The difference between taking a photo and photography is that photography is a word which can be interpreted in many ways. Stephen Shore believes photography is all about perceptions and uses it as a way to explore the world, Andrew Gibson sees it a way to express his creative side by documenting the beauty in the world as well as viewing how others live their lives, while I see it primarily as a way to record memories and challenge ideas - yet by definition photography is the idea of 'painting with light'.
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“It’s the bane of my existence that I see photography not as a way of recording personal experience particularly, but as this process of exploring the world and the medium." |
I had a discussion with classmates in which we answered questions regarding Photography, I found that in some cases we had conflicting views while in others they were similar. I have compiled our ideas to produce interview-like responses.
Why do people take/make photographs and Why is photography important?
There are many reasons people take photographs, it may be simply as somewhat of a time waster or a hobby as it once was to photographer Sophie Calle, it may be capture memories/ a scene or document history as Bernice Abbot demonstrated when photographing the ever changing architecture in New York or it may just be to express your creativity and experiment in order to provoke emotion. These reasons for taking photographs are also why photography can be seen as being important.
What skills do you need to be a good photographer?
No prior knowledge is necessary to be a photographer, especially if you take photos for personal gain. Although historical knowledge about different forms of photography allow you to broaden your ability resulting in a better outcome, there are photographers such as Sophie Calle whom picked up photography as a past time yet are famous today for their work, despite her work being noticed possibly being entirely coincidental, I feel taking photos as she did then being noticed for it requires a good eye and an open mind in order to stand out from other photographers.
How many different types of photography can you think of?
Portraiture, landscapes, conceptual, still life, time lapse, trick photography, high speed, abstract, macro, black and white, manipulation, war, sports, event and commercial.
How does photography help us see the world?
Photos are able to show us the world through somebody else's eyes depending on the composition of the photo. It allows us to see things we wouldn't usually notice and encourages us to look at the world in more detail. Forms such as war photography also tend to bring political conflict to an audience that wouldn't go out of their way to research such events consequently spreading awareness of problems happening in other parts of the world.
Can photographic images be trusted?
Photos can be trusted to an extent but the viewer will always have to think about the wider image. In conflict photography there will be many cases when a photographer crops out important info, especially if they are intending to present a specific message. In a photo by Bruce Gilden he focuses on a black and a white male while cutting out the boy whose hand the black male is holding, despite probably not being relevant to the photo seeing the child could have changed the viewers interpretation of the photo.
What are the similarities and differences between photography and other types of visual art?
All visual art is made to be seen with the eyes although other visual arts tend to be more physical and hands on, for example painting and sculpting are both time consuming processes which require quite a lot of skill to perfect and can easily go wrong where as photography is quite simple from a 'point and shoot' stand point and can also be rectified if something goes wrong while editing a photo digitally.
When would it not be okay to take a photograph?
It wouldn't be okay to take a photograph if it makes another person uncomfortable and they ask you to delete it, also in circumstances where it would be insensitive.
Are photographers also artist?
Photography is considered an art form so by these standards yes,photographers would be considered artist.
Where is the best place to see photographs?
I feel there are 2 great places to view photos, on the internet and at exhibitions. The internet offers a wide array of images from those taken by amateurs to world renown photographers, it features photos that are also no longer available in galleries or would be difficult to find in print. Exhibitions offer you the chance to view a photo up close and notice things you may have not seen if you only looked at the photo digitally, the size of the print may also change your ideas about the photo i.e. a small photo may relate to a small issue while a large print may relate to a world wide problem.
What kind of photography interests you the most?
I find documentary,time-lapse and conceptual photography quite interesting. This is because I enjoy seeing how a location changes overtime as well how a camera is able to interpret motion in documentary and time-lapse photography. I also like photo manipulations that tend to be done in conceptual photography as I feel it allows the photographer's ideas to fully be presented.
What confuses or frustrates you about photography?
I find photography frustrating sometimes as it's difficult to take a photo without knowing what settings to adjust to get the effect that you were aiming for, also the fact that a slight shift in position or lighting can change a photo entirely.
Why do people take/make photographs and Why is photography important?
There are many reasons people take photographs, it may be simply as somewhat of a time waster or a hobby as it once was to photographer Sophie Calle, it may be capture memories/ a scene or document history as Bernice Abbot demonstrated when photographing the ever changing architecture in New York or it may just be to express your creativity and experiment in order to provoke emotion. These reasons for taking photographs are also why photography can be seen as being important.
What skills do you need to be a good photographer?
No prior knowledge is necessary to be a photographer, especially if you take photos for personal gain. Although historical knowledge about different forms of photography allow you to broaden your ability resulting in a better outcome, there are photographers such as Sophie Calle whom picked up photography as a past time yet are famous today for their work, despite her work being noticed possibly being entirely coincidental, I feel taking photos as she did then being noticed for it requires a good eye and an open mind in order to stand out from other photographers.
How many different types of photography can you think of?
Portraiture, landscapes, conceptual, still life, time lapse, trick photography, high speed, abstract, macro, black and white, manipulation, war, sports, event and commercial.
How does photography help us see the world?
Photos are able to show us the world through somebody else's eyes depending on the composition of the photo. It allows us to see things we wouldn't usually notice and encourages us to look at the world in more detail. Forms such as war photography also tend to bring political conflict to an audience that wouldn't go out of their way to research such events consequently spreading awareness of problems happening in other parts of the world.
Can photographic images be trusted?
Photos can be trusted to an extent but the viewer will always have to think about the wider image. In conflict photography there will be many cases when a photographer crops out important info, especially if they are intending to present a specific message. In a photo by Bruce Gilden he focuses on a black and a white male while cutting out the boy whose hand the black male is holding, despite probably not being relevant to the photo seeing the child could have changed the viewers interpretation of the photo.
What are the similarities and differences between photography and other types of visual art?
All visual art is made to be seen with the eyes although other visual arts tend to be more physical and hands on, for example painting and sculpting are both time consuming processes which require quite a lot of skill to perfect and can easily go wrong where as photography is quite simple from a 'point and shoot' stand point and can also be rectified if something goes wrong while editing a photo digitally.
When would it not be okay to take a photograph?
It wouldn't be okay to take a photograph if it makes another person uncomfortable and they ask you to delete it, also in circumstances where it would be insensitive.
Are photographers also artist?
Photography is considered an art form so by these standards yes,photographers would be considered artist.
Where is the best place to see photographs?
I feel there are 2 great places to view photos, on the internet and at exhibitions. The internet offers a wide array of images from those taken by amateurs to world renown photographers, it features photos that are also no longer available in galleries or would be difficult to find in print. Exhibitions offer you the chance to view a photo up close and notice things you may have not seen if you only looked at the photo digitally, the size of the print may also change your ideas about the photo i.e. a small photo may relate to a small issue while a large print may relate to a world wide problem.
What kind of photography interests you the most?
I find documentary,time-lapse and conceptual photography quite interesting. This is because I enjoy seeing how a location changes overtime as well how a camera is able to interpret motion in documentary and time-lapse photography. I also like photo manipulations that tend to be done in conceptual photography as I feel it allows the photographer's ideas to fully be presented.
What confuses or frustrates you about photography?
I find photography frustrating sometimes as it's difficult to take a photo without knowing what settings to adjust to get the effect that you were aiming for, also the fact that a slight shift in position or lighting can change a photo entirely.
IMaginary exhibition
We were asked to create an imaginary exhibition on the subject 'What is Photography?' and display images that we felt represented photography. As we were required to use no more than 20 photos I thought I could accurately represent the idea of photography by presenting photos through the ages from pictures created without a camera to digital manipulations, I decided on the name 'Generation Photography' I wanted to present 2 photos from each generation, one which captures the environment and another people, as I felt these are the main things photographed by amateur as well as professional photographers, I also felt it would be able to show the progression in landscape and portrait photography.