I believe this is a really interesting topic. I can understand all the different views when it comes to photography and it being fine art. Photography has definitely changed since the 1920's due to digital. Digital allows almost anyone to try and become a photographer. Now many do not have an eye for it and it shows in their work but almost anyone can attempt becoming a photographer with digital cameras and editing techniques making it so much easier to learn vs how things were done in the early 1900's. Digital offers exceptional image quality and creative flexibility. I agree with Gopnik where he states are there new ways on making a photo fancy, the way they were done with Adams or Avedon. We do tend to see more repetition of photography work today vs. the 1800 and 1900's. Photography today is an equal opportunity art form, I see so many images, a wide variety of images that are in exhibits and used for magazines and commercial work almost as if its so easy to accomplish. Below I chose this image as a fine art image. It only differs from the early 1900's with it being color and having a high resolution. Like the early 1900's it still has that peaceful landscape scene, that many photographers captured back then that was considered a form of art.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think you make an interesting point that digital allows anyone to TRY to be a photographer. You obviously don't have to be as technically skilled as you did in the 1900's, but you still have to know how to control the camera to be a professional photographer I guess.
ReplyDeleteIt's always interesting to see people today try to recreate the masters of the 1900's with the technology we have now, instead of using the old fashioned equipment.
I agree that this image of the Tetons is art. I love how the slight layer of fog gives the center of the image that soft focus quality. I wonder what the photographer used as his vantage point to shoot this image as there isn't a ripple on the water. There is an ox-bow in the river but it is at a distance it would need quite a telephoto lens. The time of day, the early morning light, really makes this photo. If it were later in the day the entire face of the mountains would be illuminated and the fog on the water would have evaporated. The low angle of the light makes the blues in this image intense, adding to the calm, peaceful mood.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that people can try to be photographers but will only be successful if they understand how to make the most of their camera.
I'm not sure I agree with Gopnik's fears that there's too much copying and photography may be at the end of its innovation. Over the course of history progress tends to be episodic rather than steady in its pace. Much has changed in the last 50 years of photography. Innovations often are unexpected and that's one of the things that make them so notable. So I have hope that there's much photography has yet to teach us.
ReplyDelete