But is it art nice as it is?
There are no paintings or prints of painting hung on my walls of my house. Nor were there any on the wall of my office or studio either for that matter. The reason is simple I am a photographer, not that all the photographs are my work in fact some are by people a lot more talented than myself. To be honest what goes on the walls is the choice of my wife, not mine and I am not going to argue with her, as they say I am daft not stupid.
Since the first print was placed on a wall in 18 something and frozen to death, the same question has been asked prefixed with the same comment “It is nice but is it art?” still a patronising remark and a boring question. I have never described myself as an “Artist” by any means, I do class myself as a good technician with a camera and a better than average photographer but an artist, no not me and I realise that fact. That is not to say other photographers are not artists with what they do. I will go as far as saying I consider myself a craftsman when other photographers are most defiantly “artists” with a camera.
I once got into a conversation with an arts teacher I was young it was before knew better than to waste my time with people like this. The man told me that “photography was not and it was never art form and it was never going to be art” his simple reasoning being that anybody could take photographs as all they needed was a camera and the local chemist. I pointed out that my five year-old son had paints and paper so was he an artist as well? His answer was in the negative to say the least in fact it was patronising however; he did say, that if my son was gifted than one day he may make an artist. I was none to pleased being belittled and asked he’d had years of experience I gather he was as talented as Leonardo da Vinci then I thanked the gentleman and left him with the words “Well those who can do and those who can’t teach.” As I said I was younger in those days.
My point of view is although I don’t consider myself an “artist” more a good technician there are hundreds maybe thousands of photographers who truly are just that Artists. Now many, many years after having that conversation (45) I would have answered his comments differently. Now with maturity I would have pointed out that photography like painting is dependent on reflecting of light be that using paint, film or in the 21st century, digitally. I may have added that the art is in the photographer and not in the camera. I look at other peoples work and say to myself “Wow I wish I’d taken that.”
Experience has made me a better photographer a lot better than I was anyway. I look at my work taken decades ago and I am pleased with them and why not. Whatever the reason I took the shot I wanted to take it and ninety-nine out of one-hundred I was so pleased with it I printed it out in the darkroom. However; I can now look at that print and see that if I’d taken it from another angle used a faster film or used the light better, then it would have been a better photograph, well maybe anyway. My point is we all get better with time and by gaining experience. We also get better by taking photographs and looking at and listening to other photographers. Don’t lose sight of what you are taking photographs for either and just because others see it one way and you don’t then think about it try to see what they see and if that fits with your protective. That way perhaps we can make art.