The Photographer Painter, an exploration for a true photograph
I believe the argument was more about semantics than not. The question of when does the photograph stop being a photograph and become a painting is interesting, so let’s explore that. Perhaps we can find ourselves a “True” photograph.
My nephew makes pinhole cameras; a coffee can or oatmeal box with a small pinhole in one side and developing paper on the other. No lense. Uncover the pinhole, count 1, 2, 3, then develop the paper and see what you have (this is a great kids project.) A True Photograph! Uh-oh better wait on that. I can choose a myriad of developing papers, and alter the chemical process to develop those papers to arrive at vastly different images. Am I creating a paintings and not a true photograph?
Any digital camera that spits out JPG images has an on board computer that first creates and then enhances the image, and the photographer can alter these settings to create many different looks (the cheapest cell phone can do this.) So I guess that any JPG image out of any camera is a painting and not a photograph.
What if I shoot digital RAW? I take that flat RAW image into my RAW processor and brighten up a bit, , is this allowed?. In order to print a RAW file I have to convert to some final format, and that conversion will make decisions about color and exposure, even if all the settings are left at 0 or neutral.
What about film? Perhaps the purist will accept an unaltered film photograph, right out of the camera as true. But wait. A film image is nothing more than one particular chemical mix on one particular film base that reacts in one particular way to light. The photographer will switch film and will alter the film development processes to arrive at a different looking image. The film photographer prints on different paper types, and fixes these papers with various chemical baths to alter the look and feel of the image. Finally, the film printer uses many different lightings on the enlarger to print the image.
Ansell Adams and his f/64 group were master of exposure but spent no small amount of time with film, chemicals, paper and light-room enlargers (this is where Hurter and Driffield's Zone system was perfected by Ansel for his photography.)
We might be in trouble here; where is our true photograph? Is there no truth in Art? Maybe we should look at a nice technical definition of Art from a kind soul on Wikipedia:
“Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging symbolic elements in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, photography, sculpture, and paintings. The meaning of art is explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics, and even disciplines such as history and psychoanalysis analyze its relationship with humans and generations”
Does this help? It makes me feel like I ate a really old donut. Beside indigestion something else is forming inside me - a feeling that we can never really find a clear dividing line where the technical ends and art begins.
“Maybe the secret is in knowing that for the artist, the true image exists only, and first, in their personal vision. The photographer, painter, sculptor, architect, potter, carver and all artists use their gifts to blend artistic vision and technical skill to bring that vision into the light.”
"The artist should not worry when others attempt to apply rules to their artistic vision. Only on the rare instance will the vision of one artist satisfy the soul of another. Perhaps that is why it is so important for artists to share their work; perhaps in sharing they seek, and find, kindred souls.”
A note on this image
This image was taken of a jet intake manifold at a local airport. The sharp rusty blades spattered with organic material were deep in shadow and rich in color. A bright sunny mixed with fog day; I walked by this intake a dozen times, slowly forming an image in my mind. As I stopped and peered into the shadow, I was seeing a water color painting; deep dark colors and pastels mixed with modern architecture. From this vision grew a photograph that was captured by my camera, later to be painted with my brush in Photoshop. Is that a true photograph? It is my vision.
SVL
