What is a “Photograph”?
Jan 14, 2018 15:35:33 #
Yes, what is quoted is the dictionary definition of photography.
(the process or art of producing images of objects on sensitized surfaces by the chemical action of light or of other forms of radiant energy, as x-rays, gamma rays, or cosmic rays.)
The big hitch comes in with the "process or art" part. Is there a way of "producing an image" without a camera or lens. No fair saying pinhole camera as it uses a glassless lens.
(the process or art of producing images of objects on sensitized surfaces by the chemical action of light or of other forms of radiant energy, as x-rays, gamma rays, or cosmic rays.)
The big hitch comes in with the "process or art" part. Is there a way of "producing an image" without a camera or lens. No fair saying pinhole camera as it uses a glassless lens.
Darkroom317 wrote:
A photograph is an image that originates by recording light on light sensitive media. So long as this is the origination of the final image, it remains a photograph no matter how much editing is done. It should be noted that neither a camera nor a lens are necessary to produce a photograph.
Jan 14, 2018 15:39:50 #
John_F wrote:
Yes, what is quoted is the dictionary definition of photography.
(the process or art of producing images of objects on sensitized surfaces by the chemical action of light or of other forms of radiant energy, as x-rays, gamma rays, or cosmic rays.)
The big hitch comes in with the "process or art" part. Is there a way of "producing an image" without a camera or lens. No fair saying pinhole camera as it uses a glassless lens.
(the process or art of producing images of objects on sensitized surfaces by the chemical action of light or of other forms of radiant energy, as x-rays, gamma rays, or cosmic rays.)
The big hitch comes in with the "process or art" part. Is there a way of "producing an image" without a camera or lens. No fair saying pinhole camera as it uses a glassless lens.
A pinhole camera has an aperture but no lens
Contact printing objects on paper is how to make photographs with a camera
https://publicdomainreview.org/collections/cyanotypes-of-british-algae-by-anna-atkins-1843/
http://rachelrushing.com/portfolio/33-053444-n-96-991328-w/
https://theliteratelens.com/2013/06/27/photograms-from-man-ray-to-thomas-ruff/
Jan 14, 2018 15:46:14 #
JohnSwanda wrote:
Yes, there are a lot of options for "preprocessing" with camera settings. But the problem with that is that everything is applied to the full image. A lot of the post processing I do is done with selections and masks to adjust different areas of the image in different ways. That can't be done in camera.
I'm going to predict that within 5 years tops we'll have a camera that can do that. Perhaps Adobe even will have a Photoshop for Canon, Photoshop for Nikon, etc., just like the lens manufacturers.
Jan 14, 2018 16:13:12 #
alx
Loc: NJ
If one wants to split hairs here (and after 9 pages and 123 posts, that's where we are), the original question was "What is a 'Photograph'?".
Well, a "Photograph" is the flat, static, usually 2 dimensional product of the photographic process. Technically, even the crappy results of camera shake, poor exposure and bad focus are still a photograph if we just go by a basic dictionary definition.
On the other hand, a "Photographer" is an artist, a multi faceted, multi dimensional creative being. As individuals, we might not like or share another artist's vision as we rate each other on our own very personal and arbitrary scale, but as an artist, they are entitled to use whatever tools they choose to express their vision.
Otherwise we might as well just let the automated Google mapping cars snap every thing as they map our streets and say we are done.
#124 unless someone beat me to the "send" and wants to fight me over that technicality. :)
alx
Well, a "Photograph" is the flat, static, usually 2 dimensional product of the photographic process. Technically, even the crappy results of camera shake, poor exposure and bad focus are still a photograph if we just go by a basic dictionary definition.
On the other hand, a "Photographer" is an artist, a multi faceted, multi dimensional creative being. As individuals, we might not like or share another artist's vision as we rate each other on our own very personal and arbitrary scale, but as an artist, they are entitled to use whatever tools they choose to express their vision.
Otherwise we might as well just let the automated Google mapping cars snap every thing as they map our streets and say we are done.
#124 unless someone beat me to the "send" and wants to fight me over that technicality. :)
alx
Jan 14, 2018 16:15:34 #
davefales wrote:
So zazendude throws a hand grenade into the middle of the party and walks away without a single reply to eight pages of responses. Hmmmm.
Yes, he did.
Is it inappropriate to make a point of it?
Jan 14, 2018 16:19:55 #
Jan 14, 2018 16:20:45 #
To answer my own question, when we make prints with an ink jet printer as opposed to an enlarger we are printmakers or printers, and are not technically practicing photography at that point.
Fotoartist wrote:
If photography is "drawing with light", then in post processing you are "drawing " and turning the light on and off in pixels. But just off the top of my head, the only photographic process that doesn't seem to involve some sort of "drawing with light" is printing with an ink jet printer (as opposed to an enlarger, e.g.).
Jan 14, 2018 16:23:16 #
Fotoartist wrote:
To answer my own question, when we make prints with an ink jet printer as opposed to an enlarger we are printmakers or printers, and are not technically practicing photography at that point.
Technically yes, printmakers but as I said earlier such ink based processes are a grey area that makes an absolute definition a bit more difficult.
Jan 14, 2018 16:25:02 #
TheDman
Loc: USA
Fotoartist wrote:
I understand the OP's sentiment in two ways. br ... (show quote)
No worries, thanks!
Jan 14, 2018 16:31:57 #
alx
Loc: NJ
Fotoartist wrote:
To answer my own question, when we make prints with an ink jet printer as opposed to an enlarger we are printmakers or printers, and are not technically practicing photography at that point.
If you email or post your file you are fine. As soon as you print it and pass it to your friend you break the chain of light and are GUILTY of abandoning photography and joining the ranks of the pen and inkers! Blasphemer!
Jan 14, 2018 16:32:25 #
Boy - 9 pages of steller advice and opinions to which I shall add my take on what I consider a "photograph" - to me it is the capturing of something that my mind likes and would like to share with others as well as re-visit that time/place again and again.
As for my skills and use of a camera and digital editing aka post processing I find that many are like myself - not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to catching all my images "just right" as far as setting the camera for some shots - many on here know I am a 80 yr old fart who has been a hobby-amateur photographer working my way up from a SLR in '92 - when everything was manual - thru Digital bridge cameras - all on auto- '03 to '08 and entry level used Canon rebel cameras with kit lens up to now. I also started with PS 5.5 in '03 and use the updated PS CC today.
OK- the "WHY" I use digital editing - in my first 8 yrs of film SLR I belonged to a large camera group that had chapter all over No CA called the N4C- they had once a month competition nights with pro judges and everyone of them would say this quite often when judging a photo "If you had your own dark room you could ----" so the first time I sat thru a Presentation on using Photoshop I knew "THAT" was going to be my dark room.
A little tweeking now and then - some cloning once in a while sure helps some of my images - IMHO
Harvey
As for my skills and use of a camera and digital editing aka post processing I find that many are like myself - not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to catching all my images "just right" as far as setting the camera for some shots - many on here know I am a 80 yr old fart who has been a hobby-amateur photographer working my way up from a SLR in '92 - when everything was manual - thru Digital bridge cameras - all on auto- '03 to '08 and entry level used Canon rebel cameras with kit lens up to now. I also started with PS 5.5 in '03 and use the updated PS CC today.
OK- the "WHY" I use digital editing - in my first 8 yrs of film SLR I belonged to a large camera group that had chapter all over No CA called the N4C- they had once a month competition nights with pro judges and everyone of them would say this quite often when judging a photo "If you had your own dark room you could ----" so the first time I sat thru a Presentation on using Photoshop I knew "THAT" was going to be my dark room.
A little tweeking now and then - some cloning once in a while sure helps some of my images - IMHO
Harvey
Jan 14, 2018 16:37:38 #
alx
Loc: NJ
Taking the OP's opening sentence, "For me a photograph is an image that captures a moment in time." I have known some pen and ink artists that would qualify as photographers because they truly create precise images that capture that moment in time.
Jan 14, 2018 16:48:51 #
alx wrote:
If one wants to split hairs here (and after 9 page... (show quote)
But if a photograph is, as you state: "the flat, static, usually two dimensional...." doesn't it follow that a photographer is one who merely makes a "...flat, static, usually two dimensional..."?
A photographer then is one who makes photographs. Nothing more, nothing less.
Jan 14, 2018 16:52:28 #
Gene51 wrote:
They say if you put a million monkeys in a room with a million typewriters for a million years, eventually, one of them would write a sellable novelIn that case, I can teach a monkey to press the shutter and he would make images just like yours. . . Hypothetically speaking, of course.
Jan 14, 2018 16:54:58 #
YeloCab1 wrote:
They say if you put a million monkeys in a room with a million typewriters for a million years, eventually, one of them would write a sellable novel
From some of the stuff on the shelves today I think this may have already happened☹️️
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