■ The Photography Megathread ■

[bµbbler]

[Ad Bot]

[Slicks555]

I'm sorry, but I don't quite see the purpose of admiring photography. Like, I'm not trying to insult any hobbiest or professional photographers, but what's so special about these images. Note: The images I pick are just random ones I see, I'm not trying to call anyone a bad photographer.


It's just a black and white hose. I can go out in my back yard and see a hose, what's so special about a picture of it?


It's a cat. Cool. I have 3 that lay in the sun every day.


I mean, it's interesting you have this stuff laying around but I don't see how it's really art.

I feel mean by doing this but I'd like to have someone enlighten me on the artistic value of photographs over paintings and other artwork.

[Tammy]

The problem is most people here suck. They are just taking pictures of random stuff. I used to do the exact same thing, but after taking a couple hundred pictures like those I realized that just because an image is visually pleasing does not mean that it's actually interesting to look at. Now I'm slowing down, and focusing on building a portfolio with only the images that are truly amazing.

I kind of agree that photography isn't art in some ways, but it's deeper than it appears. You might think landscape photography, for example, is just about pointing your camera at a pretty view and pressing the button. In reality that just results in a boring picture. The photographer has to compose the scene in a way that makes it interesting and dynamic, and pulls the viewer into the scene.

[Kniaz]

I mean, it's interesting you have this stuff laying around but I don't see how it's really art.

it's deeper than it appears.

Photography isn't really art to me, it's more of a way of expressing myself... I guess that is what art is, though.

You're sort of being pretty cynical about it all. You can dumb down anything to sound stupid. Apocalypse Now is a movie about some guys going up a river, for example.

That's not just things laying around- those are things that are important to me that I keep right next to my bed. The Emergency Message Kit is something my girlfriend gave me inside is a small bottle with a note in it and a tiny pencil. The jar of rain she gave me because I love rain and the little music box plays Fer Elise and is a vintage antique. Much like everything else, it is a sentiment.The key you can faintly see is to a heart-shaped box where I store some other important stuff.

It's deeper than it seems.

[Nymethus]

to you

[Kniaz]

to you

True, but it doesn't give anyone reason to go about saying something isn't artistic and has no depth.

[Nymethus]

True, but it doesn't give anyone reason to go about saying something isn't artistic and has no depth.

Yeah it does, because it's not deep and artistic to them.
Just because you have personal value attached to something doesn't mean everyone else has to imagine what that would be like and agree that it is what you think it is.
Photography doesn't work very well if it's just about the photographer's personal nostalgia.

It's like posting an inside joke on facebook that you and your friend came up with the day before, and expecting everyone to laugh.

[Kniaz]

You've convinced me for the most part and I do agree with you.
I'm still trying to establish a style of Photography, personally.
It's much easier to see something's artistic value when its in a set or collection, or apart of a theme/style.

[Nymethus]

maybe you should take a pic with the emergency kit aligned in relation to the corner of the picture

[Kniaz]

maybe you should take a pic with the emergency kit aligned in relation to the corner of the picture

Sorry, not sure if I understand that properly?

[Nymethus]

Sorry, not sure if I understand that properly?

not sure how you don't understand it. Take a picture where the box is aligned to the corner.

[Kniaz]

not sure how you don't understand it. Take a picture where the box is aligned to the corner.

Oh, so it fits perfectly in the corner?

Mm... Doesn't seem to good in my mind. I'll play with it later.

[Nymethus]

not perfectly IN the corner, but perfectly aligned accoring to the corner

how many ways of saying it do I have to come up with D:

[Kniaz]

Lots 

[Slicks555]

Photography isn't really art to me, it's more of a way of expressing myself... I guess that is what art is, though.

I get that you find it a good way to express yourself but I don't quite see how this is done. I can take pictures of the stuff in my room and I have a reason why all of it is there but I don't feel that's an outlet for my innermost thoughts at all.

You're sort of being pretty cynical about it all. You can dumb down anything to sound stupid. Apocalypse Now is a movie about some guys going up a river, for example.

I'm not trying to make it seem dumb, I'm trying to understand your thoughts on it.

That's not just things laying around- those are things that are important to me that I keep right next to my bed. The Emergency Message Kit is something my girlfriend gave me inside is a small bottle with a note in it and a tiny pencil. The jar of rain she gave me because I love rain and the little music box plays Fer Elise and is a vintage antique. Much like everything else, it is a sentiment.The key you can faintly see is to a heart-shaped box where I store some other important stuff.

Now that you've explained it I understand the picture and it means more to me but that's only because of the explanation. The picture itself, before, meant nothing to me but now there's a story behind it.