I want to be a photographer – or maybe an artist. - small rant

[Achaicus]

I understand the indignity of having mediocre work put along side your (exceptional) stuff. But I am wondering how people that go to see these shows are ever going to realize that there is better work out there if The_Traveler pulls his photos from the show.

:sarcasm on:
I guess I can be glad I've had the good technicians on here to burst my bubble of feeling like I had accomplished something with my point and pray. :sarcasm off:

I have shared my work with various individuals and there has always been a positive responce overall, Except on here. Now to be fair some of the responce on here has been requested, but when I asked how to change or improve a shot with the gear I have... silence and I'm astute enough to realize that to some degree the shot could be improved with a much better camera. I can even tell you how I could set it up with fancier equipment to solve the stated issue with one of the shots I shared. So hypothetically I could be one of those mediocre fellow gallery exhibitors since I've had several hints that there would have been possibility of showing prints at a gallery. I say hypothetically because I'm poor and not well connected, a double strike against it ever happening.

I would say to consider that there is more going on than the technical ability of those other exhibitors. The social system in the US is not as rigid as say a caste system, but there is still some significant divisions between socioeconomic classes that are held in place by patterns of behavior. To jump groups and be accepted there is always adjustments in attitude and behavior. And there is always a bunch that is trying to be upwardly mobile and yet are mostly seen to be putting on airs. I'm not qualified to indicate in this situation whether in either case there is misplaced patronage.

:sarcasm on: Now to return to my cave and leave you guys to continue to discuss high tech stuff over a high tech medium.

This message sent by smoke signals.

 

[robbins.photo]

ARROGANCE : offensive display of superiority or self-importance and overbearing pride. Just sayin'

Oh sure, well if were going to go all Webster's try Opprobrium. Lol

 

[rexbobcat]

It's funny how so many people here are all like "Art can't be defined. You can't say with certainty that a fine art photo is good or not. Gee. Be more open minded!"

And then we all go into the photo forums and tell people how good or crappy their photos are regardless of whether they asked and call BS when somebody tries to tell us it's all for art.

Good times. Good times.

 

[bribrius]

you all have me convinced. im going to take some of the crappiest point and shoot photos I have and see if I can get them into a gallery.

 

[table1349]

It's funny how so many people here are all like "Art can't be defined. You can't say with certainty that a fine art photo is good or not. Gee. Be more open minded!"

And then we all go into the photo forums and tell people how good or crappy their photos are regardless of whether they asked and call BS when somebody tries to tell us it's all for art.

Good times. Good times.

Which is why I generally don't give C&C. "It's usually something like how can I improve these photos?" Tell me what you think is wrong or in what way you want to improve them and I might have a suggestion. People like so many different looks and styles these days that a siimple "How can I improve these" is pretty much usless.

 

[kathyt]

I know how you feel lew....
I feel the same way about photos with sun flare and desaturation.

See different strokes for different folks. I happen to like shooting in the conditions that create a little flare.

 

[pixmedic]

I know how you feel lew....
I feel the same way about photos with sun flare and desaturation.

See different strokes for different folks. I happen to like shooting in the conditions that create a little flare.

i am an extremely dull photographer. I have no problem admitting that. I like shooting formal portraits. I like having my backdrops and lighting.
that's pretty much all I care about shooting aside from occasionally helping my wife somewhere.
Some might see that as photographic stagnation, but as long as I can get $200 for 5 images on disk + some print sales.... I am perfectly happy with it.
I am blissfully lacking any desire to create "art". This is not a lack of appreciation for those that do create artistic pieces, I am just glad that I am not burdened with that desire myself.

 

[bribrius]

I know how you feel lew....
I feel the same way about photos with sun flare and desaturation.

See different strokes for different folks. I happen to like shooting in the conditions that create a little flare.

i am an extremely dull photographer. I have no problem admitting that. I like shooting formal portraits. I like having my backdrops and lighting.
that's pretty much all I care about shooting aside from occasionally helping my wife somewhere.
Some might see that as photographic stagnation, but as long as I can get $200 for 5 images on disk + some print sales.... I am perfectly happy with it.
I am blissfully lacking any desire to create "art". This is not a lack of appreciation for those that do create artistic pieces, I am just glad that I am not burdened with that desire myself.

im the total opposite. My problem is if i let my self into photography like i feel i fit in the niche i can do, im going to end up with a very troubled marriage. Shooting nudes with a church going wife doesn't fly well. There is actually one i really want to do right now. Been thinking of it for two weeks. But i know im better off blocking it out of my head and trying to find entertainment in taking photos of buildings, boats, anything else.

 

[jenko]

My philosophy anymore is pretty much this: do what you enjoy. If it gives your life meaning or purpose, if it educates or entertains you, is therapeutic, involves you in activism, keeps you from drinking yourself to death, helps you to explore life issues which are difficult to process, prevents boredom or stimulates your mind, than go for it. Let time and the critics sort out what is good art and what is not. We can't really judge the true value of a work made in its own time, anyway. We don't have the psychological distance from culture. There are few "instant classics or masterpieces" in art. Many times what happens is that a piece transcends its genre or its intent over time, as the cultural paradigm shifts, as we gain perspective. Great art "becomes" great more often than being born great. And I don't know that any of us can really control that.

As far as the notion of needing "pain" to create art, well as the Buddha said, "Life is suffering." We all suffer in our own ways. We all experience loss, grief, tragedy. Today's world is subtly painful. It is like a dull throb you have grown used to, even though if you could give that throb to someone else, the pain might kill them. We all get comfortable in our own pain. We see the pain of the past as more severe because we are still living our own versions of the same suffering. Indulgence, greed, betrayal, war, poverty, disease--none of those things have gone away.

 

[kathyt]

See different strokes for different folks. I happen to like shooting in the conditions that create a little flare.

i am an extremely dull photographer. I have no problem admitting that. I like shooting formal portraits. I like having my backdrops and lighting.
that's pretty much all I care about shooting aside from occasionally helping my wife somewhere.
Some might see that as photographic stagnation, but as long as I can get $200 for 5 images on disk + some print sales.... I am perfectly happy with it.
I am blissfully lacking any desire to create "art". This is not a lack of appreciation for those that do create artistic pieces, I am just glad that I am not burdened with that desire myself.

im the total opposite. My problem is if i let my self into photography like i feel i fit in the niche i can do, im going to end up with a very troubled marriage. Shooting nudes with a church going wife doesn't fly well. There is actually one i really want to do right now. Been thinking of it for two weeks. But i know im better off blocking it out of my head and trying to find entertainment in taking photos of buildings, boats, anything else.

Yeah, I don't shoot formals unless they are part of a wedding, I only have a studio for a tax deduction purposes, and the only backdrops I use are the ones you can't buy.

 

[bribrius]

i am an extremely dull photographer. I have no problem admitting that. I like shooting formal portraits. I like having my backdrops and lighting.
that's pretty much all I care about shooting aside from occasionally helping my wife somewhere.
Some might see that as photographic stagnation, but as long as I can get $200 for 5 images on disk + some print sales.... I am perfectly happy with it.
I am blissfully lacking any desire to create "art". This is not a lack of appreciation for those that do create artistic pieces, I am just glad that I am not burdened with that desire myself.

im the total opposite. My problem is if i let my self into photography like i feel i fit in the niche i can do, im going to end up with a very troubled marriage. Shooting nudes with a church going wife doesn't fly well. There is actually one i really want to do right now. Been thinking of it for two weeks. But i know im better off blocking it out of my head and trying to find entertainment in taking photos of buildings, boats, anything else.

Yeah, I don't shoot formals unless they are part of a wedding, I only have a studio for a tax deduction purposes, and the only backdrops I use are the ones you can't buy.

wouldn't be a romantic or sexual type nude. And it sucks, because I REALLY want it. Partly for personal reasons.

 

[timor]

Lew, looks like it was a very good idea to start this thread. At the end it will help us to define ourselves better. Especially that we are such a mixed bag of people.

 

[Braineack]

I got tired of being an artist, so I picked the camera back up...

 

[robbins.photo]

It's funny how so many people here are all like "Art can't be defined. You can't say with certainty that a fine art photo is good or not. Gee. Be more open minded!"

And then we all go into the photo forums and tell people how good or crappy their photos are regardless of whether they asked and call BS when somebody tries to tell us it's all for art.

Good times. Good times.

Ok, well define what should and shouldn't be considered "Art" in objective terms. Good luck.

I see a ton of stuff that people call "Art" which to me fits more in the category of "Crap". Well, some of it fits into the category of "Total Crap", but a lot of it is just "Crap". I remember seeing some documentary where a guy would "paint" by throwing paint in front of a jet engine and letting the paint get blown back onto a Canvas. That is considered "Art". I'm sure the artist and the folks selling this stuff would argue about how he controls the "art" by how much color he uses when, blah blah blah.

Seriously you could argue that crap till your blue in the face and it really wouldn't matter because it's a matter of opinion, not objective fact. All art really falls into this category. It's a matter of subjective opinion as to what is and isn't worthy of being called "art" and even for the most part why. So I guess I just don't see a purpose in getting off into the weeds and trying to argue something that can't be objectively argued.

I know what I consider Art. I'm sure your views on the subject will be a bit different, just as someone elses would be different than your view or mine.

 

[table1349]

Your wish is my command. Crappy Art......no really. :mrgreen:
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