Originally posted by albc28:
This article talks about the photographer and what the photographer should shoot. This doesn't relate much on how to appreciate the other arts of photography as well. I think what i'm talking about here, is slightly different. I'm talking about stepping out of your comfort zone and try to appreciate the other genre's of photography. You see a shot of a gun shot wound...don't immediately dismiss it and vote it a 1 because there too much gore to it...take the time to look at the photograph and figure out why the photographer framed it in that way....and did he do a good job conveying the story he was trying to convey... |
You are right, to some degree - the author talks about picking subjects for creating images. But he has a few valid points:
"what a photograph depicts has generally taken precedence over what a photograph means."
"Each time a viewer looks at a print, the photographer is slaying 'I found this subject to be more interesting or significant than thousands of other objects I could have captured; I want you to appreciate it too. '"
"You must engage and hold the audience's attention before the content can flow. It is the same with images. Just be aware that some subjects are more accessible and interesting to the lay person than others - and it is deliberately perverse to ignore this consideration. There is a very fine line between pandering to popular appeal and a respectful consideration of viewers̢۪ interests, and only the integrity of the photographer will
hold the balance."
In essence, its the photographer's job to make an image interesting, relevant, or engaging. For example, there are 100 ways (or more) to capture a gun shot wound. Not all instances are going to be equally interesting or engaging. I think often, photographers get caught up in the emotion generated during a shoot or about a subject itself and forget to critically look at an image. Then , when it does poorly, they blame the voter for not understanding, disliking the subject, or any other kind of bias. And yes, it does happen. But, often, people just didn't respond to your vision - its as simple as that. Blame it on trolls, crappy cameras, or disingenuous voters and you really won't get very far or learn much.
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