What makes a Photographer?

[kira_greene]

What do you personally believe makes a photographer? Is it simply knowing what shutter speed, f/stop, and ISO

combination to use and having an 'eye'? Or is there something more? How can children take interesting, meaningful

pictures with a disposable camera, and some adults cannot? What makes a photo a photo and not a snapshot?

 

Just what I am pondering...wondering what others think...

 

:)

[victorwei]

My definition is someone who takes a picture to stimulate thoughts and feelings from its viewers.

[tmcleland]

To me, the first, and probably biggest step is the decision we all make to "become" photographers. The biggest difference is

simply that just about everyone takes pictures, but a photographer is the one who thinks about what is being captured, or what

he/she <b>wants</b> captured. The rest likely just push the button and move on. Personally, I don't think that "snapshot" and

"photo" are mutually exclusive. While the former would likely refer to the boxes of old photos taken with brownies that reside in

attics all across the world, "Snapshot Aesthetic" itself has been accepted as an art form. Obviously the snapshot aesthetic

photographer's work is considerably more intentional, but you get the idea.

<br><br>

Knowing about shutter speeds, apertures, ISO's, "f" this and "f" that I think comes later. Anyone wanting to express themselves

via photography is ultimately going to realize that the camera is often (or in my case <i>usually</i>) unable to make decisions

about the end result, and will consequently have to get at least a rudimentary understanding of these things. I wouldn't say it

MAKES the photographer, but I would imagine it's a pretty natural part of the progression. If children are able to take

meaningful photos with a disposable camera, I can only attribute that the innocence that allows them to snap what they see,

without any predetermined idea about what a photo is supposed to be. Perhaps we could all take a little lesson from that.

<br><br>

I've often thought it would be a kick to get a bunch of PNetters to run to the nearest drugstore, buy the cheapest disposable

camera they can find, and just see what we all come up with without all of the camera controls and post-processing. I don't

know if anyone would wanna play that game with me though.

<br><br>

I think it's Thich Nach Hanh, in response to someone asking what he does at a monastery, who said "we eat, sit, and breathe."

When his description was met with "but everyone does that," his response was simply "yes, but when we do these things, we

<b>know</b> we are doing them. Hopefully you see the parallel there.

<br><br>

Short answer: I'm a photographer because I take pictures for the express purpose of taking pictures.

[Matt Laur]

It's easy. The photographer is the guy who's walking past a tourist using a compose-on-the-LCD-screen point-and-shoot camera to take a snapshot of their family, and he actually stops and says, "Point it down a little bit, you're cutting off their feet."

[geoffs1]

Victor got it right in just one line!

[starvy]

the viewer is perhaps more important than the photographic ego would admit. much of what we see on this site and admire is well liked because they form to certain pre-existing notions of 'good photography' that we have been made to accept my photographic communities. however, our little knowledge might make us appreciate nuances in a work that might not be noticed by a lay viewer.

 

the professional event photographer does it for the money. there is very little original or for that matter scope for originality is scarce. the wedding photographer has to make a living out of it. he or she is not an artist but an artisan. they follow codes of convention. out of focus soft portraits appear flattering to the bride and groom with imperect skin and ordinary lives. in their mind numbing, spirit crushing existence to put bread on the table, or be slave to wage, they too have been conditioned to accept specific looks to be flattering and pleasant.

 

what makes a photographer is someone who records still images on a photographic medium. notions of taste, quality or relevance are at a much more involved level.

[k_k31]

"Victor Wei: My definition is someone who takes a picture to stimulate thoughts and feelings from its viewers."

 

Exactly. Best answer possible, in my opinion.

[photo_galleries]

<i>It's easy. The photographer is the guy who's walking past a tourist using a compose-on-the-LCD-screen point-and-shoot camera to take a snapshot of their family, and he actually stops and says, "Point it down a little bit, you're cutting off their feet." -- Matt</i>

<p><p>

Nah, the real photographer would have taken a photo of the family members' feet. Just go to the W/NW threads in the "L" forum and see for yourself.

[tonmestrom]

"What do you personally believe makes a photographer?"

 

a certain amount of talent, creativity, passion and whatever superlative that you want to use but most of all hard work and perseverance.

[keith selmes]

I never decided to be a photographer, I just one day felt it had gone far enough that I should own up to it.<BR>

Thinking this through, as a late teenager with an instamatic, I was visually curious about the view through the

viewfinder, the way the sunlight fell etc.<BR>

I used to get told to stop messing about and wasting film though, it appears I wasn't taking the right sort of

photos.<BR>

It doesn't seem surprising if some children take good photos with basic cameras at an early age - anybody can be

good at something, be it drawing or sums or running or taking photos. I've known people with real untaught

aptitude for other things , so why not photography ? But I wouldn't call such a child a photographer unless they

stuck to it and produced a regular set of work.<BR><BR>Much later in life I learned a lot more about camera work,

the art and the technology, so it could be said as a teenager I was a latent photographer, and developed later

when time and money were available. Also importantly, I had more background in other things, and had learned how

to learn<BR>

But there is a photograph of my grandfather by the back door of our old house, just head and shoulders, where the

expression and the sunlight have come just right. I don't remember it, but I'm told we had all returned from

somewhere, and I insisted on taking that photo, and holding everybody up, and causing some annoyance in the

process.<BR>

I think thats probably what makes a photographer, and I suppose I'm saying its seeing the picture and the light,

and absolutely having to stop everything and take it is what counts, more than all the technical knowledge, and

more than any art education.<BR>

Its funny, I found that old photo and admired it, having completely forgotten it was young me who took it, and

the fuss caused, messing about with the camera.<BR>

[pnital]

Kira

I think curiosity first , searching the camera mysteries, how it works, starting from scratch and developing with hard work. Then, passion for the medium , learn some at least, the history of the arts and photography, and skills and creativity are a part of the deal...;-))

 

Each individual has probably his priorities and definitions.

[sandysocks]

I like Les' second suggestion. The answer is, "post processing skills". If you have the chops and the software, you can make almost anything out of a sow's ear.

[tonmestrom]

"If you have the chops and the software, you can make almost anything out of a sow's ear"

 

you couldn't be farther off and if you don't understand that you probably never will.

[katherinemichael]

Every day, all day I look around the part of the world that surrounds me and my eyes see a series of photo compositions. It's like my life is a set of photographs waiting to be taken. That's just me.

 

I think Victor nailed it, plain and simple.

 

TM, if you want to do a disp. camera thing count me in. I love stuff like that.

 

Katherine

[chris_waller]

A photographer is always asking himself or herself: 'What do I want to photograph?, Why?, What do I want to say about it? How will I say it?'

[wingphotography]

"I never decided to be a photographer, I just one day felt it had gone far enough that I should own up to it." I LOVE that statement..lol SO true for me too!

[nickjeftic]

What makes a photographer? Curiosity about life and + any device that will capture light on film / pixel.

[neilvanderwolf]

1. An Eyeball

2. A Camera

3. A Brain

[k_k31]

...4. A heart and sensibility to what surrounds you.