There seems to be quite a bit of buzz in the photography blogosphere lately on what constitutes art and–perhaps more timely–what is original.
David Leland Hyde has a great post summarizing others’ blog posts here, and leaves us with a question: Why do you photograph landscapes? There are some great comments in the thread. Incidentally, if you’re not regularly reading his blog, you should be.
On reading this, I know I’ve thought about this many times, and am happy to see this dialogue between photographers. I’m reminded of a few of my past blog posts as well:
And finally, some thoughts on inspiring your creativity.
Ultimately, none of this may matter to you; art and originality are subjective. You may well say, “I enjoy it, and I like my photos…I don’t care what anyone else thinks.” There’s certainly nothing wrong with this stance, but for me, it does matter. Why do I photograph nature, and landscapes in particular? Regardless of your opinion, I think its good to take a step back and evaluate your art from time to time. Many thanks to David et al. for forcing me to do that!
I do it because it is the best way to take back a souvenir of the place. I used to take home rocks, now I take home photos. And they are better for showing off, because if I were to show someone a rock, they would just look at me and question my sanity!
Patrick
There has indeed been some interesting discussion lately, and I agree — it’s good to step back and question ourselves. Regularly.
I once posted, at least I think I did, that I didn’t want my site to be a how-to blog, but rather a why-to blog. I think ‘why’ will lead to far more original, unique, and meaningful work, though I’m probably stating the obvious.
Why do I photograph what I do? After questioning myself further, my answer is a little different than what I said over at David’s place just a few days ago. I photograph what I do because I can’t help it. I have to.
Thanks for the comments; PJ, I would have to agree that for me its not as much about the technical aspect of photography, as it is about the viewer’s reaction to it. Although I still write the occasional “how-to” post from time to time, I do see my blog going in a more philosophical direction. I’m not sure “philosophical” is the right word, but you get the idea. 🙂
Hi Greg, I read this a while ago, but I wanted to read all of the other posts on the tour you outlined here before commenting. Your perspective is right on, in my opinion. You present it so well, not as a know-it-all, but as a more appealing man on a journey of discovery yourself sharing what you have found out. All of it is charming to read and you are landing some fine photographs in the process. Edward Weston said, “Composition is merely the strongest way of seeing.” As my father, Philip Hyde would say, when we learn to see, we can’t help but create work that is distinctive.