Art vs. Technique

mrodgers · Dec 9, 2008

One thing is about the artistic side, art is subjective. I see so many people posting photos on here that others are going bonkers over, yet I look at them and think, "meh..." I don't understand all the infatuation over street photography stuff (candid shots of people the photographer doesn't know, nor do I) and stuff like I saw recently of someone's feet for example.

Personally, I like good landscapes, animals in nature, pets, attractive people in portraits, kid shots, etc. I love the various shoots done at abandoned buildings that pop up now and then here (search for the abandoned asylum, that one was fantastic). I like the various architecture that is posted often. The "this is some random person I saw in the park/on the street" photos just are not my thing, but they seem to get the most attention in the photography world as art.

Yes, the technicals, or the math as you compared it too which is an excellent analogy, is pretty easy. The art is the tricky one.

ksmattfish · Dec 9, 2008

Art? Craft? Technique? Heck, it's all just stuff I do. Like eating, breathing, and pooping. It's part of my life, and the important thing is that I do it not what other people label it.

Take Drawing 101 and Basic Design classes at a local college. Those will teach excellent seeing, composing, tonal, and color skills. Everything but the pencil applies to photography. Most people think they know how to see, but they don't understand how their own mind warps reality. Looking through a camera rarely breaks these reality warping habits, but a strict Drawing 101 instructor will smack your eyes and mind back into line with reality.

A good book on light is "Light, Science and Magic". There are a million mediocre books on how to do portrait photography. IMO you'd be better off looking at books of famous portrait photographers' work. Don't forget art museums.

Tom3 · Dec 9, 2008

I did not think of that; you're right, drawing and photography start by knowing how to observe; I've worked with literally hundreds of artists in my life (I work in the video game industry), so I have now an army of people to harass with questions

djacobox372 · Dec 9, 2008

Art and technique are inseparable IMO. Once you learn enough about photography, they become one and the same.

gleely · Dec 9, 2008

damn, colour, my only weakness

dxqcanada · Dec 9, 2008

djacobox372 said:
Art and technique are inseparable IMO. Once you learn enough about photography, they become one and the same.

Hmm, I agree ... take Ansel Adams for example.
He was the ultimate Technical Photographer who used that knowledge to make Artistic photographs.

... on the other hand, Edward Weston was not such a Technical photographer yet he took very Artistic photographs.

All good photographers know how to obtain the end result ... and this is all technique.