bob bennett Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Photography, at it's core, is about seeing. Talented photographers see beauty of light and form where others do not. Seeing must be learned. For example, this is an image of a remarkably beautiful woman. http://www.photo.net/photo/10054484 But countless magazine covers, billboards, and television ads tell her differently. As a photographer, could you learn to see her beauty? Could you then use your mastery of light and form to show it to her? Peace, Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arraga Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 You are confusing a beautiful photo with a beautiful subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob bennett Posted September 30, 2006 Author Share Posted September 30, 2006 Which do you see as beautiful? The photo or the subject? Peace, Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeman458 Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 "As a photographer, could you learn to see her beauty?" As a person I can easily see her "inner beauty" and through your efforts and you did a wonderful job of bringing it out to the surface for photographic capture. I wish I was half as talented in the people photography department. Bravo! Maybe you can define "beauty" in the way you see it as opposed to the way a dictionary or main street world sees it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrstubbs Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 "Talented photographers see beauty of light and form where others do not. Seeing must be learned." Another view could suggest talented photographers have learned to capture or build, and use a measure of light, in recording something that may be percieved as beauty. Part of our view of your picture includes your relationship with the subject. A title could change how the image is seen. Instead of "As a photographer, could you learn to see her beauty?" Maybe? As a photographer, could you learn to record her beauty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilpeters Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 The answer is yes and yes. But you've already taken the shot, and did it quite well. You could show that print to her, and then show a super models picture, and say "see, your smile is genuine, showing true beauty". I did this with my ex., and all it got me was a look that killed an evening. The ironic thing is, show both pictures to a supermodel, and she will be jealous of that genuine smile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_laycock Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Sorry but I don't find her beautiful. I don't know her and usually being familiar with someone will allow you to see them as beautiful but on the surface she does not fit my idea of beauty. I also don't agree that only talented photographers see the beauty of light and form. I think everyone does that but perhaps talented photographers are better able to photograph what they see and are more aware of what will work in a photo to enhance that feeling of beauty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_e Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 "As a photographer, could you learn to see her beauty? Could you then use your mastery of light and form to show it to her?" Robert Possibly, if it is there. Whether or not though, I do not think your photograph does that. If you reshoot, you might take more care with the light; unblock the eyes from the darkness, for example. She is not, genetically, a beautiful woman, so in order to express her beauty in a photograph, you will have to achieve it with her expression, which in this case fails at that. A genetically beautiful person who is also beautiful by disposition or character is beautiful at any age or circumstance. Beauty by character alone presents challenges to the photographer attempting to reveal that beauty. -- Don E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavel_olavich Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Why does a good picture have to do with beauty? Can't ugliness be interesting as well? A good picture does not have to be "beautiful"...I think it has to be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob bennett Posted October 2, 2006 Author Share Posted October 2, 2006 ..what a great discussion! Thanks to all of you for your responses. Peace, Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyc Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 A true artist is not concerned with beauty but aesthetics. Big difference. Light and form is not always beautiful but is always aesthetic. Beauty and ugliness are value judgements based on the viewers subjectivity. Hence the phrase" Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." The photographic artist will show you light and form (aesthetics) and the viewer can either see it as beautiful or ugly. Two viewers can have completely two different responses to a particular photograph. For some the vagina is beautiful while to others, the penis ( for some both or neither too). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob bennett Posted October 2, 2006 Author Share Posted October 2, 2006 aesthetic : adjective Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty. However, my understanding of dictionaries is that they 'define' words by how they are popularly used. Peace, Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob bennett Posted October 2, 2006 Author Share Posted October 2, 2006 ...I've come to understand what you're saying. http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo.tcl?photo_id=5021347 7/7 Peace, Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d_purdy Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 Beauty is a human invented concept. Beyond the human mind there is no beauty, in reality. What is more interesting is wondering why the concept was invented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_e Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 "What is more interesting is wondering why the concept was invented." In the western tradition, around 500 BCE -- to assert 'Man' (specifically male citizens, though not necessarily) as the measure of all things. -- Don E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neild Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 A beautiful woman does not make a beautiful photograph, although a beautiful woman can appear in a beautiful photograph. This also applies to remarkably beautiful women... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb1 Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 I can see her beauty through your Eyes dear Bob! I like very much her honest and sincere smile, and she is smiling with her eyes too. And I would do some more photos on her, just with some other angle to display even more her sincere eyes! Thank YOU, Biliana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob bennett Posted October 4, 2006 Author Share Posted October 4, 2006 The world needs more people who 'see' beauty the way you do. However, I would like to request you look at something not so beautiful: http://www.photo.net/photo/5021347 My critique of this image follows: She is striving for Beauty. She is bombarded with magazine covers, billboards, and television ads telling her how she is supposed to look. She knows if she doesn't look as she is supposed to look, she will be ignored. What you see here, is a desperate quest for Love. We ,as photographers, created those magazine covers, billboards, and television ads. We have played a major role in getting her where she is. This is the most profound image I've ever seen. Will we learn its lessons? Peace, Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb1 Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Oh, dear Bob, I have seen that Poor Girl, but I didnot leave a comment cause I was so shocked :( and so sad because of her :( still I cannot look at her! even she is a lovely young 18 years old girl! When I saw this photograph, I wanted to cry! And yes, you are so right about the fact that the Photographers are dictating the Beauty through the Medias! I wanted to post the same question - who is dictating what is Beautiful? And we will never learn the lesson, as the world is full of beautiful girls who do plastic surgery to be at the Level of "Fashion Beauties"! The world is sinking! Thank YOU, dear Bob :) Biliana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob bennett Posted October 4, 2006 Author Share Posted October 4, 2006 Are you a member of any Women's photography groups? Would you be willing to show this image to them? Feel free to use my comments, and it would be most helpful if you could add comments of your own. Only do this if it speaks to you. Your only responsibility, in any lifetime, is to be true to yourself. (Quote by Richard Bach) Peace, Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapshot1 Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 Yep, beauty is in one eye. Art is in the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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