Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

No, not mine, I'm just a some-time wannabe One of the definitions that I like is that Fine Art is "about an idea, a message, or an emotion." Also often stressed is that the photographer artist creates a body of work that defines their message. So, getting to the point of this posting:

Many long-time members know UHH user MinnieV. For those interested in seeing what she's been up to for the past year with her fine art photography (awards, grants, exhibits!), or for those looking for inspiration beyond the "straight out of camera" viewpoint, please visit the topic of congratulations posted yesterday in For Your Consideration*. Be sure to click on the Luminous Landscape article, which showcases several of her "Dam Bird" photos.

*For Your Consideration is one of the specialty forums on UHH. You can find the list by clicking "all sections" at the bottom of this page.

And, just for giggles, here are two of mine that I hope fit the "emotion" definition, if nothing else

Many thanks to all!

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Jerry G Loc: Waterford, Michigan and Florida

Very nice, they definitely provoke emotions. well done.

Irvingite Charles Loc: Irving, Tx

Lagoonguy Loc: New Smyrna Beach, FL

Very nice. You have captured the mood.

photophile Loc: Lakewood, Ohio, USA

These are lovely.

danniepolley

Nice set

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Thanks to all for your comments. Please be sure to take the time to view Minnie's work in the links I provided; she is the true artist!

Cwilson341 Loc: Central Florida

No giggles here, Linda. Both of these are beautiful and carefully processed to bring out the very best! I’m still trying to define the feeling I get from #1 but #2 inspires me to take a long, slow breath and relax. While the scene depicts cold, I take away a warm, cozy feeling.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Linda, I'm not reacting to the point of this discussion, although I'm sure that's what you want us to do. I'm reacting to the images you posted. The second one makes me want to run to a big large leather chair in front of a fireplace with a good book and not get up until spring. Sorry. I really dislike snow and cold (guess that's why I live in a desert?). It is SO cold that I shiver in 102 degree heat just looking at it.

The first one, however, I cannot take my eyes away. It is just lovely. I'm sure the background has been removed, replaced, and treated in one of your playful sessions. And yet, it looks to me like deep fog covering a mountain range, so it looks quite natural. It reminds me somewhat of a favorite painting done my a friend of mine. Now it's a raven, not an eagle, but he painted the background to be simply colour. That's sort of what you have done with this eagle. And the result is excellent.

Since I'm surrounded by a group of painters, one of the things I've learned about "fine art" is that it's not the quality of the artwork that makes it "fine art." It's that it is original and, hopefully, says something to the viewer. The third requirement is that it has no use other than to be looked at, but that's not the issue here. Sometimes that happens and sometimes not. When a painter paints from a photograph someone else took, it's not original. It's a copy. That's not fine art. When a photographer captures and image of someone else's artwork (like a statue, for example), it may be good photography and excellent journalistic work, but it doesn't actually qualify as fine art because it's not original. We do, however, create lots of original work that we fail to classify as fine art because it's not technically perfect.

OK, I'll get off my soapbox. Sorry I went down a bunny trail.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Thanks so much, Carol!

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Your "soapbox" discussion is great, Kathy! You described the points of fine art with eloquence and experience.

The point about rejecting some photography (or perhaps you meant art more widely) for technical imperfection is worth many in-depth discussions IMO. Both of the links in my signature might be of interest to new folks who are being inundated with advice about pixel count and lens sharpness.

I am so glad you enjoyed my eagle! As an aside, the original background was a foggy, winter hillside. I don't know if I would have had the inspiration to go the way I did (with textures) had it been sunny June

Many thanks.

GED Loc: North central Pa

Very Very nice images Linda, most definitely a cut above.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Thanks for your comments! I want to point out that this topic was, for some curious reason, moved by Admin from Gallery to main discussion. Maybe someone complained that it was more about alerting folks to MinnieV's awards than sharing photos, and they thought it should go in chit chat? I dunno, but here we are in the oft-unfriendly environs of photography "discussion."

Below is proof of where its life began. Maybe tomorrow it'll be in chit-chat!

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dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

In your intro you say "for those looking for inspiration beyond the "straight out of camera" viewpoint." I have always been amazed that many hold the SOOC effluent sacred like the resulting image is a religious icon not to be trifled with. Inspiration holds little sway for the those, nor does my often stated "crop to the story." However, there are those who see photos like the two you presented and feel the mood and realize that they own their SOOC photo and can make a dozen good photos from one. Once show that they can take a day photo and with brightness/contrast adjust change day to night .... once the guiding hand of Linda is removed their fingers/eye/minds become creatively inspired and are free of the "color within the lines" taught by the elementary once a week visiting classroom art teacher who teaches Sunday school and does crosswords from the back of "Reader's Digest."

Too often UHH people submit photos and just say Flower or Bird, with no explanation of the what and how of the photo. I have always thought that UHH is both to inspire and also to educate. Example: Flower with Magenta... huh what??? The viewer sees no Magenta flower and moves on uninspired. If the presenter adds a sentence, "Blue and Red enhance by Magenta Filter which suppresses the overly Green Sensitivity of typical sensors." and gives a reference, then the door is opened to the UHH viewer. Bang! Once sentence educates with little effort. https://www.libraw.org/articles/magenta-filters-on-digicam.html

I read Linda's homage to MinnieV and was hooked to read about Steichen an artist born in 1879. Inspiration stands on the shouders of inspiration and like the tree in Linda's photo the tree branches out and we like the bird survey a wider world.

Thank you Linda for being truly Linda

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Today is going to be an interesting one, Don. First, I find that this topic was inexplicably moved from Photo Gallery to main discussion (see my proof posted above!). Who knows what menacing shadows still lurk here?!

But then I got a chance to tease one of my critics, so I'm batting .500 at the moment.
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-551573-2.html#9363353

Onward, through the fog, or the dark as it's still more than an hour 'til sunrise here. But not to fear, Pink Trixie has our backs!