar!

Thanks, but yuck, unless it's a good chocolate one...

Don

kentwaller

a shot i took this morning. does it meet the criteria? i kind of think not, but interesting discussion...

grandmaR

Scenic to me is kind of a catchall phrase which is everything that you can't put into any other category. IOW it isn't really a 'scene' or a story like a theatrical presentation. The dictionary says something to the effect that it is a photograph, graphic representation, etc., depicting natural scenery. It also says that a landscape is usually a rural expanse of scenery seen from a single viewpoint on land (as opposed to a seascape or what I call a cityscape). So a landscape shows scenery and a scenic picture shows scenery (!).

When I think of a landscape, I tend to think of things like paintings by Constable, which do have buildings and animals and people in them, but they are subservient to the whole breath of the picture. LIke this one of Salisbury Cathedral which apparently is one of the 'great' landscapes by him. I took my husband to see it before we actually visited Salisbury Cathedral.


I really think most landscapes need something in them to give them scale.

For the purpose of the challenge however, I think any wide angle shot which has something natural in it (even if it was just a tree) would be considered as within the rules. By me anyway. Not that I have anything to say about it really.