Do you only photograph what is challenging?

£I don't care about that and never tought in about it in that way. To me any photo is a document of something at some time. Even the most ordinary things are valuable because one day they won't be there. So even that photo you took to check your lens or battery has a meaning and value.
 
It takes me forever to make a picture that I "show off" or post on my web page. All my "subjects" and compositions are quite simple. What kills me is how to record how I feel about this thing, either by setting up the light or by computer manipulation, or both! It takes me a long time to decide that and then, of course, to make a picture. I took a snapshot (with a P&S) once of some benches, that haunted me. I estimate I dropped 16 hours manipulating that picture until I felt right about it. "Taking the picture" in that case was a piece of cake. "Making the image" was very hard for me.

Comment: about "anybody could do that" . . . yeh? so what? . . . if you enjoy looking at that paint smeared and splattered on that plywood, why do you need it to be vanGogh who did it ? Some of the nicest pictures I have seen in my life have been made with crayons and pencils by little kids. And years later, they become adults, buy $2000 cameras and make the most godawful images. Go figure.
 
The challenge is for the audience. "Why the hell did he take that photo and then post it?":angel:

Anyway, boring photos (not photographer as seer/magical hunter) are challenging because it can be tough to get the intention across- whatever it may be (context, context).
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
................ No one cares about how hard you worked to get the image. The quality of the photo is all that anyone cares about.
Click to expand...

Keep repeating:

No one cares about how hard you worked
No one cares about how hard you worked
No one cares about how hard you worked

And when you think "OK, but I care" just remember that no one cares what you think either.

The quality of the photo is all that anyone cares about.
 
jsrockit said:
But does that mean that you are more impressed by a photographer's technique than by the photographer's actual image?

I remember at my BFA thesis show in college there was a huge self-portrait painting done by one of the students amongst all different types of media / student artists. To us involved in the group show, it was the worst work in the show. However, to my Dad, it was the best because he equated work / time / effort spent as the value of the piece instead of the actual content.
Click to expand...

Not exactly what I mean t- here is an example.

While in Paris, I was at the big plaza beside the museum of modern art (not sure of it's official name). There were a couple of little girls playing a game where they would try to hide behind pedestrians walking through the plaza.

One little girl peeked out from behind an elegant man in front of me, who was looking around with surprise - it was a wonderful image. I rushed to get my camera up, but she ran off and I missed it.

The challenge for me - I saw the kids playing the game, and needed to anticipate the action instead of being caught flat-flooted. Had I convinced them to POSE for me, would it be the same image, could I even recreate the energy of the moment?

Randy
 
Bob Michaels said:
Keep repeating:

No one cares about how hard you worked
No one cares about how hard you worked
No one cares about how hard you worked

And when you think "OK, but I care" just remember that no one cares what you think either.

The quality of the photo is all that anyone cares about.
Click to expand...

If you care enough about what other people think your work is not that of an artist,.....you are not therefore an artist and your work is,by definition, not art.
So dont even think to please others,just be sure to present to the world what you know is exceptional by your OWN standards,....this is art and you are an artist.🙂
 
zauhar said:
The challenge for me - I saw the kids playing the game, and needed to anticipate the action instead of being caught flat-flooted. Had I convinced them to POSE for me, would it be the same image, could I even recreate the energy of the moment?

Randy
Click to expand...

No.......but you have the image in your head,thats just as valuble.🙂
 
taxi38 said:
If you care enough about what other people think your work is not that of an artist,.....you are not therefore an artist and your work is,by definition, not art.
So dont even think to please others,just be sure to present to the world what you know is exceptional by your OWN standards,....this is art and you are an artist.🙂
Click to expand...

help me to understand what you're saying here . . .

are you saying that anyone who creates anything that represents their personal and singular perception of something (or anything) is an artist ?

my next question has to be . . . if that is so, then what is not "art" ?
 
taxi38 said:
If you care enough about what other people think your work is not that of an artist,.....you are not therefore an artist and your work is,by definition, not art. .........................
Click to expand...

Actually, I do not think of myself as an artist or my work art. I like to be a communicator of information. You can like my photos or not so long as you get my message.

No one cares what I went through to get to the country this photo was made. No one cares how many days I walked to find this location. No one cares that I had to return when the light was from the right direction. No one cares how long I waited for the right combination of elements to come into place that make this photo. No one even cares about the technical challenges. I only hope they get the message that Jose Marti is worthy of a permanent statue and Fidel Castro only merits a poster. (and I am not positive I pulled that off)

53-anniv-Marti-statue-woman-&-man-passing-.jpg
 
Bob Michaels said:
Actually, I do not think of myself as an artist or my work art. I like to be a communicator of information. You can like my photos or not so long as you get my message.

No one cares what I went through to get to the country this photo was made. No one cares how many days I walked to find this location. No one cares that I had to return when the light was from the right direction. No one cares how long I waited for the right combination of elements to come into place that make this photo. No one even cares about the technical challenges. I only hope they get the message that Jose Marti is worthy of a permanent statue and Fidel Castro only merits a poster. (and I am not positive I pulled that off)

53-anniv-Marti-statue-woman-&-man-passing-.jpg
Click to expand...


Bob, you're a documentary photographer (in my opinion), as am I. Some of the greatest photography found in art museum and the pages of art history has been documentary work. It is art, and an honest one. A lot of the postmodern-era 'art' photography feels forced and empty because someone is trying to use photography for the sort of abstracted or conceptualized work that other media like painting are more suited for (in my opinion that is because so many of these 'photographers' chose photography because they had no talent for drawing/painting, not because they loved or understood photography).
 
Chris: maybe I just have a personal hang-up on labels so I try to avoid all of them.

Chriscrawfordphoto said:
Bob, you're a documentary photographer (in my opinion), as am I. Some of the greatest photography found in art museum and the pages of art history has been documentary work. It is art, and an honest one. A lot of the postmodern-era 'art' photography feels forced and empty because someone is trying to use photography for the sort of abstracted or conceptualized work that other media like painting are more suited for (in my opinion that is because so many of these 'photographers' chose photography because they had no talent for drawing/painting, not because they loved or understood photography).
Click to expand...
 
I photograph the easy stuff. If I shoot the challenging stuff and get it "right," then people will expect that from now on. Life's too short to put that kind of pressure on yourself. 😀😀😀
 
Bob Michaels said:
Chris: maybe I just have a personal hang-up on labels so I try to avoid all of them.
Click to expand...


There are so many types of photography and so many uses for photography and reasons for making images, that I think some labels are necessary. A wedding photographer is not doing something even remotely related to what you or I do, even if some wedding photographers want to label their work "Documentary Style" or "Photojournalist Style". That's just one example of radically different purposes that photography is used for, and not intended as a put-down of wedding photography (which is a form of photography most people will buy at least once in their lives and most people have an appreciation of).

I have an intellectual/academic interest in photography's history, so labels like "Commercial photography", "Documentary", "Wedding Photography", etc. have some practical value in tracing the different threads that run through the history of photography (being aware that there can be and often is overlap between the different categories).
 
I like to challenge myself technically by using methods I'm unfamiliar with and if I come out of it with an image I like it's very satisfying.

Taking a photo that 'works' is a different process IMO and seldom gives me the same satisfaction.
 
The photography that I prefer is alchemy: to make gold out of dirt.
To get an interesting shot out of something millions of people see everyday, but only you cut the one frame or gathered the series the way you did and gave it its meaning.
Then and only then its 100% your creation.
 
Bob Michaels said:
Keep repeating:

The quality of the photo is all that anyone cares about.
Click to expand...

Not strictly true. At a certain level of photography (deemed technically acceptable and minimally interesting to look at, solid photojournalism/documentary, etc.), the amount of hard work and involvement in the process indeed contributes to the worthiness and depth of it.
 
Bob Michaels said:
Keep repeating:

No one cares about how hard you worked
No one cares about how hard you worked
No one cares about how hard you worked

And when you think "OK, but I care" just remember that no one cares what you think either.

The quality of the photo is all that anyone cares about.
Click to expand...

I care about how hard someone worked.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom