[Terry Gipson Silver Member Posts: 33]

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on: August 28, 2021 at 12:35 am

I would like to posit that your article is about whether one considers oneself a “landscape photographer with a bit of aesthetic license” or an artist.

An artist uses all the tools in the digital tackle box to express their own experience and vision. No limitations or restrictions. Just artistic expression, whatever it takes.

Remaining true to the experience of one’s photography by altering color and contrast seems to me to be adhering to the tenet of classifying one’s work as landscape photography by altering only the contrast and color of the image.

Continuing the path of altering one’s images beyond color and contrast places one clearly in the realm of an artist.

Transitioning from the identity of photographer to artist has been a difficult path for me. I assume it is also for others.

Terry Colorado USA [email protected] www.terrygipsonphotography.com

[Mark D Segal Silver Member Posts: 951]

Re: Landscape Image Editing – Recreating What You Saw and What You Felt

Reply #1 on: August 28, 2021 at 10:03 am

The moment you aim a camera at a subject and select the subject matter it is art, so I have a lot of trouble gilding the lily with these fine academic distinctions. Photography is a mixture of art, science and technology, unless we’re talking about medical and forensic imaging where there is no creative intent other than reproducing evidence.

[Harvey Stearn Silver Member Posts: 14]

Re: Landscape Image Editing – Recreating What You Saw and What You Felt

Reply #2 on: November 11, 2021 at 9:06 pm

Mark, I apologize for taking so long to reply to your comments of August 28th. I am just now catching up after being gone in September and editing a lot of images in October. I appreciate your taking time to share your thoughts.

I tend to look at the classical definition of art as implying some degree of skill to capture what the artist (or beginning artist) sees or otherwise experiences for the purpose of communicating said experiences to others, or at least as a reminder of a beautiful or important event. I don’t deny that there is always human subjectivity involved. In fact, it’s impossible for us to be completely objective or anything close to that, even among scientists trained in scientific objectivity. So, I don’t suggest that there are hard and fast rules regarding how to approach one’s art form. Having taught photography during the first fifteen years of my retirement, I always keep in mind people with little direct exposure to relatively untouched Nature, and suggest that photographers get to know their subjects well and present them with reasonable fidelity, or disclose their intents if they substantially alter their images. Either way that does require creativity, skill and integrity. I don’t think that these are merely fine academic distinctions. Neither do I think that an unskilled photographer pointing his or her camera at a subject and pressing the shutter button is automatically creating art, though there certainly can be value in a different way of seeing and composing.

Probably more to the point is that I feel that Nature is too magnificent to overlook the opportunities to experience it and share it with others. Those of us who do this regularly are really blessed with the joy that we receive.

 

 

AZfotopro

[Andrew Rodney Participant Posts: 427]

Re: Landscape Image Editing – Recreating What You Saw and What You Felt

Reply #3 on: November 12, 2021 at 2:05 pm

Rendering the print (image) is a fundamental part of the art and science of photography as outlined here so superbly:

http://www.lumita.com/site_media/work/whitepapers/files/pscs3_rendering_image.pdf

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management" (pluralsight.com)”

[Harvey Stearn Silver Member Posts: 14]

Re: Landscape Image Editing – Recreating What You Saw and What You Felt

Reply #4 on: November 12, 2021 at 2:29 pm

Thank you Andrew.

AZfotopro

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