I believe there is not correct answer to this...just different personal approaches to photography.
I am 50/50. The image is very important...it is hard to beat wandering around in the redwoods, for example, discovering the forms light creates and learning to reconize when all the elements come together in a distillation of the moment that I can then capture onto my film.
I have been involved with photo education for many years -- as an assistant to Friends of Photography Workshops in the 80's and now being in charge of the teaching darkroom at a university (I am in the middle of teaching photo to a group of twelve 14 to 17 year olds, also). So sharing, and hopefully educating, the viewers of my photographs about what I experienced and learned when taking the photo is important to me.
So the print in equally important as the image to me as it is the qualities of the print that will help convey what lies behind the image. Contrast, print color (or tone), the way compostion and the way light values are arranged to lead the viewer's eyes within the image, et al are to me equally important as the subject, or image.
So what percentage would you apply to your importance between image/print?
Vaughn
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