Is photography art?

Some people will say that a photograph is a work of art. Others will disagree. Do you think that photography is an art form? When a child picks up a digital camera and takes a picture of his feet is that art? What I am really asking is when does a picture become art and when does a photograph become a snapshot? I really want to read your opinions about this subject.

Is photography art?
A photograph becomes art when the artist plans the shot for effect.An artistic photograph is taken with the whole image in mind, including light, colour, shadow and shape to produce the desired effect. A snapshot is a photograph that is taken with only the main image in mind. If the child picks up the camera and takes a photo of their feet it is art if the child planned it and thought about the key parts of light, colour. shadow and shape.
Reply:Well, I am a aspiring fine art photographer. Photography as a medium like sculpting or drawing, or painting. I look at it as "painting" with light, because, essentially that is what it is. I use my camera as a painter uses his brush. Now, NOT every picture is "art". I mean, I would hardly take the works of my 3 yr old cousin and compare them with the works of Renoir. Like other mediums, an "artist" has natural ability, but the art of photography is far more complicated than snapping a picture.





A snap shot is personal, its family or friends..or a vacation. Its a keepsake, or a souvenir. Photography as an art form can be this also, but it is more than that.





I believe a photograph becomes art, when the photographer sees beyond the subject at hand, to the essence of the subject to project feeling or to make a statement and light and depth are used to create drama and romance.
Reply:yes it sure is its just that it is reality when you take pics
Reply:first i must say that not every picture is art . what really makes a picture art is the beauty it contains on it . there is many kind of photographers but most experts agree that the ones which can take pictures in black and white are the best ones . this kind of pictures not only requires them to be taken , but they require great concentration , a single second of luck and a lot of experience .





there is also the kind of picture which is computer manipulated and is not considered art by a lot of people , in fact people who participate in art photography contests are required to prove that they did not used a computer to make their picture look better .
Reply:Yes , it is . When a child picks up a crayon and starts to draw , isn't that considered art too ? Same goes for photography .
Reply:i think all photography is an artform whether it being that child taking a picture of his feet or a professional taking a staged photo...sometimes the impromptu photos are the best! who knows, that child taking a pic of his feet may become a famous photographer some day and someone would want to buy his first photograph!!
Reply:When a child picks up a digital camera and takes a picture of his feet is that art?





ITS NOT THE SAME DUH!!!!!!!!!!!





you do make a good point though about photography as an art form vs snapshots.


I am a professional photographer and I will tell you that in order to produce photography as an art form, you MUST practice for YEARS and YEARS to become good enough to sell your work. My art has been hanging in peoples homes all over the country and I MIGHT have an exhibition at the Guggenheim or ICP in NYC very soon.





Photography has always been an art form since ALL major art museums accept it as art and some of the worlds greatest artists have been photographers. Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham just to name a few. I am hoping to add Ted R. Cohens name to that list.
Reply:all pictures are all kinds of art .


it depends on the eye opener and the person who calls it art.
Reply:I think it can be done in an art form, but that some pictures are just snapshots even though snapshots can inadvertently become art. Art usually tells a story of some kind, a picture of just somebody standing that doesn't catch your eye or make you want to ask who she is or guess about her background or stop and take another look isn't really art I don't think. Some people are great at capturing their subjects, even children...it would depend on what the feet looked like because just about anything if taken correctly can become interesting.
Reply:umm..ya duh lol :)
Reply:yes of course photography is art.
Reply:Surely, to see a good photo our spirit can fly, and this is what art do.
Reply:if it expresses how you feel about something then its art. even if its not good art (meaning that i myself or maybe someone else doesnt particularly like it) it is still art. that doesnt mean its gonna make it into a museum but its still art. also photography is becoming more and more of an art with the programs such as photoshop in which you can endlessly alter the original image. but even a photo right off the neg can be a work of art just so long as it expresses something you feel. art is not talent art is expression. talent just means you can sell it.
Reply:Oh Yes! Try looking at some great photos and you will see. Philippe Halsman, Minor White, Werner Bishof, Lee Freidlander, Julia Margaret Cameron, Man Ray, W Eugene Smith, any of the works of these geniuses and other like them will dispel any notion that photography is not Art. And of course, Henri Cartier Bresson! The most sublime poet of the camera ever!
Reply:originally it was not but in recent times it is considered art
Reply:Yes, it depends on who is looking at the photo!


Not everyone that looks at a photo will think it is art.
Reply:This art question is all about opinion and taste. One persons art is another persons trash. I don't think you'll ever get the answer nailed down. First, you'd have to get a definition of art nailed down (good luck with that)!.





My opinion (since you asked) is that yes a photograph can be art. If the picture stimulates an emotional response in me and it has enough visual interest to cause me to linger on it and go back for multiple viewings then it's art.

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