CNN Photography article

[gth]

Interesting article:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/10/living...html?hpt=hp_c1

On the "problem" of digitally manipulated images, and artistic trends in photography.

No mention of film or LF!

A short excerpt:

To Liz Darlington, fine art photographer and a professor at Savannah College of Art and Design, several factors have a hand in defining the new world of art photography.
Amidst billions and billions of images, Darlington believes it is how we assess their quality that has changed. Photographers must put concept first, and think of their work as a body of work, rather than one-hit wonders.
"I think that is the biggest change in the art world," Darlington said. "They want to see that photographers have a consistency of vision. That is what's lacking on these Flickr sites: lots of pretty pictures, but nothing that shows the intent of the artist. The intent of someone taking a snapshot with an iPhone and running it through Instagram is very different than someone working on an idea for a long time and shooting with intention."
She teaches her students about the importance of maintaining vision in all things.
"A lot of them think if they can apply all of the right filters, composite and change the lighting and exposure after the fact, that they can be great photographers. Photography has become so easy that a lot of students don't realize how phenomenally difficult it is."1

[Brian Ellis]

"Photography has become so easy that a lot of students don't realize how phenomenally difficult it is."

Photography has always been easy, at least since Eastman Kodak introduced roll film. It's excellent photography that's been - and remains - difficult.

[William Whitaker]

No mention of film or LF!

Well, the descriptive phrase "cheap, low-end film cameras" is used in one caption. That's sure to leave an impression.

And HDR is compared to Ansel's burning and dodging which sounds like a cheap attempt to grab cred.

But the article made me pause and think. Thank you for posting it.

[John Flavell]

I particularly like the two bullet points under the STORY HIGHLIGHTS to the left of the story:

--Photographers are starting to pull back from relying on manipulation as the end-all
--A new trend for "organic" photography is on the rise

Organic Photography? It's new? Does that mean we'll buy film in the organic section of the photography store? Will that be a new category in contest?

I am a free-range photographer so I'll need to know these things.

[gth]

Well, the descriptive phrase "cheap, low-end film cameras" is used in one caption. That's sure to leave an impression.

And HDR is compared to Ansel's burning and dodging which sounds like a cheap attempt to grab cred.

But the article made me pause and think. Thank you for posting it.

Yes, you're right....

Another Quote:

"I think it is about lamenting the loss of the old processes, which were imperfect," she said. "You only had one chance to get it right. It's about slowing down the process and going back to vision."

And :

"Artists are thinking about the very materials they use in photography," he said. "It's not a nostalgia, but cherishing the craft of photography because of it becoming 0s and 1s digitally."

Which would be good trend news for traditional film and formats I suppose.

Another point made was the idea that digital manipulation AKA "Photohopped" as an artistic tool would go towards expressionism and abstractions. THis makes sense to me, as the digital tools contribute something truly new, something you can't do "in camera"...... rather than hyper realistic depictions.

Meanwhile the header picture of the article sadly features a picture that won an "art" competition - and belongs in the den of a modern day Bonanza ranch - on velvet!! So there is some ways to go....

How about large (gotta sell) b/w "organic" (new art word) silver prints... and they come with a NPSD certificate....fuel that trend off you go.

[William Whitaker]

Meanwhile the header picture of the article sadly features a picture that won an "art" competition - and belongs in the den of a modern day Bonanza ranch - on velvet!!

That was a photograph??

[gth]

That was a photograph??

Well it must have started with at least three..... Bull & rider, landscape, sky etc...

Anyhow, skilled work I suppose.... I could not do it... But it's not a "photograph" by any sense of common meaning.

[goamules]

...
--A new trend for "organic" photography is on the rise"

Organic Photography? It's new? Does that mean we'll buy film in the organic section of the photography store? Will that be a new category in contest?

I am a free-range photographer so I'll need to know these things.

Ha! Good one.

[Jay DeFehr]

The linked article documents the current state of near-paranoid, confused, muddled thinking in contemporary fine art photography, in both the images presented and the commentary. The mad scramble to distinguish fine art photography from the photography of the unwashed masses is pathetic. The so-called "experts" are in too big a hurry to make sense of the implications of digital imaging, and their rushed, half-baked notions are embarrassingly naive.

While I wait for my prints to wash at the Photography Center Northwest, in Seattle, I make a round of the current exhibit, and reading the most recent artist's statements and comparing them to the work presented is a cringe-fest, very much in line with the linked article, and I suspect a major factor in this is the total confusion among the middle managers of the art world -- the art school instructors and gallerists who influence students and emerging artists. Look for any clear thinking and vision from outside this system.

[Frank Petronio]

The example photos suck and undermine everything else.