After over three decades, I finally have a word for what kind of photographer I am. A pictorialist.
Pictorialism: an approach to photography that emphasizes beauty of subject matter, tonality, and composition rather than the documentation of reality.
- Encyclopædia Britannica
Some teachers and writers of photography tells us that the single most important thing the photographer has to decide is what he wants to photograph. I've long protested against that. Some of the greatest artists in photography: H. Cartier-Bressson, André Kertész, Bill Brandt, seem to not have cared very much what they happened to have in front of the camera that day, they all had a large range of subjects; whatever lent itself to an interesting picture.
11 comments:
It doesn't say it there but I believe "Pictorialism" also stays away from abstract, expressionist, impressionist, conceptual or other ideas of art. In that way I find it of limited interest. I just think there is so much more that can be done beyond just making "beautiful" photos.
Also, the definition on wikipedia differs considerably from the one given here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictorialism
Damn it Eolake(excuse my French), I'm just getting the concept of Composition and now you throw a new concept at me, "Pictorialist".
I can't win.
It seems to me that if you're doing it as a job (aka. money) then you better know your subject and techniques extremely well. Therefore you need to follow one subject. For example if you're going to do wedding photography, you need to know every facit of taking those pictures and dealing with people. Personally, I couldn't imagine taking pictures of women in white dresses all the time, day in and day out.
I guess I do have favorite subjects I like to photograph, I'm pretty much open to others. I do draw the line at dead people though. That's WAY down on the list.
You see, I really enjoy taking and viewing pictures. The art of it is simply wonderful and I can do this as a hobby. If it became a job, all that would change.
SO, I guess I'm agreeing with you and would also protest learning a single thing to photograph.
Also, pardon my rambling..
Chris,
Yes it seems one of the important definitions or at least understandings of "pictorialism" is the emulation of (classic) paintings. So maybe I should hesitate in using it.
It's just that it seems to obvious to me that there should be a word for the interest in the picture above the subject.
LOL, Tommy! You're HILARIOUS! TOO MAY LOL's to list but..."I do draw the line at dead people though. That's WAY down on the list." is my FAVORITE! ROFLMFAO! THANKS for that one! :-)
Eo: why *worry* about trying to define it; then you would just end up *putting it back into a box*...as you so DON'T like! Don't worry about it, friend! :-)
No, it has to be clearly defined. You have to be a specific type of photographer, otherwise you're just a dabbler. And that would be so wrong.
(ps, that is humour where I come from).
It's real gentle, that Lancashire humor.
Often, the object is not interesting, but a photograph of the object is.
Ralph Gibson (I think)
The above statement is also true for girls.
Chris
OK, TC[Girl], you got me here. Not being a texter, what does "ROFLMFAO!" mean? By the way, TC, thanks...at least there is someone that appreciates my great wit (grin).
Chris said "Often, the object is not interesting, but a photograph of the object is."
I like that. It's so true. OOPs here I go, it's all in the composition.
(ps, that is humour where I come from).
That's a dangerous thing around here, some are of the school of thought that if you have to tell someone it's a joke it's not funny. Luckily I'm not one of those!
Sometimes it can *make* it a joke. In high school French one of the guys couldn't pronounce "bon" (first he said "bong", then over-corrected to "bonne"). The teacher (damn pretty girl too) told him, "it sounds like James Bond or something". Then she added, "that was a joke", and *then* people laughed.
(Note, in Danish, the D in Bond is typically silent.)
(How about *that* for a joke I had to explain.)
Alex, I actually *got* that you were joking around. :-)
Odd how I didn't get any of these posts!
Tommy said...
"OK, TC[Girl], you got me here. Not being a texter, what does "ROFLMFAO!" mean?"
Oh dear, oh DEAR, Tommy, you must not have been *in school* the day *we* did this *class*. LOL!
Tommy, please refer to: http://tr.im/sfjw
(p.s. - I am NOT a "texter" either. I think it's a HUGE waste of time! lol! I'm just a "keyboarder"! lol! ;-)
Tommy said...
"By the way, TC, thanks...at least there is someone that appreciates my great wit (grin)."
Yes! "Great wit" is ALWAYS APPRECIATED around here...especially by me! :-)
Eo said...
"(How about *that* for a joke I had to explain.)"
Don't worry, Eo. It wasn't lost on me! I can remember a GAZILLION jokes that were *lost* on MANY when trying to 'xplain our silly language, when I was a kid! Oh the EFFORT that everyone TRIED to *get it across* though. As is often said (and so true), the joke was *lost in translation*. :-(
Sounds like me in math giving the answer that I was positive that it was a negative [number]! lol! You had to be there! ;-)
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