ksmattfish
Now 100% DC - not as cool as I once was, but still
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2003
- Messages
- 7,019
- Reaction score
- 36
- Location
- Lawrence, KS
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos NOT OK to edit
I'm sure that each of us could come up with long lists of famous art we personally find unappealing or lacking. Many people complain that Minor White's photographs are "boring", but he is still considered a master of photography of the 20th century. Ansel Adams' work has often been commented on negatively on this forum.
It's not hard to find "flaws" in an image after the fact. Many famous photos would be dismissed in most Photog 101 critique sessions if presented as from an amateur. Critique comes across as criticism, but it should be viewed as other people's vision of your idea. As the artist/photographer you can choose to accept or discard these opinions and ideas as it suits you and your work. Professional critics, whether literary, art, or music often seem to be able to drum up much more meaning in the work than the creator ever thought of.
Eggleston's work has often reminded me of the early work of many amateur photography students (myself included); I think his style seemed to stagnate and never progress beyond this early amateur look. But that's just my opinion. Obviously others hold a different opinion as he is often heralded as "the father of modern color photography". IMHO, if you want to see growth in a style similar to Eggleston, check out the work by Huger Foote; it blows my mind.
One of my favorite photographers is Charles Jones (1866 to 1959). Charles Jones probably considered himself a gardener first and a photographer second. Most of his subject matter is the plants and vegetables he grew (this alone would bore many people). He published some gardening articles, but mostly died in obscurity. No one ever listed his name among the great photographers.
In 1981 a photographic collector stumbled upon a trunk of prints photographed by Charles Jones. This trunk had been passed over by many other art dealers and collectors, but this particular collector saw something special, bought the trunk, and began researching the photographer who took these photos. Now Charles Jones' prints hang in swanky New York and London art galleries, and he is considered a modernist visionary who preceded the work done by such famous photographers as Karl Blossfeldt, Paul Outerbridge, and Edward Weston.
When I show slides of famous photography to my photog classes I often get comments about Jones' work such as "That's just a pile of lettuce." To which I respond "Let's see what you can do with a pile of lettuce." So far no one has impressed me as much as Jones' veggies.
So to each their own. Don't try to impress others, just work to please yourself. You'll find it much more fulfilling to please yourself than to struggle to please the world, and along the way you might pick up some fans. Fame in the art world has more to do with who you know that what you are doing. Most now famous artists didn't get much attention while they lived. As I have commented on in the past, if you want to be a world famous, filthy rich photographer, the key isn't skill or photographic technique, it's stalking Brittany Spears until you can get a blurry, under exposed, low res shot of her boobs.
Although I do have to make the comment that Canonrebel used this same description for one of my photos I posted here...

Here's a link to a little blurb about Charles Jones.
http://www.cnn.com/books/news/9809/30/plant.kingdoms/
It's not hard to find "flaws" in an image after the fact. Many famous photos would be dismissed in most Photog 101 critique sessions if presented as from an amateur. Critique comes across as criticism, but it should be viewed as other people's vision of your idea. As the artist/photographer you can choose to accept or discard these opinions and ideas as it suits you and your work. Professional critics, whether literary, art, or music often seem to be able to drum up much more meaning in the work than the creator ever thought of.
Eggleston's work has often reminded me of the early work of many amateur photography students (myself included); I think his style seemed to stagnate and never progress beyond this early amateur look. But that's just my opinion. Obviously others hold a different opinion as he is often heralded as "the father of modern color photography". IMHO, if you want to see growth in a style similar to Eggleston, check out the work by Huger Foote; it blows my mind.
One of my favorite photographers is Charles Jones (1866 to 1959). Charles Jones probably considered himself a gardener first and a photographer second. Most of his subject matter is the plants and vegetables he grew (this alone would bore many people). He published some gardening articles, but mostly died in obscurity. No one ever listed his name among the great photographers.
In 1981 a photographic collector stumbled upon a trunk of prints photographed by Charles Jones. This trunk had been passed over by many other art dealers and collectors, but this particular collector saw something special, bought the trunk, and began researching the photographer who took these photos. Now Charles Jones' prints hang in swanky New York and London art galleries, and he is considered a modernist visionary who preceded the work done by such famous photographers as Karl Blossfeldt, Paul Outerbridge, and Edward Weston.
When I show slides of famous photography to my photog classes I often get comments about Jones' work such as "That's just a pile of lettuce." To which I respond "Let's see what you can do with a pile of lettuce." So far no one has impressed me as much as Jones' veggies.

So to each their own. Don't try to impress others, just work to please yourself. You'll find it much more fulfilling to please yourself than to struggle to please the world, and along the way you might pick up some fans. Fame in the art world has more to do with who you know that what you are doing. Most now famous artists didn't get much attention while they lived. As I have commented on in the past, if you want to be a world famous, filthy rich photographer, the key isn't skill or photographic technique, it's stalking Brittany Spears until you can get a blurry, under exposed, low res shot of her boobs.

Although I do have to make the comment that Canonrebel used this same description for one of my photos I posted here...
I am honored to be considered in Lee Friedlander's company.A macro of a 2-inch area of sandy beach would have more character.

Here's a link to a little blurb about Charles Jones.
http://www.cnn.com/books/news/9809/30/plant.kingdoms/