Photographs of sculpture/other art

[nathanp]

Hello - this is my first post so take it easy on me 🙂

I'm curious what people think about photographing sculpture and other types of art. I've taken a few pictures of various sculptures and I'm quite pleased with the results, but I don't know how much to attribute to the original sculptor rather than anything I've done. Is it 'fair' to display and be proud of a photograph where the main (and sometimes only) subject is a sculpture created by someone else? And where do you draw the line? If it's ok to be happy with shots of a sculpture - how about shots of a painting? or even another photo?

Maybe I'm just needlessly beating myself up over it and should just be happy that I've got a shot I like! I'm still fairly new to photography (but have kind of dipped in & out for a long time) and tend to attribute any good pictures to the subject matter and anything negative to my lack of ability/talent/experience.

 

[newspaperguy]

Go for it. It's your vision of the subject.

You wouldn't hesitate to record a beautiful flower,
even if you didn't grow it, would you?

 

[mfunnell]

Another RFF member has posted this photo on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33116385@N00/3725118775/

I think it is a wonderful photo. It couldn't have been done without the sculputre. But the photo itself is original.

I like that, and while he's a bit "brown bread" I expect the sculptor wouldn't have disaproved.

...Mike

 

[pmun]

It's how you feel about it that's important.

Personally, I don't enjoy taking photos of obviously interesting or eye-catching things. I don't think that really utilizes the medium or challenges me. Besides, the sculpture will probably be the focus of attention - not your photograph of it. One more thing - chances are that there are already thousands or photos already in existence of that sculpture - why add to them?

www.urbanpaths.net

 

[Sparrow]

It's how you feel about it that's important.

Personally, I don't enjoy taking photos of obviously interesting or eye-catching things. I don't think that really utilizes the medium or challenges me. Besides, the sculpture will probably be the focus of attention - not your photograph of it. One more thing - chances are that there are already thousands or photos already in existence of that sculpture - why add to them?

www.urbanpaths.net

Couldn’t one say that about almost every photo, I’ve been taking mundane snaps of that mundane Kodack sign for years now, should stop?

 

[nathanp]

It's how you feel about it that's important.

Personally, I don't enjoy taking photos of obviously interesting or eye-catching things. I don't think that really utilizes the medium or challenges me. Besides, the sculpture will probably be the focus of attention - not your photograph of it. One more thing - chances are that there are already thousands or photos already in existence of that sculpture - why add to them?

www.urbanpaths.net

Those are also some of the things that bother me about it, but on the other hand maybe it can be seen as a good challenge - taking pictures of something that is an obvious subject, but trying to do it in a way that shows it in a new light.

 

[pmun]

Couldn’t one say that about almost every photo,

Say what - what particular aspect of my post are referring to please?

I’ve been taking mundane snaps of that mundane Kodack sign for years now, should stop?

Well, yes, if you think that they are mundane and don't enjoy doing it, perhaps you should.

www.urbanpaths.net

 

[250swb]

Here are a couple of mine on Flickr

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3173/2855093199_825d8ae486_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/2782963047_1326f9ffbc_o.jpg

There is nothing wrong with making photo's of other art works in my mind. They are as much about documenting the world as photographing a tramp in the street or a war. If you can poke it, fall over it, or talk to it, you should photograph it.

Steve

 

[David R Munson]

I'm also in favor of photographing whatever you see that makes you see an image.

 

[pmun]

Those are also some of the things that bother me about it, but on the other hand maybe it can be seen as a good challenge - taking pictures of something that is an obvious subject, but trying to do it in a way that shows it in a new light.

I agree - that is a challenge that many photographers relish. But a spectacular subject still takes centre stage. Attempts to obscure it often attract even more attention to it - overwhelms the photograph. That's fine, if that's what you aim to achieve. I aim for more balance in a photograph.

www.urbanpaths.net

 

[Sparrow]

Say what - what particular aspect of my post are referring to please?

chances are that there are already thousands or photos already in existence of that sculpture - why add to them?

Well, yes, if you think that they are mundane and don't enjoy doing it, perhaps you should.

Why, because it's not to your taste? I think not. I like the prosaic

 

[pmun]

chances are that there are already thousands or photos already in existence of that sculpture - why add to them?

Thanks, yes I suppose you can say this about almost every photo: ''chances are that there are already thousands or photos already in existence of that sculpture - why add to them?'' But it particularly applies to crowd pullers such as sculpture.

www.urbanpaths.net

 

[pmun]

I’ve been taking mundane snaps of that mundane Kodack sign for years now, should stop?

Well, yes, if you think that they are mundane and don't enjoy doing it, perhaps you should.

Why, because it's not to your taste? I think not. I like the prosaic

No, because I thought it wasn't to your's. I assumed (perhaps wrongly) that you wouldn't want to continue if you considered both the photographs and subject matter to be mundane. However, I've noticed you've now used the term 'prosaic' that has more positive connotations. Anyway, of course if you like it - then don't stop.

www.urbanpaths.net

 

[Sparrow]

No, because I thought it wasn't to your's. I assumed (perhaps wrongly) that you wouldn't want to continue if you considered both the photographs and subject matter to be mundane. However, I've noticed you've now used the term 'prosaic' that has more positive connotations. Anyway, of course if you like it - then don't stop.

www.urbanpaths.net

Sorry, that was lax of me .. I meant; I can find art in both the ordinary and the sublime, and I wouldn't deny the OP has the same ability

 

[venchka]

One more

One more

While there may be 1,000s of photographs of a particular subject, none are exactly alike. Each is unique.

 

[nathanp]

For reference, this is one of the pictures I had in mind. It's a sculpture called "Seed" by Peter Randall-Page.

 

[Sparrow]

 

[pmun]

Sorry, that was lax of me .. I meant; I can find art in both the ordinary and the sublime, and I wouldn't deny the OP has the same ability

That's alright, thanks for explaining. By the way - is that the Tate, above?

www.urbanpaths.net

 

[pmun]

Does anyone agree with Sontag on this?
''While most people are only seconding received notions of the beautiful, ambitious professionals usually think they are challenging them.''

www.urbanpaths.net

 

[urban_alchemist]

I very much like taking photographs of how audiences interact with the art, as I feel it is a perspective unique to photography.

The second I find especially fascinating as it is the first evidence of the Renaissance by Giotto - that interaction between subject and audience (and its tacit acknowledgment) is at the very foundation of the revolution...