Great Photography is not so much about Beauty but...

Theo Sulphate

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"Great photography is about the visual effect upon the viewer, not sharpness." - Stephen Gandy, Cameraquest
 

Eric Rose

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Great photography is only great if the person looking at it thinks it's great. Or you agree with someone else who says it's great.

This is one of those "if a tree fell in a forest" type of questions.
 

slackercrurster

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Beauty is in the eye of the proverbial beholder. My photos are mostly of the ugly nature if judged by many people's standards. My archive outclasses many museums collections. (Although not for famous names.)
 

slackercrurster

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Theo Sulphate said:
"Great photography is about the visual effect upon the viewer, not sharpness." - Stephen Gandy, Cameraquest
Click to expand...

Cartier-Bresson on the subject...

"Yes...Yes...Yes...photography is like that and there's no maybes. All the maybes go to the trash. There is a tremendous enjoyment in saying yes, even if it is for something you hate. It is an affirmation...Yes!"
 

slackercrurster

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Sometimes great photography is more about egos. Many photos I think are great the museums don't. Sometimes museums like names over content and will acquire garbage just for a name. Museums are not run by artists, they are run by academics with art history degrees. They are terrible to work with for the most part. You have to jump through many hoops. (For a taste, see Saving Banksy DVD.)

For big institutions you must first convince the assistant curator to acquire who has to sell the acquisition to the head curator. The head curator has to get the deputy director on board. The deputy director presents the proposal to the director. Then the director presents it to the acquisition committee. Finally the board of directors must approve it...and this is even for a gift.
 

dpurdy

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There are lots of ways to be great. Profound can be great, funny can be great, sentimental can be, unexpected or surprising can also be great. Great is the measure of emotional impact.
 

removed account4

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i think photography is one of those amorphic forms
every photo is about something different.
im not sure what great photography is about
 

faberryman

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chip j said:
Great Photography is not so much about Beauty but...Profundity. Your thoughts?
Click to expand...
Great photographs are about a lot of different things. I think Profundity is pretty far down the list.
 

tedr1

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The question is very broad, there are many sorts of photography, none of which is great to the exclusion of others. We all have our preferences however "great photography" seems to invite a popular consensus of greatness and I don't think it is helpful to use that approach to picture making, the variety of pictures is too broad for such a primitive categorization. Speaking personally I value truth and beauty highly in pictures.
 

Sirius Glass

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It is all about the composition, lighting and exposure.
 

jim10219

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The role of the artist isn't to capture beauty where it's easily mined, but to reveal the beauty unseen by the rest of us.
 

Theo Sulphate

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jim10219 said:
The role of the artist isn't to capture beauty where it's easily mined, but to reveal the beauty unseen by the rest of us.
Click to expand...

That is a significant statement; it makes me re-evaluate a lot of photos and work I've seen.
 

Theo Sulphate

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jim10219 said:
The role of the artist isn't to capture beauty where it's easily mined, but to reveal the beauty unseen by the rest of us.
Click to expand...

That is a significant statement; it makes me re-evaluate a lot of photos and work I've seen.
 

Jim Jones

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More than any other visual art, photography can inform. It can also charm, amuse, titillate, educate, inspire, and much more. Greatness can be achieved with any of these goals.
 

Arklatexian

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slackercrurster said:
Beauty is in the eye of the proverbial beholder. My photos are mostly of the ugly nature if judged by many people's standards. My archive outclasses many museums collections. (Although not for famous names.)
Click to expand...
I once took a color slide of a fresh pile of dog dung to show the viewers that if you go looking for, to most people, ugly subjects, you can certainly find them. Likewise, if you go looking for beauty, you can find that also. It is up to the photographer to decide for him/her self which is the most important. It is my belief that A. Adams felt beauty, both visual and to the soul was the most important. I think he was right. Anyone can find ugliness anywhere in this world. Not everyone can find beauty without looking for it.. My experience personally is that beauty is easier to find in Northern New Mexico.........Regards!
 
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