I love this. Part rant, part philosophical treatise. I love your work as well. Your photography, and yes, your art. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, no? I think photographers are generally thought of as more technicians than craftspeople or artists. Thus the first question always asked: what do you shoot with? Imagine anyone asking Toni Morrison "What do you type with?" As if the machine and not the mind is responsible for the imagination and craft of composing it into art. I'll never forget the first photos I shared with my wife shortly after taking on photography. "You sure bought a really nice camera, didn't you?" Was her response. Don't worry, we are still married. She supports me in full. But nonetheless, "Forgive them," I say to myself when this happens, "for they know not what the Fuck they talk about."
Keep writing, keep shooting, keep marrying the two as one. 👊🏼
Very interesting and really got me thinking and reflecting. All i have ever been or considered myself was as a photographer. While plenty of my work could be called art and i created work that i wanted to be considered artistic, i think of all the assignments i have completed that had no artistic elements at all. A Client bringing over a metal box full of electronics, leaning over my shoulder telling me where to add light, required nothing artistic in the effort. I often felt like a technician rather than a photographer but the assignment paid the same. Now on social media, some have declared those who use serious Photoshop are not photographers but compositors. Well, i dont care what others may call me, but i as well, am a photographer.
Photography's Phallic Stage or Why Photographers Should Stop Calling Themselves "Artists"
I love this. Part rant, part philosophical treatise. I love your work as well. Your photography, and yes, your art. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, no? I think photographers are generally thought of as more technicians than craftspeople or artists. Thus the first question always asked: what do you shoot with? Imagine anyone asking Toni Morrison "What do you type with?" As if the machine and not the mind is responsible for the imagination and craft of composing it into art. I'll never forget the first photos I shared with my wife shortly after taking on photography. "You sure bought a really nice camera, didn't you?" Was her response. Don't worry, we are still married. She supports me in full. But nonetheless, "Forgive them," I say to myself when this happens, "for they know not what the Fuck they talk about."
Keep writing, keep shooting, keep marrying the two as one. 👊🏼
Very interesting and really got me thinking and reflecting. All i have ever been or considered myself was as a photographer. While plenty of my work could be called art and i created work that i wanted to be considered artistic, i think of all the assignments i have completed that had no artistic elements at all. A Client bringing over a metal box full of electronics, leaning over my shoulder telling me where to add light, required nothing artistic in the effort. I often felt like a technician rather than a photographer but the assignment paid the same. Now on social media, some have declared those who use serious Photoshop are not photographers but compositors. Well, i dont care what others may call me, but i as well, am a photographer.