Toeing The Line.

Bitter Jeweler · Jul 7, 2009

Is there a point when a photograph is no longer considered a photograph, but digital art instead?

In these two color images, I really brought them out with upping the contrast, increasing the Exposure, increasing the Gamma, and sliding Offset to the left. I actually had to back off the saturation because the the colors became too intense. I really like the Conte' Crayon quality they have, but I have to question; when is an image no longer a photo but something else? At what point does it lose the distinction? Like most things, I am sure there is a lot of gray area. Does it matter, if the end result is indeed what we deem "Art"?

What do you think of these? Photos, or digital art?

PP enhanced the vignetting. I tried this without vignetting (removed in lightroom), but decided I liked the vignetting and went back to the original.

#1

#2

#3

Thanks for looking, and taking time to comment.

Josh66 · Jul 7, 2009

I'm not going to comment on the 'art vs. photo' thing, but I will comment on the pictures... (OK, one comment. My personal opinion on that is that it doesn't matter.)

I love them!

#1 looks like a giant moon hovering over the horizon of some alien world at sunset.

#2 is pretty cool (is #1 a crop of #2?), but not as cool as #1, lol. Still good though.

#3 is the only one that I knew immediately what it was. I love the texture though.
I might consider cropping the right side to where the shadow starts.

Who cares what it is? Just keep doing it!

SrBiscuit · Jul 8, 2009

i REALLY dig these...the texture...the colors...the asymmetry...

nice job!

as far as photo vs. digital art...
to me, these are digitally enhanced photos

no label needed....they are beautiful.

tnvol · Jul 8, 2009

I dont think it matters anymore. Sometimes it seems like photoshop skills are more important than photography skills. I understand that you have to produce an exposure that is good enough before you get it to photoshop, and that takes photography skill. But when you are creating something that looks totally different than what you originally captured on film, it ceases to be just "photography" to me. I think as the one get's better the other isnt needed as much. That's my goal. It's all good though because it's all art to me. If your end result looks great then you have succeeded. Even if it's just you that thinks so.

Dagwood56 · Jul 8, 2009

I like all of these, great texture, really nice abstracts and being old school, I would conisder them to be digital art rather than photos, but like tnvol said, it really doesn't seem to matter much anymore. #2 is my favorite of the three.

KmH · Jul 8, 2009

O|||||||O said:
Who cares what it is? Just keep doing it!

+1. :thumbup:

Satisfy yourself. If someone else likes it too..... just gravy!

icassell · Jul 8, 2009

People asked the same about Man Ray ... bottom line is, who cares? Just do it well (and you do).

Man Ray Trust - Offical Site

JamieR · Jul 8, 2009

Digital Art

icassell · Jul 8, 2009

Pho*tog"ra*phy\, n. [Photo- + -graphy: cf. F. photographie.]

1. The science which relates to the action of light on sensitive bodies in the production of pictures, the fixation of images, and the like.

2. The art or process of producing pictures by this action of light

You used light on an image sensor to make pictures, right? If using chemicals in the darkroom to modify an image is still considered photography (e.g. toners, etc.) I think that your imaging still qualifies.

45mphK9 · Jul 8, 2009

I LOVE THESE!!! We recently went to a major art festival in which there were plenty of photographic artists - this would have fit in very well.

Would you post the original photos? Did you use Photoshop?

Bitter Jeweler · Jul 9, 2009

45mphK9 said:
I LOVE THESE!!! We recently went to a major art festival in which there were plenty of photographic artists - this would have fit in very well.

Would you post the original photos? Did you use Photoshop?

Thanks for the comments and insight. I guess, being older, I still carry the "digital art" stigma that was around. Maybe it has lessened with the advance of technology.

O|||||||O, "(is #1 a crop of #2?)"...No, #1 is it's own full size/res image. I am gearing up for printing and trying to sell my abstracts, so I have learned to see the shot I want rather than crop it out of a bigger picture. This thinking has been a huge step forward for me.