Art for Arts sake or Art that other people might want: I struggle with making photographs that people will want---even if they are unusual vs photos that the only person who wants them...

zarathu Loc: Bar Harbor, MDI, Maine

I struggle with making photographs that people will want---even if they are unusual vs photos that the only person who wants them is the creator.

For me enlarged snapshots of my vacation visits is not photography. It's just personal memories. I have the same problem with street photography(SP). I guess SP is A CATALOGING OF LIFE but how many want these phots enlarged to 13 x 19, framed at 16 x 22 and hung up in their living room?

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Vacation shots are great memories. They also can be beautiful landscape photographs. And people do want them in their living rooms. Nearly all the shots I put up for sale are "scenes" from where I've been. I always try to take artistic shots. Sometimes I get it right!

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Art for the sake of the cat.

Not sure anyone else would want it but I'll throw it out there.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which images to PhotoShop.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

AzPicLady wrote:

Vacation shots are great memories. They also can be beautiful landscape photographs. And people do want them in their living rooms. Nearly all the shots I put up for sale are "scenes" from where I've been. I always try to take artistic shots. Sometimes I get it right!

I get a lot of scenics from vacations.

zarathu Loc: Bar Harbor, MDI, Maine

AzPicLady wrote:

Vacation shots are great memories. They also can be beautiful landscape photographs. And people do want them in their living rooms. Nearly all the shots I put up for sale are "scenes" from where I've been. I always try to take artistic shots. Sometimes I get it right!

NOT REAaLLY TALKING ABOUT professional landscape.

flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

DirtFarmer wrote:

Art for the sake of the cat.

Not sure anyone else would want it but I'll throw it out there.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

True art is characterized by an irresistible urge to buy the same camera.

zarathu Loc: Bar Harbor, MDI, Maine

The MDI Photo Club’s assignment for March(2024) comes from our recent speaker Landscape Photographer Colleen Miniuk who spoke at the recent meeting. She wants us to do something called CONCEPTUAL BLENDING.

This can be done two ways:
1. using a digital editing program and putting two elements together

or

3. taking an activity using an “ING” at the end such a “photographing” and a noun in your environment, such as rug and coming up with photographing a rug---which is easy.

But how about guitar playing and electric saw? What might be a conceptual blend for that(short of cutting a hole in your $600 guitar)?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

zarathu wrote:

NOT REAaLLY TALKING ABOUT professional landscape.

What made you think she was???

zarathu Loc: Bar Harbor, MDI, Maine

Longshadow wrote:

What made you think she was???

If the landscape from your vacation is good enough to blow it up and sell it, its professional landscape, whether you blow it or sell it or not. But that’s not art for arts sake vs beautiful photos for one’s living room.

Maybe the concept is too abstract.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which images to just use AI.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

zarathu wrote:

If the landscape from your vacation is good enough to blow it up and sell it, its professional landscape, whether you blow it or sell it or not. But that’s not art for arts sake vs beautiful photos for one’s living room.

Maybe the concept is too abstract.

"Art" is relative...... A perception on part of the viewer, professional or not.

One lady at one of our high school reunions won two of my Maine scenics that I matted and donated to a raffle.
She said now she's going to have to redo the bathroom...
(BTW - I'm not a "professional".

)

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

zarathu wrote:

I struggle with making photographs that people will want---even if they are unusual vs photos that the only person who wants them is the creator.

For me enlarged snapshots of my vacation visits is not photography. It's just personal memories. I have the same problem with street photography(SP). I guess SP is A CATALOGING OF LIFE but how many want these phots enlarged to 13 x 19, framed at 16 x 22 and hung up in their living room?

"Art for art's sake" doesn't have anything to do with how many people like it or want to hang it on their wall. It's meant to differentiate fine art from commercial art, illustration, or crafts. Nobody wanted to hang Van Gogh's paintings on their wall during his lifetime. And people do want photos from the greatest street photographers on their walls.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

JohnSwanda wrote:

"Art for art's sake" doesn't have anything to do with how many people like it or want to hang it on their wall. It's meant to differentiate fine art from commercial art, illustration, or crafts. Nobody wanted to hang Van Gogh's paintings on their wall during his lifetime. And people do want photos from the greatest street photographers on their walls.