What is fine art photography?

[Leonard Metcalf]

A fellow photographer asked me this a few weeks ago - would like to know what this group thinks / believes / wants it to be.

It probably sparks up the question what is art? What is fine art?

What is an artist?

[Edward (Halifax,NS)]

If the naked lady is in focus it is porn and if she is out of focus it is fine art. Just kidding. I think fine art photography was made up by photographers who got tired of being thought of as not as good as painters. Art photography is anything that you would frame and put on a wall. Whether it is fine or not is up to the viewer.

[Christopher Breitenstein]

Another issue this post brings up is what is a photographer? A friend of mine once told me that a photographer is anyone who considers making pictures (with a camera) their work. Depending on how you take that it could mean any number of things. Is it strictly the process of making pictures? or making pictures along with other tasks you have to do? Given his conviction, or perhaps my projection, on how the title "Photographer" held with very little respect. it seems to be handed out to any one with a camera (and readily embraced by that person holding the camera).

Does owning a piano make you a pianist? paint brush, a painter? Pen and paper, a writer? Hemmingway had several books published before he took on the title! The list goes on and on. it seems as though all it takes to be a photographer is owning a camera!

To define Art: Art is made by Artists.

Are you an Artist?

Yours:

[John Cook]

The late Todd Walker, one of the finest photographers (and gentlemen) I have ever had the honor to know, used to define "sensitive and poetic" as photography which is "out of focus with funny color".

He further defined "calendar photography" as "having everything in focus with lots of red in the picture".

I recommend his website to you: http://personal.riverusers.com/~jdf/todd_walker/

[Geoffrey Swenson]

Edward (Halifax, NS) made a quite succinct point. To add mine; There is no art in photography. Some try very hard to sell their ware as art, but art it is ain’t.

Browsing through the photographs of many famous practitioners one has to realize that most only managed to produce up to a dozen noteworthy photographs in their lifetime – Angel Adams included. The rest of the pile is mostly just that…a pile of negatives/transparencies.

Now, some of the efforts might skirt the realms of Art, although it is extremely rare.

[Clay Turtle]

To add mine;
There is no art in photography. Some try very hard to sell their ware as art, but art it is ain’t.
Now, some of the efforts might skirt the realms of Art, although it is extremely rare.

No art in photography? Hmm . . . that is certainly expressive of perhaps a rather cynical outlook? On one hand you could say their is an art to any craft or trade. The house painter becomes an artist & a slab of concrete becomes the canvas . . . some refer to it as graffiti? Well oone might as well ask what art is there in photography? To convey meaning or feelings . . . to comunicate with others. perceptions which transcend the medium?

[John Kasaian]

No art in photography? Hmm . . . that is certainly expressive of perhaps a rather cynical outlook? On one hand you could say their is an art to any craft or trade. The house painter becomes an artist & a slab of concrete becomes the canvas . . . some refer to it as graffiti? Well oone might as well ask what art is there in photography? To convey meaning or feelings . . . to comunicate with others. perceptions which transcend the medium?

Art isn't in photography. He's in plumbing. I know because Art is married to my bride's cousin

[jenn wilson]

this may as well be a discussion on "what is art?". in my experience, these exchanges are virtually pointless, as art is entirely subjective. no point is ever made that changes another's mind. as a result, most participants either become at least slightly enraged or sit nodding their heads vigorously.

there is art in everything. painting, film, music, writing, cooking, woodworking (to name only a few media) all involve art in one way or another. concept, craft and creative process all contribute to a successful finished product, whether functional commercially or not.

the important bit is to respect all photography (and art) in all its forms. you don't have to like it, but a certain amount of appreciation is necessary. it all has its place.

just enjoy whatever it is you do and keep doing it.

[Mike Troxell]

"It probably sparks up the question what is art? What is fine art?

What is an artist?"

With the same question in mind, what makes a painting art? It certainly isn't the fact that paint and a brush were used. There are much more paint and brushes sold each year to paint the side of houses than to paint a painting. It isn't the fact alone that the paint is applied with skill and technique. A house painter must be skilled and use a certain technique or the house will not look good after they finish painting it. And it isn't that one takes pride in their work and the other doesn't. Many house painters are very proud of their work. So what seperates a artist/painter and someone who paints the sides of houses for a living? After thinking about it, all I came come up with are:

(1) The painters perception of what they do, including why they paint (2) The intended end result of the painting process (3) The publics perception of what they do (4) The subject matter (to a small extent)

Apply that to photography and ask what is the difference between the person who takes vacation snapshots at DisneyWorld and someone like Edward Weston, Paul Strand, John Sexton or any number of photographers, both in the past and the present.

[Clay Turtle]

"It probably sparks up the question what is art? What is fine art?

What is an artist?"

With the same question in mind, what makes a painting art? It certainly isn't the fact that paint and a brush were used. There are much more paint and brushes sold each year to paint the side of houses than to paint a painting. It isn't the fact alone that the paint is applied with skill and technique. A house painter must be skilled and use a certain technique or the house will not look good after they finish painting it. And it isn't that one takes pride in their work and the other doesn't. Many house painters are very proud of their work. So what seperates a artist/painter and someone who paints the sides of houses for a living? After thinking about it, all I came come up with are:

(1) The painters perception of what they do, including why they paint (2) The intended end result of the painting process (3) The publics perception of what they do (4) The subject matter (to a small extent)

Apply that to photography and ask what is the difference between the person who takes vacation snapshots at DisneyWorld and someone like Edward Weston, Paul Strand, John Sexton or any number of photographers, both in the past and the present.

A funny thing to see this statement being made here? I had a similar thought in the business section. Working in photo processing, I knew a guy, who would come in & at the drop of a hat & without batting an eye order 3 or 4 hundred's 8x10 of maybe 5 or 6 35mm negatives. He ran high volumes of sports prints but would one classify them as art?