I post process therefore I can't take a good photo.

[stsinner]

I guess just about everything anyone does is art of they're good at it, hence the cliche-"they have turned it into an art form... "

 

[MACollum]

Keep in mind that part of the problem is that the last couple of generations were raised on TV and video games. They are not used to the old fashion method of RTFM or other materials. They are used to turning on a box and having the info handed to them.

For me, half the fun in getting a new electronic toy is reading the manual that comes with it. I've read my camera manual several times, as well as every photography book at my local library. I can't help it, I'm a confirmed bibliophile

 

[table1349]

I guess just about everything anyone does is art of they're good at it, hence the cliche-"they have turned it into an art form... "

art

1   /ɑrt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ahrt]
–noun
1. the quality, production, expression, or realm, according
to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.
2. the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria; works of art collectively, as paintings, sculptures, or drawings: a museum of art; an art collection.
3. a field, genre, or category of art: Dance is an art.
4. the fine arts collectively, often excluding architecture: art and architecture.
5. any field using the skills or techniques of art: advertising art; industrial art.
6. (in printed matter) illustrative or decorative material: Is there any art with the copy for this story?
7. the principles or methods governing any craft or branch of learning: the art of baking; the art of selling.
8. the craft or trade using these principles or methods.
9. skill in conducting any human activity: a master at the art of conversation.
10. a branch of learning or university study, esp. one of the fine arts or the humanities, as music, philosophy, or literature.
11. arts, a. (used with a singular verb

) the humanities: a college of arts and sciences. b. (used with a plural verb

) liberal arts.
12. skilled workmanship, execution, or agency, as distinguished from nature.
13. trickery; cunning: glib and devious art.
14. studied action; artificiality in behavior.
15. an artifice or artful device: the innumerable arts and wiles of politics. 16. Archaic. science, learning, or scholarship.


Some good reading:

What is Art? by Bart Rosier

A New Fine Art Photography Directory at Photography-Now.Net

http://www4.hmc.edu:8001/humanities/beckman/artclasses/Art.htm

Reflections on Photography and Art

"Is Photography Art?" by Robert Balcomb (The Essay Page): TheScreamOnline Internet e-Journal of Fiction, Art, Photography, Essays, The Strange & Bizarre

Photography - Art or Science?

 

[Arch]

Photography IS an artform whether one person thinks so or not.

 

[table1349]

Don't want to derail this conversation, as it's been an interesting and informative read for a beginner like me. But my boss who got me into photography says he'd love to understand how to use the DOF preview. I tried and get the same results as him, which is, at higher fstop numbers it just darkens the image you see. How does one use that information to accurately predict the DOF ?

Thanks,
floyd

The ART of being able to see DOF with the DOF preview is something that can only be learned by practice. Modern DSLR's do make it more difficult than the older 35mm SLR film bodies due to their croped sensor and smaller viewfinder. If you have a film body around and a decently fast lens, I would suggest that you start there. If not then use the DSLR that you have.

First put on your fastest lens as it will give you the greatest varience to begin seeing the DOF. Use a tripod and go out on a bright day. The more light in the viewfinder the easier it will be to observe the DOF. Set up the camera, focus on a particular subject that has various features at differnt depths that are visible in the forground and background. Something like a lamp post in a park say. Your subject should not take up an large amount of you view but should be large enough to give you a good viewing reference point.

Set your camera about 3 or 4 meters from your subject and bring that subject into focus. Now set your aperture to something small like f16 or f22. This is where the bright day comes in. Acutate the DOF preview and look not at the subject, it's already in focus, but on the various objects in the forground and background. You will see a large number if not all of them are also in focus.

Now set you aperture to it's widest and do the same thing. Forget the subject, but carefully look at the forground objects and background objects. You should see that they are at out of focus by varying degrees depending on the distance they are from the subject.

That is what you are looking for when you use the DOF preview, not the the focus of the subject itself, it should already be in focus, but where does that DOF start and stop and is everything you wnat depicted in that DOF. It does take practice, but it is something that can be learned and mastered.

Once you learn to see that DOF that is there in the viewfinder you can use it to create the image that you want by ensuring you have what you want in focus.

 

[table1349]

For me, half the fun in getting a new electronic toy is reading the manual that comes with it. I've read my camera manual several times, as well as every photography book at my local library. I can't help it, I'm a confirmed bibliophile

Well there is always one bad apple in every barrel. :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

I was of course making a general reference to the trends of the generations I spoke of, not a direct reference to each and every individual.

My grandfather taught me that If you learn one new thing every day, no matter what it was, then that day was not wasted. Keep reading.

 

[Joves]

I also strongly disagree that the purpose of photography is just to capture what the eye sees. Faithful reproduction may be neccessary for scientific work or digitising (e.g. paintings) but not in artistic, creative photography. More often than not, we try to make the scene look better than it is in real life.

Well to me I want as a general rule the lighting as it was and, the colors to be what I saw. Where you get into the artist side is choosing the angles at which what you are shooting is shot. It set the mood of the photo and the perception to the viewer.

 

[Chiller]

Photography IS an artform whether one person thinks so or not.

I agree with Arch. I feel that if something created is visually appealing it would be considered art(my opinion only), whether it is a photograph, a finger paint, a sculpture,a model, cartoon, or even graffitti. Gheesh...I have even heard that some of the creations we do for halloween are called "art". To me I dont really care how I achieved the image I was going for, as long as I get it. I also know that 20 years ago, I would never have been able to create what I wanted to, but now with the tools in photoshop I can. It is my image, so I am not going to worry if how I get that image is right or wrong.

 

[stsinner]

Photography IS an artform whether one person thinks so or not.

And because you have said it, it shall be so..

 

[Dubious Drewski]

And because you have said it, it shall be so..

You appear to be trying to annoy people.

You take photos to record what you see, as you see it. You are almost completely alone in this forum. There are mainly two types of people in the world who shoot the way you insist:

1. Emotionally detached photographers recording a sterile documentation of their surroundings, like a crime scene photographer or geologist.

2. Rank amateurs.

I don't think you're a geologist or work for the government...

 

[fwellers]

Thanks for the explanation Gryph.
I do know enough that I'm not looking at the subject. , but with me just using a kit lense, that isn't very fast, I guess I'll have to try it outside with lots of light and see if I can get the results you mentioned.

 

[Overread]

There is an art in taking and editing photos that do look "natural".
Just as there is an art in taking and editing photos to look "arty"

Even a record keeping photos have a skill and creative aspect to their creation, though they might never see a place in an art gallery they are still a form of artistic creation.
I don't see photos that are taken to look normal as being a lacking of abilty or emotion - heck I have seen some outstanding wildlife photos that are very natual in their look (no contrast boosting or such) and yet are still a fanstic bit of art that I would stick on my wall (but then that's me)

The only way to get a totally artless photo would be to let a computer take each and every shot (not just choosing the settings, I mean choosing the scene, timing, lighting, when to press the shutter what and how to edit - - the whole thing)

 

[Chiller]

I think photography is just a name for something. Sort of like a Painter. A painter can paint a wall, or he paints on a canvass.
I find art in everything. Music is an art. Hell...the human voice is one of the most beautiful instruments, when used right. Im not talking Sepultura here. :lmao::lmao::lmaosorry to any Supultura fans) Everyone has an eye that is tuned differently, and can see something that another can not visually. The camera is just a tool so that we can capture that. If we want to take it further, we have tools like photoshop, and whatever those darkroom junkies do to take that image one step beyond the capibilties of the camera.
Im just going to enjoy whatever I can do , while I still have the functunality to be able to do it.

 

[Lacey Anne]

You appear to be trying to annoy people.

You take photos to record what you see, as you see it. You are almost completely alone in this forum. There are mainly two types of people in the world who shoot the way you insist:

1. Emotionally detached photographers recording a sterile documentation of their surroundings, like a crime scene photographer or geologist.

2. Rank amateurs.

I don't think you're a geologist or work for the government...

You are officially my favorite person today!

 

[Joves]

You appear to be trying to annoy people.

You take photos to record what you see, as you see it. You are almost completely alone in this forum. There are mainly two types of people in the world who shoot the way you insist:

1. Emotionally detached photographers recording a sterile documentation of their surroundings, like a crime scene photographer or geologist.

2. Rank amateurs.

I don't think you're a geologist or work for the government...

Well if I shot dead bodies for a living, they would be nice artsy shots.