I have this idea that a talented photographer will take an intentional photograph well, w/o the need to crop/alter it later.
However I have this artisticy craving to play with a picture, not b/c it's not already nice, but b/c I think it can be made better in so many more ways which could otherwise not be achieved with a camera alone.
I felt somewhat guilty about this until thinking back to darkroom techniques and how there have probably (likely) been many famous photographs which have been altered after the shot has been taken... now I don't feel quite so guilty.
I can't help wonder, however, if a purist (perhaps a film-diehard?) would beg to differ. Any purists out there?
8 comments:
At my job in Colorado, the photographer there and I would often chat about art, and this was one of our central questions - especially as technology threatens (or advances, depending how you look at it), traditional art forms. We loosely came to the conclusion that an artist is an artist because of what they can see - their talent lies in whether or not they can make other people see it too. The tools used aren't necessarily so important, but rather, if the end product can serve the purpose for which it was created (i.e. to allow others to see the artistic vision the artist had). I struggled a lot with this issue in drawing - is using projectors, etc. "cheating" when you do big drawings? After my first semester in art school though, I realized that pretty much every artist takes "shortcuts" - whether this be digitally or using other tools. I think as long as the individual artist is satifisied with their level of technical merit, then use whatever makes things easiest. (Like for me, I wanted to know that I could do a big drawing without projectors or other tools...once I knew that, then I felt 100% fine using the projectors because they no longer threatened my abilities, if that makes any sense). Anyway, I guess there are really two schools of artists - those who emphasize the process, and those who emphasize the end result. I'm more of an end result person, because if you only emphasize the process, then somewhere along the line, technical merit loses out to the "idea" and the end result looses integrity. I've seen some *really* crappy work, not just aesthetically, but even in technicalities like how well it's going to age and what products were used, but they were passed off as "good" because the artist could say some grand meaning or idea behind it. And I guess to me, true art is art that needs no explanation, as in the person viewing it can understand the message without reading a statement or having the idea explained....so that's why I think the end product is of utomost importance. Plus, digital editing is becoming an art form in and of itself. Okay, I should stop because I'm blabbing and maybe not making much sense. Needless to say, this very issue is why I dropped out of the art institute - I couldn't reconcile what they viewed as "art" with what I viewed as "art". They were all "process", no matter if that process produced crap or not, and I was of the thought that process only matters if the end result is good. Shew...I'll stop now. =)
Thanks for your response Natasha. I completely agree with you. And when I checked into different photography programs in different schools this was one thing that made me hesitant. Would the stress the process (which i suppose you need to learn so perhaps is valid in this setting, to some degree) or would they stress the end result? I found one which seemed to have a great balance but didn't go actually... hehe. Point being, I think you need to find a balance: Push your process to the point of accomplishing all you can but be open to using other tools to achieve your goal. Perhaps now I am rambling;) (which you weren't)
(i keep deleting this comment of mine b/c i can't seem to get my thoughts straight... one more try!)
I've got to add a tidbit to this:
To limit an ability by focusing strictly on one tool (a camera in this case) you are quite possibly and most likely rejecting many other abilities you have and many other abilities yet to be discovered. We are all gifted in so many ways that it seems a shame to limit them for no other good reason than you didn't NEED to use any other tools (an editing program or unique darkroom techniques in this case). It seems a bit pigheaded to me now that I think about it. On the other hand, if a photographer were to specialize in a very specific style which required him to limit his tools b/c he enjoys the challenge, that is different - and definately commendable if you ask me:)
Personally however, I find enjoyment and fulfillment in exploring my options and playing around with a photograph. SO, to take a photograph which I am intially unsatisfied with and edit it to become what I wished it were (and could have potentially been) in the first place, I'd feel a failure b/c I have not developed that first step well enough yet.
Very well said! I am like you, that I find it very hard to express my thoughts in this matter. When I made my first comment, I kept deleting and rewriting, and even in the end, wasn't too sure if I got across what I was thinking/feeling. I think part of it is that art is such a personal and intimate thing, being that most art seems to be a extension of the person who created it. So in that way, it's deeply personal, but at the same time, it's on display for the world to see and it's almost like in showing your art, you have to put all your trust in other people that they will accurately intrepret your work the way you intended and not misunderstand/misconstrue your original intent. And maybe that is part of the reason behind the process vs. result "controversy". Anyway, if you have any more thoughts on this as you keep progressing with this blog, I'd love to hear them! And by the way, I think this blog is a great idea/outlet - very cool!
Hey thanks!!!
I'll try to share anything more which surfaces as I go along:)
And to add your comment about misunderstaning ones original intent... isn't that frusterating?! And disapointing. Not that you need everyone to "get" it but you kinda secretly hope that they will so they can appreciate what you've done and how far you've come to achieve it.
I used to be so against editing, but now I seem to find myself editing, cropping, exagerating the colors, etc all the time. Photography has become a different art since the age of digital and I'm starting to enjoy my stuff more now!
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