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I don't question the meaning of the op but it is easy enough to understand what Steve was asking and why. Chris even expressed hesitancy in his phrasing of the question.

I don't know... it may be that Steve's questioning and sam's responses could provide Chris some insight, clarity.

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n e y e

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it may be that Steve's questioning and sam's responses could provide Chris some insight, clarity.

Hopefully so. That's when these forums work well.

An interesting conundrum within the original thought of content becoming more important than intent.

I like to see content and intent as a counterpoint rather than one being more important than the other.

 

As a viewer, I allow myself initially to respond personally to a photo, kind of at the gut level. As a savvy viewer and perhaps influenced by being a photographer myself, I will then take the next step of thinking about the photographer's intent, because it's important to me that I participate in the photographer's journey to the extent I can.

 

There are those viewers who prefer not to think much about the photographer's intent and think viewing photography is almost solely subjective. I don't, though I certainly allow myself subjective responses. But I want not just to experience my own response. I want to experience what I glean to be coming from the photographer. That often is accomplished by considering a body of work, which I think gives me more access to the bigger picture and the intent of the photographer. I know and appreciate that I could always be wrong. That's part of the magic.

"You talkin' to me?"

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"I like to see content and intent as a counterpoint rather than one being more important than the other"

 

Well, when I make a new year resolution, it is full of intentions, often or not, but seldom kept.

 

The reality is its all about content, and whether it works or not. Folk spend small fortunes on high end gear hoping the content, will be somewhat magical. They have the best intent, to achieve that magical content; unfortunately, the best of intent, does not lead to the best of content.

 

I bought a very cheap lens, for a reason I cannot fathom, and was trying it out....but then a photograph l took, I really liked: no intent there.

 

 

sam.jpg.4aa70616a7f52f7b889e2a7c04679fdd.jpg

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Photography is not like making New Years resolutions. I can often tell photographers whose photos lack intent. Their work more often than not doesn't do much for me. Additionally, some photographers are simply not able to get in touch with or admit to their intentions, but they have them despite what they say.

 

Thankfully, the reality (that it's all about content), in this case, is not a reality but just an opinion. Opinions vary, they can't be self-elevated by false claims of their being the reality.

"You talkin' to me?"

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"Photography is not like making New Years resolutions" Sam

A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things, Sam.

 

"I can often tell photographers whose photos lack intent"

 

Really, methinks you must have magical third eye, Sam. I look at the photo, the content, that's what works for me. Not really looking for the photographs/photographers intent unless I ask them I suppose.

 

"Opinions vary, they can't be self-elevated by false claims of their being the reality" Sam.

Whos talking about reality of a photograph? not me. Methinks you have wandered of in the forest somewhere.

 

Good to chat with you, Sam.

 

 

 

 

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"how content can overcome intent". It is spelled out in the 1st post. He does not want viewers to see factories (substance), but the shapes and how he arranged such inside a frame (form).

Simple enough" Q

 

The intent is to photograph the buildings simple enough. But the poster ,is far more interested in the content, and whether it works. .The content of a photograph, is what's its all about. I might intend to be a master photographer, the reality and the content ,is a totally different matter.

 

Anyway, a discussion, no need for any folks to fall out.

 

 

RIMG04049.thumb.jpg.f7e5069df0b4433028fda1ee2f93d7e3.jpg

Edited by Allen Herbert
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"how content can overcome intent". It is spelled out in the 1st post. He does not want viewers to see factories (substance), but the shapes and how he arranged such inside a frame (form).

Simple enough" Q

 

The intent is to photograph the buildings simple enough. But the poster ,is far more interested in the content, and whether it works. .The content of a photograph, is what's its all about. I might intend to be a master photographer, the reality and the content ,is a totally different matter.

 

Anyway, a discussion, no need for any folks to fall out.

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1386373[/ATTACH]

And if you all would read and understand the OP's post, you'd know that your discussion has no relevance for the question.

He wants to show compositions of shapes. Not photos of factories, even though the shapes involved are those of factories.

The intent as well as the content are clear and neither needs discussion, philosophical interpretation or such. The question is how to keep viewers from seeing factories.

 

Simple enough.

Not one single word of your would-be philosophical musings comes close to understanding, let alone answering the OP's question, clear though that was.

Terrible...

Edited by q.g._de_bakker
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"And if you all would read and understand the OP's post, you'd know that your discussion has no relevance for the question"Q

 

Actually, I was discussing Sam's thoughts, content and intent, if you bothered to read those thoughts. Often, these posts will meander away from the original post, but still have relevance to the discussion. Simple enough for you to understand.

 

"Curators looked over my submission and said that they would like to exhibit the industrial landscapes.". How do I photograph industrial stuff without its content being or becoming most important when my intent is to create a composition? Chris.

 

First of all they have asked the poster to exhibit industrial landscapes . And the poster wants to to create his own take on the photographs, composition being the emphasis rather than subject matter From his example, he likes a oil painting look, which he feels emphasizes the composition rather than the subject matter. His seeking new ideas on composition opposed to just subject matter. My thoughts are it all about the individual imagination, and that's where his thoughts should come from.

 

Q, we are not machine codes or bots which to be honest...are you? Perhaps, with your great knowledge of everything, you can add your thoughts to his question? what do you think?

Edited by Allen Herbert
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  • 1 year later...

I’ve included only a few of the 40 in exhibition. Q was correct in understanding the content/form post. Which is an age old question in art philosophy. Anyway, apart from the bantering that ensued, I think the body of work was successful ONLY in that each piece was successful and strong enough to hang. In making the work, I thought first of composition, then story, then value, then warmth or coolness when oil coloring. Often, I colored only 1/2 of work, allowing values within composition to reign.

4A787DA5-B135-43F8-BF05-723F7A7F6A7F.jpeg

9E6A07CD-1CDE-45E2-9AC5-645927F3127A.jpeg

A58214B2-BA80-4AB5-8A59-692AC3B23BDD.jpeg

AD7127D5-447B-48A6-8A51-44E99F379C38.jpeg

3A87B964-3A5F-46E9-BAC9-E52C972C15A6.jpeg

FBB5B93B-1443-499D-86CE-4EBB678CA231.jpeg

966417DD-F0A6-4023-8EE6-5469A376FB13.jpeg

630874B7-C463-4BDD-8C5B-F716A91E3333.jpeg

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