[LargeFormat] Photography as art?

[largeformat@f32.net]

Andrew,

I've broken your questions down a bit I hope you don't mind.

1. Is photography art?

Well, for me at least I believe it is. Now that's not saying I've mastered 
this art, not in the least I don't know if anyone really masters their art. 
Many are excellent some are better than excellent. But I think a true master 
will admit they are always learning. In any case back to the question.  I 
look at art as something that a person envisions then manipulates his chosen 
medium to achieve. Now if photography doesn't fit that I don't know what 
does. We as photographers try and envision what we wish a scene or image to 
look like before we shoot it. At least that's what I do. I see what I want in 
a shot before I pull the camera out, then I try and put it together. Even if 
I'm going out for some landscapes I try to think what it is I'm going to look 
for when I go to a location. That's not to say I don't sometimes just find 
something. For me working this way is more enjoyable and creative. It seams 
to me creativity is what art is all about I might not like your vision but I 
appreciate how you got there and how you achieved your art.


1. Why do I photograph? 

I do this because of the high I get when I see something then find a way to 
capture the shot. Be it a still life or nature or whatever. It's a great 
feeling of accomplishment. I think we are all type A personalitiesm like 
things are own way. This is a way for me to do something for me. At the 
moment if someone ells likes it that's the gravy. I know that as a business 
you  usually can't think this way but that's OK also I don't mind someone 
telling me what it is they want then I have to figure out how to get the 
image, for me that's still creative. 

3. What am I trying to say?

This is a hard one. It depends on what the subject is. I recently shot an 
environmental family portrait. This was easy I wanted the members to appear 
happy and look good. The hard part was the dog. A still life all depends on 
the subject. When I shoot landscapes I may have a thought before I go, like 
when we were in South Dakota this year. Most of my shots I tried to convey 
the expanse of the land the prairie goes on forever there and yet the beauty 
was right in front of your wherever you looked. By the way I didn't achieved 
this with every shot but a few worked. 


I hope this helps you out.

Greg Orlando