What is the aim of photography?

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dinners said:
Well we all have memory and as for the why - I guess we conduct ourselves based on those past experiences that stick.
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RichardTaylor said:
I agree with a lot of your points however it goes beyond that, for myself at least - it is memories.
(I do take a lot of photographs in your list).

What are the most important photographs to you. Is it a "moment" or subject, along with light or is it family etc.

A couple of examples.
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Agreed but put the actual photographs to one side.....

You still have that moment captured in your head.

Even though the photograph exists - do you have to look at it to bring about the memory of the moment ?

When you look back do you 'recall' the photo or the actual moment ?

I've pics of my 4 children being born. I remember the events clearly. When I look at a picture I remember taking the shot but it's a single frame in time.

I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing - for memorable moments photographs are fantastic things to have but as time fades I often think one or two frames replace memories.
 
I'll ignore the deviation from the original question "what is the aim of photography?"

Simply to capture the moment, the magic of doing so allows us to transcend time as that moment captured can last for many life times.
 
A thread discussing the philosophical and artistic aspects of photography, yet the word "vision" hasn't cropped up.
Yipee. This proves there IS a god.

jon ryan said:
Ever since the first photograph was taken by Leonardo Da Vinci............
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Sorry Jon, but this is arrant nonsense. The first photographer was the great Carabobbio - it says so on the Internet - so it must be true.
 
RichardTaylor said:
@ Phil

At this stage in my life I can still remember however that may not always be the case. For some, including my wife (even for recent events), the photographs are all you have.
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That's a good point.

I was thinking of my my mother in law who suffers from vascular dementia. In the early stages photographs would have replaced her memories however now she sadly doesn't really function at all.
 
I don't buy the whole God thing so I can't comment from that perspective but to me photography is a means of communication (and from that you could say expression), I'm usually either trying to say how I feel about whatever situation I'm in or get across how something/someone around me feels. It doesn't have to be deep or emotional, it can be as simple as capturing the pleasant feel of a harbour in the morning summer sun but there has to be some kind of feel/vibe there and my aim is to try allow the viewer to feel whatever I felt when I took the shot.
 
Photography is what saves Earth from destruction.

Ever since the first photograph was taken by Leonardo Da Vinci, who used both the time machine and the camera he invented to create the image we now call the Turin Shroud, aliens from distant stars - and even galaxies - have been purchasing photos of our planet, as Earth has been coming top of the 'Most Attractive Planet in Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha' polls for most of the last 10,000 Earth years.

Of course this has caused considerable jealousy among those from less attractive planets, and the Green Ink Overlords have been paying squadrons of inter-stellar mercenaries in photographs to protect Earth. Some of these are using Galactic Federation surplus flying saucers with dodgy cloaking devices, which is how the sightings of UFOs and 'orbs' sometimes show up on photos.

The aliens use a special ray to influence people into taking the sort of photos they favour, which is why people are unable to stop taking pictures of light trails, smoky water, over-cooked HRD, spot colour, and car-rig shots. This makes sense as no rational person would dream of taking such pictures otherwise.

I hope this helps.[ /QUOTE]

i'll have some of what jons been smoking!
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Daryl said:
Photography is what saves Earth from destruction.

Ever since the first photograph was taken by Leonardo Da Vinci, who used both the time machine and the camera he invented to create the image we now call the Turin Shroud, aliens from distant stars - and even galaxies - have been purchasing photos of our planet, as Earth has been coming top of the 'Most Attractive Planet in Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha' polls for most of the last 10,000 Earth years.

Of course this has caused considerable jealousy among those from less attractive planets, and the Green Ink Overlords have been paying squadrons of inter-stellar mercenaries in photographs to protect Earth. Some of these are using Galactic Federation surplus flying saucers with dodgy cloaking devices, which is how the sightings of UFOs and 'orbs' sometimes show up on photos.

The aliens use a special ray to influence people into taking the sort of photos they favour, which is why people are unable to stop taking pictures of light trails, smoky water, over-cooked HRD, spot colour, and car-rig shots. This makes sense as no rational person would dream of taking such pictures otherwise.

I hope this helps.[ /QUOTE]

i'll have some of what jons been smoking!
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xdxru6ojmy6i0=wi! :bat:
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PhotographyBuff said:
e) To create art.
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What is art anyway?

We are trying to define something that has not a specific definition.

We can discuss the personal preferences or the technical issues involved in taking a picture, but is like asking the meaning of painting or sculpting.

If you take a picture... are you an artist? yes? not? why? who decides?

all your pictures are art? yes? not? why? who decides?
 
Photography for me is a hobby that I enjoy and makes me feel good.

I can lose myself in a darkroom for an hour, totally engrossed in converting a negative into a print to represent the vision I had. It is a protective cocoon that distracts me, helping to forget the pain and reality outside.
 
Too pretentious?
 
RichardTaylor said:
I agree with a lot of your points however it goes beyond that, for myself at least - it is memories.
(I do take a lot of photographs in your list).

What are the most important photographs to you. Is it a "moment" or subject, along with light or is it family etc.

A couple of examples.

#1 Last sunday (on our morning walk). Yes it may be seen as example of nautures beauty but that is it.


Blue by dicktay2000, on Flickr

#2 From last saturday. When we had a picnic with our children, and grandaughter, who live at least 4 hours drive away.


For great aunt C by dicktay2000, on Flickr

#3 First time we had seen our grandaughter.


Fatherhood by dicktay2000, on Flickr\

#4 One of the last ever (2006) photographs of my wife and her mother.


Mother and Daughter by dicktay2000, on Flickr
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What camera are you using? The images have great contrast and colour and are very sharp.
 
All these pics were shot in RAW, re-sized for web publication, and sharpened as the last step of post processing. The Exif data is available on the first 3 pics (via Flickr).
The post processing is basically (if necessary):
#1 Crop
#2 White balance
#3 Levels.
#4 Give them a bit of "punch"
#5 Contrast
#6 Sharpening (always).

I may do noise reduction, subject and ISO dependant. Also may do a little bit of skin softening (Clarity) for some subjects.

Pic #1 - Canon 5D with a Canon 70-200 F4 L lens (Light was full shade on a clear day about an hour after sunrise.
Pic #2 - Same as Pic #1 (Shot on a clear day. Subject was under a tree)
Pic #3 - Canon 5D with a 35mm F2 lens. (available light in a hospital)
Pic #4 - A Fuji 9500 "bridge" camera (from memory a bright sunny day, however the subjects were mostly in the shade, with just a bit of sun to make life difficult)

Just a comment on digital photography and computers (see your other thread)
I like spending a bit of time post processing because it gives me a lot more control over the final image and in the case of vacation photographs gives me a chance to relive the vacation. Much better than sending rolls of film of to "Kodak" and waiting for a yellow box full of transparencies to come back.
 
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Why the camera/lens question?

To me it doesn't matter that much (subject dependant) what is being used.
For example a P&S (from personal experience) is almost useless for shooting a classical music concert indoors in avaible light. Mainly because if shutter lag, slow lens and poor high ISO performance.
However for a lot of landscapes etc it will be fine, and for some "close ups" better than a DSLR with a standard lens.

What is important, for me, with the camera/lens is that it has the performance (ISO, optical and mechanical) to capture the images that I want to capture.

What is more important is the light, and my skills.
I shoot with P&S and DSLR cameras.
 
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