I have observed that most of the images seem to be of buildings and bridges often surrounded by calm waters and cloudless grey skies. Portraits are specifically excluded from the site "unless the exhibit an artistic approach".
I have so far posted two images. The first was a study of a woman finely dressed in steampunk vintage clothing at an event at Papplewick Pumping Station. Near the end of the closing day of the event, together with two others, she proceeded to climb onto the coal heap and play apparently delighting in getting dirty. I posted this image and it received two likes but disappeared on the second day. Apparently this had been removed by the curators but no reason was given. Was it removed for not being classed as fine art or for getting insufficient support?
The second image I posted was a study of a small part of the Knife Angel. This sculpture was made from knives handed in a Police Weapon Amnesties and attracted a lot of interest in the three weeks it was outside Derby Cathedral. This image has been on the Facebook page now for a little over 24hrs and has received 5 likes. I will watch with interest to see how long it remains on the page.
This experience raises two issues. Are these two image worthy of being categorised as examples of Fine Art Photography? And why am I still so obsessed with how many likes my posted images receive?
Fine Art Photographs show subject matter in a way that originally only existed in the mind of the images creator using captured images processed using software. In both the images above I initially processed them as colour images but saw the potential for them to become more striking in high contrast monochrome, more closely cropped and framed than the originals. Is this sequence good enough to qualify as "fine art" or is it necessary to have a vision of an end product before the initial captures. I feel a need to get clarification on this point.
I am quite well aware that there will be a spectrum of quality going from poor examples of fine art photographs to high quality examples and am quite happy for these two images to be placed lower down on the scale.
On the subject of seeking to peer review my images by posting them on sites like this I am more clear. True artists produce work that they themselves believe have merit and do not need or seek the praise of others. I have not even come close to this state of mind and am still craving the recognition that comes from Facebook Likes. Maybe when I am further along my journey towards the goal of visual literacy I will be less dependant on likes.
Generally fame does not come overnight, there is a learning curve to slide along before recognition is accomplished.
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying the path of ‘Fine Art Photography’, it certainly is a new experience and one that I will continue to develop. I agree with you Chris, it is not easy to determine where the line is that categorises FAP. Where is the importance, Is it subject matter or is it in the processing? I believe the baseline is with the subject, there is no end product without a subject.
Like you I have recycled photographs that I thought would fit the bill, depending on the reprocessing. I find myself staring far too long at the photograph that I have chosen, forcing too many ideas trying to make an existing photograph, into a picture for what it was not meant to be. I use the analogy, ‘you can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear’.
The way forward has to be this, find a subject specific for the creation. Before taking the shot we need to have a vision of the finished masterpiece, and how we will have to jiggle with the software to accomplish the masterpiece. Eureka!
I too am recycling images but only a few of them fit my view of what is required for the (en)Visionography Facebook Group. I am pleased that all but my very first post has been left on by the curators so I must be in the ball park of what is expected. Your images are being well received. Keep it up!Some of the effects seem to require specialist processing tools. I have not yet worked out how to add different grey gradients into selected areas of my images without obscuring detail. More study required! It keeps us busy on the long cold winters evenings.
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