Photography As Art: Part 5_Entry 2_Week 21

The general public slowly began to view photography as more than a simple snap- shot of the surrounding environment and of the world that they lived in. Observant photographers utilized lighting and printing to make the ordinary appear to be a “monumental structure” (Olsen, 1). However, photography was not used specifically for displaying beauty and artistic skills. It was used for photojournalism, advertisements, news stories, political campaigns, stories of the past and of the present… photos played a key role in influencing the American way of life. Pictures were used to persuade people- they believed what they saw. Photography was a snap-shot of the truth for society.        

   

“‘New media’ (video and computer) disrupt the old-fashioned divisions into painting, sculpture, and prints and drawings” (Olsen, 1). Photography has been affected by modern technology as well. Computer programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator can be used by anyone to alter the graphics of an image. A few people of current generations believe that takes away the originality and artistic feel to a picture. “My 10-year-old cousin can add some contrast, sharpen, darken the corners, and shift the colors with ease. If you put yourself through hours of this drudgery, you’re no more of an artist than the lab operator at Wal-Mart” (Thripp, 1).

Personally, I consider photography to be another form of art. It requires skill to use proper lighting, angels, and colors as well as imagination, creativity, and patience. It affects different people in different ways, and relays a message similar to that of painted art. “Photography may be the new kid on the block, but the whole neighborhood is changing fast” (Olsen, 1). 

Works Cited

Beckman, Tad. “Photography as Art.” HMC. Harvey Mudd College, 24   Nov. 2004. Web. 26 Sep. 2012.

Olsen, Chuck. “American Photography- A Century of Images: Art.”    KNPB. Kodak, CPB, PBS, National Endowment for the Arts,    The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, and the   George Gun    Foundation. Web. 26 Sep. 2012.

Orvell, Miles. American Photography. Oxford: Oxford University     Press, 2003. Print.

The New Webster’s Library of Practical Information. New York: Lexicon Publications, Inc., 1990. Print.

Thripp, Richard. “10 Reasons Why Photography Sucks and Isn’t an    Art Form.” Thripp Photography. Richard Thripp, 20 June   2008. Web. 26 Sep. 2012.