Art vs. Snapshot
While surfing around today, I came across the DIY Photography Blog where they had an interesting post entitled “What Differentiates an Artist from a Snapper?”. Something I found interesting was the author’s idea of why people take photos:
There are so many reasons for wanting to take pictures of something, but they all boil down to the same thing: The intension [sic] of keeping something that is not always there, forever.
There is really a lot of truth to this. No matter whether you’re taking quick shots of friends or carefully planned shots of the Grand Canyon, it’s still photography—the goal is still to capture a moment in time to save forever. But at what point does it stop being a snapshot and turn into art? There probably is no good answer, but I’m going to take a stab at it.
For me, photographic art is when the photographer captures a scene or an object exactly as he/she sees it—instead of showing the world a view everyone already knows, the artistic photographer manages to show the way they see things. But it goes even beyond that! Photography is art when the photographer is able to not only give a new view on the world but also put meaning behind it as well, and say something with their image.
Take for instance pretty much any of Ansel Adams’ images. He practiced a technique called “previsualization” in which before even pressing the shutter button, he would know exactly how he wanted his scene to show up on the final print. He took photos that are so endearing because they don’t just portray the cliffs of Yosemite, but instead show his view. In any of his many shots at the famous national park, the cliffs always have an imposing nature, a dark and strong look that you just will not find in a tourist snapshot of the same location. Ansel Adams was able to go past what the rest of the world saw and show everyone exactly what he saw. This is what makes photography art.
Now, I am by no means saying that you have to take photos like those of Ansel Adams in order to produce art. Once again, art is subjective, and, in the end, it’s mostly about what it means to the photographer. If a photo you’ve taken really means a lot to you, for whatever reason, I would most certainly call that art, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!