I read a good post this morning over at Sam’s Rant’s blog entitled “Why Isn’t Photography Art”? There have been many views and opinions written on this subject, thought I would throw my musing into the issue as well. When it comes to art there are probably as many opinions as people on this but the question remains, is it a form of art? I personally don’t see how it could not be. According to Wiki Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging symbolic elements in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect. That pretty much describes the picture taking process. One will deliberately arrange elements within the frame that they think will make a compelling image in hope of influencing an emotion, seems fairly straight forward. Why then is there such a debate on this? Could it be that the emotion part gets in the way of things? What may be art to one may just be a blob of nothing to another. Art requires one to get outside of themselves and look at the world through a unique set of eyes in hope of finding a deeper meaning possibly nothing more than a respect of the ordinary. The last few years as I have taken my photography “serious”, I have come to learn about respect not only nature but others as well. We all need to have our own convictions of the world we live in and sharing of these convictions helps to bring a sense of balance amongst each other. It would be super boring if we all thought the same about every subject, so the sharing of differences in views and opinions helps to bring the respect of all closer together, not in hope of coming to one conclusion there’s no such thing as a right or wrong opinion when it comes to art, but in hope of understanding more about life and the people we share it with. I don’t know if what I just wrote makes any sense to anyone but me but that’s part of the process I’m willing to share.
vs Business; If your a photographer you must have it made! The good life, out traveling around doing nothing but taking pictures, it doesn’t get much better than that! Wow what is this person smoking who has that opinion! One of the hardest parts of photography that I have experienced that last few years is not how, where or what to take pictures of, but the whole business end of this craft. A train car full of great pictures will do absolutely nothing for your business if nobody knows about them. There lies the challenge, getting work noticed. Unless you where born with a golden camera in your hands you probably struggle with the financial side of doing this. The investment of time and money can be huge all for the “chance” of getting a great picture. Think about that, lots of time lots of money to get “a” good picture, but it doesn’t stop there. What are you going to do with it if you happen to be lucky enough to have gotten it! Put it on a website and watch the money roll it right? Whatever! I have a great deal of respect for those who have made or are making a living with this craft. Everyday is a learning experience whether out in the field or home in the office, the challenges as with any business are always there and always changing. You must become a sponge and throw yourself into the sink of knowledge, soaking up every tid bit of information available hoping to learn a technique or approach that may work for you, then you have to implement it put it threw the paces give it a try and watch the outcome. More often than not you will fail, but you will only lose if you stop trying. I have said this before and this would be a good time to say it again, would you be willing to fail 1,000 times if you knew that try 1,001 you would succeed? How do you know your 1,001st time isn’t your next?
© Brad Mangas, Flint Hills Sunrise, Kansas
