My Comment:
PHOTOGRAPHERS GET JOY TOO
by Kathy Neudorf, Langley, BC, Canada
I am a formally trained painter who now makes photographs. During my schooling, my 14 years as a painter, and my transition into photography, I frequently encountered the view that photography is not art, and by association, photographers are not artists. Some think we just point, and shoot, and the camera does it all. Not so.
When out with my camera, the hours melt into minutes. I frequently spend extended periods at a single location, taking picture after picture, moving this way and that, experimenting with setting after setting. This is a whole body experience - sometimes I'm perched on a tree limb, other times I'm on my belly.
Do I feel connected to my subject? Absolutely. Do I slip from the present into the subconscious, intuitive state that brings forth true creativity? Without question. Not surprisingly, I felt this way about painting too. Is my photography art? I believe so. It's certainly every bit as satisfying as brushes and paint.
Another reader writes:
From: Linda Bishop -- Oct 06, 2009
Just to let you know Kathy, that I think you are absolutely an artist. People who just point and shoot ( that would be me) are not photographers. Learning how your tool works and creating images that otherwise could never exist in reality is a true art. As a painter and someone who uses the camera only to try and record the image for later use, I can truly appreciate your chosen medium as I find it very difficult to even take a decent photo with my own camera. All the best to you.
Thank you, Linda. GO PHOTOGRAPHERS!
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