Is Photography Art?
A quiet moment between Mother and Son….such was the beautiful light that bathed this scene I truly felt blessed, all the planets seem to align as Lauren took her Son’s hands so tenderly and whispered to him…what was she saying? I can only guess…some things are private and this was one of them. I can only assume it was words of love, words of reassurance and words of encouragement too.
What is Photography, if not art? It’s certainly subjective.
This was a question that was posed in a Facebook group a few days back, and it really got me thinking…is Photography indeed art?
Art itself is, indeed, subjective and as such each person will have different takes on what does and does not constitute art. We, as photographers, all have some creativity within us, it is how you tap into this creativity that really counts. Everyone has a smart phone these days…well nearly everyone, and within that phone is the ability to make some beautiful images. Indeed the latest advertising campaigns from some notable exponents of phones…here’s looking at you Apple and Sony, not to mention the unpronounceable Huawei, make a great deal about their phones camera capabilities. So is anyone and everyone with a smartphone now an artist? My own thoughts are pretty much this…photography is a way to allow creativity to flourish in a different medium, not just paper, pen, ink and brush. Now, everyone has the ability to create art…whether that’s through photography or via something completely different it really all depends on the person’s ability to communicate their ideas…what they are trying to achieve…and you…the dear viewer.
So don’t let the naysayers hold you back, go grab your phone…your camera…or even your old box brownie…and release the inner artist and rejoice.
Art is for the masses 🙂
Here are a few pieces of my own work that I hope shows what can be achieved when you’re looking to explore a more artistic approach to your work. Post processing does play a part, but more so does the reading of light and shade, for me, that is the single most important aspect when trying to capture something that has an artistic beauty.
Let me know your thoughts below.
