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The Art of Photography by Cameron Gaut

Photography, unlike its predecessors of fine art, is a relatively new medium. From the birth of the daguerreotype in the late 1830s,
photography has proved to be one of the most useful tools for accurate representation and portrayal of a subject. However, not all
people welcomed the camera when it first appeared. For example, a German newspaper report in the Leipzig City Advertiser once
stated: "The wish to capture evanescent reflections is... blasphemy. God created man in His own image, and no man-made machine
may fix the image of God (Leggat Online). Despite those who rallied against it, it wasnt too long after this invention that some
people proclaimed the death of painting with the birth of photography. This speculation was quickly exhausted as peoples initial
excitement surrounding its birth began to settle. By the second half of the nineteenth century, photographys novelty was beginning to
wear off, and some people began to question whether the camera was too precise and meticulous in what it recorded. Despite the many
photographers who declared the lofty status of photography, many critics questioned its legitimacy as a fine art form.
At that time, painting was considered a higher art form than this new mechanical process, and this fact caused some photographers to
implement new techniques which made photography more of an art form. Photographers realized that this new medium provided a
powerful new way of representing the world. These creative new techniques helped create a movement called Pictorialism, which
stressed the importance of emotion or artistic quality rather than the subject or scene depicted. The camera could be used not just to
reproduce images in reality, but also to manipulate them to create an illusory reality. These new techniques were the focus of High-Art
photography (Leggat Online).
In order to determine if photography can exist as fine art, we must define the term. According to Paul Anderson, in his book, The Fine
Art of Photography, fine art is any medium of expression which permits one person to convey to another an abstract idea of lofty
emotion (15). However, Anderson only offers us one definition of the concept out of the many possible definitions; the art realm is
inherently subjective, therefore one definition is not necessarily more valid than its opposing definition. For our purposes, though, we
will refer to anything that conveys an abstract idea as fine art.
This definition leads us to ask how photographs can portray abstract ideas whereas a camera can only photograph concrete reality.
In Arguing About Art, Scruton states that if a photograph is a photograph of a man, there is a particular man of whom x is the
photograph (196). The photograph cannot exist without anything to photograph. This demonstrates the causal relationship between
the camera and the world. Although Scruton argues that because of its causal and mechanical nature, a photograph can express no
thoughts about its subject, I disagree (AAA 193). Photographs can represent abstract ideas despite the fact that the camera only
captures concrete reality.

In order to explain my reasoning for this argument, we must consider the subtractive nature of photography. By choosing how to
reveal or hide parts of a subject, the photographer can express thoughts about its subject. The world is brimming with moments of
emotion and meaning that are able to be captured through the lens of a camera. For example, through this subtractive process of
selecting subjects from the world, the photographer chooses exactly how subjects interact, how they are placed in context to the shape
of the photograph, and how they are portrayed their surroundings. Through creative combination of these methods, the photographer
can convey emotions or abstract ideas. In Interpreting Art, Terry Barett illustrates this point very concisely. He says that by choosing
to zoom in on one person out of the several others nearby, the photographer can convey isolation or loneliness. Additionally, she
may choose to join two people into one frame, implying intimacy (141). The skilled fine art photographer creates visual metaphors
to give meaning beyond the images superficial beauty.
However, not all photographs have meaning beyond their surface aesthetics. Many photographers will say that they do not intend for
their work to express any abstract ideas. Perhaps this is what distinguishes craftsmanship from artistic photography. But ultimately, it
is up for the viewer to decide if a photo conveys meaning. This is why we argue about what is art, what is not art, and what is fine art.
One common argument demands, What is the difference between craftsmanship and artistic photography?
In the pursuit of photography, there are two distinct roads: the utilitarian and the aesthetic. Craftsmanship is utilitarian, and artistic
photography is aesthetic. The goal of one is to record facts, and the other is to express beauty. Ninety-nine percent of photographs
were never intended as art. They were documents, records, mementos, press photographs, family pictures, surveys, or evidence.
Clearly, there is a line between functional photography and photography purely for aesthetic consideration. Not all photographs should
be regarded solely in an aesthetic light.
Photography is not art any more than oil paint is art. The best photography can stand beside that of other major figures in art. True,
cameras have almost always been advertised for mass consumption by non-artists, but the fact that mediocrity exists in the medium
doesnt prevent greatness from emerging from it. As Ansel Adams once said, No one has ever approached the full possibilities of the
medium (Radeka Online). Just as having a brush and paint does not make one a painter, being able to operate a camera does not make
one a photographer.
Scruton argues that photographers who do wish to create art are simply polluting their craft with aims and methods of painting
(AAA 196). What does he mean by this? Scruton assumes that ideal photography is a completely mechanical process, and that the
photographer who aims to create aesthetically pleasing photos is taking techniques from painters. Painting and photography are two
completely different modes of representation, and one is not inherently superior to the other. Both forms possess the capability to
communicate abstract ideas through deliberate, aesthetic choices. I disagree with the argument that photographers take their
techniques from painters, primarily on the basis of my belief that as humans, most of us have an intuitive feel for what is aesthetically

pleasing. It is this inherent aesthetic sense that lead to the formation of the foundational elements and principles of design, which are
utilized in aesthetically pleasing paintings and photographs.
In a visual composition, be it a photograph or a painting, one can utilize the elements of design in a way that can be compared to
language. The elements of design are our visual vocabulary. Color, line, form, shape, value, and texture make up the elements of
design. Balance, gradation, repetition, depth, contrast, dominance and unity make up some of the principles of design (Lovett, Online).
In writing, a story is written with words, which are equivalent to subject matter in the realm of photography. The effective use of word
choice and grammar can be compared to the successful use of the elements and principles of design in a photo. The difference between
the painter and the photographer is that the painter creates with these principles in mind, whereas the photographer sees them in nature
or everyday life. When trying to capture these naturally-occurring elements of design, I may adjust the viewfinder of my camera to
center my subject in the photograph and create balance. I may notice the repetition of trees or the gradation of the sky during a sunset
and capture it in such a way that it evokes a feeling of tranquility. Like a good poem, the use of these descriptors can create an
aesthetically pleasing image that tells a story.
Whether color, black and white, abstract or documentary, photos tell a story without the need for words. Sometimes photographs that
were never meant to be viewed as art become art just through their narrative superiority. Anyone who has seen photographs of intense
moments of human emotion in war, poverty, or social conflict can confirm that photographs express emotions that could otherwise not
be expressed merely by literary or painterly methods. For this reason, photography has rooted itself so deeply in our culture that we
now rely on photography to tell stories, advertise products, record history, and communicate visual ideas. It not only documents the
human experience, but it also helps us understand more about ourselves and our existence in this world.
Photographys range of applications far exceeds that of any other medium. Although photography is not intrinsically better than
painting, photography has the power to convey abstract ideas and emotion in ways that painting cannot. Although the division between
the utilitarian and aesthetic dimensions of photography causes some to deny its status as fine art, I have shown that it can indeed
portray abstract ideas and emotions, therefore, it is worthy of the term fine art.

Creating A Great Photo Collage


Many photography apps for phones and tablets now have the option to create a photo collage. Many use this feature to whack a series
of unrelated, random photos together and thats good enough. Maybe, maybe not, a collage, in my opinion should be a lot more than
that.

What do you get in a collage


Most apps that have the ability to create a collage from your photos have the following functionality:
o

Number of photos in the collage

Layout of grid containing the photos

Colour of the grid

Square or rounded edges

You can then save the collage of photos to your phone or tablets gallery, along with your other photos.

Photos for your collage


The best way to create a collage is to start by taking photos specifically for a collage. This way you can plan your photos in terms of
orientation, style, sequence and the number of shots. Many collage apps will allow you up to 10 (not all though). This allows you quite
a bit of freedom regarding a sequence of shots, and the story that they tell.

Treating a collage as a visual diary that you can share with others is the best way to plan your shots. Start at the beginning, take plenty
of shots that you can then choose from to build the storyline. The above collage os from a bike ride I went on with a friend. The
different scenes are those that we passed on our route, and a quick rest is depicted by the bike laying down.
In the above example all of the images are square and so orientation was the same for each. There are layouts that contain both
landscape and portrait frames, these are the collage frames that require a bit more thought when taking the photos, but can prove more
visually appealing as images can be displayed in an orientation that suits the scene.
Colour or black and white
Simply put, either, but dont mix the two. A collage should ideally contain images which are either exclusively black and whit or
colour. Black and white images work well for shots with well defines highlights and lowlights or portraiture. Colour works well for
landscapes or urban shots.
If you use black and white images, then the frame should be either black or white as a colour frame wont look quite right.
Rounded or square
One feature that most collage apps has is the rounding of your images within the frame. Rounding an image is a great way to soften
the overall effect, but I think it also removes some of the impact. The best thing to do is experiment by saving a collage using rounded
images, and also one which has square images, and then compare the two.

The Postman is a limited series of artwork made in evelope. Work inspired by the words of my friends painters Magola Moreno
and Sandra Mack Valencia, who live in different places, but defined my work the same way: "When you see one of your pictures is
like seeing get the postman, are filled letters of stories."
BY Carlos Vanegas

I work on what I feel, think and see. New York is an icon, a multicultural, diverse and complex place where there is freedom of
expression and civil rights are given. A city with more than 9 million people, but it is the city of the lonely, the place where every
experience is deep and complex. In my artwork each theme reflects what I have experienced and my position on it. The loneliness,
marriage, homosexuality, freedom of religion, pleasure and desire are the epicenter of each of my visual stories.
BY Carlos Vanegas

In the 'Run Way' of NYC the african americans always had influence in the music, fashion and social culture. With the election of
Barack Obama, the first african american president of the United States to get re-elected in the White House for two periods, the
'Black American Dream' has become real.
BY Carlos Vanegas

David Hockney

David Hockney is a painter and photographer who created a style of photography that involves standing in one place and
photographing a scene or object in pieces like a puzzle. The best way to do this is to use a medium focal length lens 50-100 mm, stand
in one place, lock the exposure if possible or set the camera to manual so the exposure does not change and photograph the scene

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