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Posted by: Owen Phairis (66.215.36.195) on June 01, 2003 at 10:51:31

Location: Las Vegas

In Reply to: Stop knocking snapshots! posted by Darren Stehr on May 31, 2003 at 19:23:37:

: I had some stuff in a juried show once and the juror said something that has stuck with me. Those snaps you guys are bashing are some the most valuable photographs in the world. First, there are usually only one or two copies in existence. Second they hold greater importance to the owner than any photograph a great photographer has taken. Yes, there are many arguments that can be made about the relative nature of his statement as there are arguments to support it.

: I think it is very dangerous to travel down a road where we have to classify each type of photography genre. This simply 'ghettotizes' certain types of photography making photography on the whole vunerable to censure. Of course there types of photography that are very vile that do require censor and punishment, kidde porn being a prime example.

: Darren

Ok.... I resisted long enough.

Snapshots... a photographic record of a particular time, place, person, or thing without regard to lighting, composition or prethought to the end result. I say this because, once you start thinking of what the final picture is going to look like, and start controlling the composition you become a photographer rather than a snapshooter.

Can a photographer be a snapshooter? I'm not so sure...
If you were to take away the oil and canvas from Rembrant and hand him a ten cent crayon and a piece of writing paper his work would still be considered by most a masterpiece. Couldn't the same true for Photographers? Don't show me photographs of Yosemitte, the most beautiful place in the world, by a professional photographer and then try to pass them off as simply little vacation snapshots.

Do snapshots have value? YOU BET! I remember seeing a snapshot on the cover of Time magazine. It was taken in San Diego of a PSA 727 jet airliner after a midair, nose down just before impact. A snapshot that will remain with me the rest of my life. Snapshots today are valued much more highly than artistic photographs. Find a reclusive celebrity in an awkard situation and sell it to the tabloids, they sell for much more than any Adams print. If you only had the shot of O.J. with the gloves and knife, what would that be worth?

Do snapshots win at Salons? YOU BET! I've seen it happen. A lucky opertunist at the right place at the right time. Nature on occasion does spectacular things and if you are there to take the snapshot you too can win prizes and money. But lets not call it fine Art, lets recognize it for what it is.

You say you don't like to classify, well guess what? Music, paintings, sculpture, and all other forms of Art are classified. They have to be, so we can all talk on common grounds. Just as all famous photographs, paintings, and musical compositions are TITLED, so we can all know what we are talking about. Imagine all of Adam's prints being untitled, try talking about one of his Yosemitte prints and see how much confusion there would be. Why would photography be the one art form not to be classified?

Most likely, I think, all photographers started out as snapshooters but became quickly dissatisfied with their work. They wanted more. They studied, worked at their craft and after much dillegence, we became photographers. Raise the bar, take those family snapshots, and put them in that family album and then store them on that top shelf of the closet, but please don't call them ART!

Thanks,
Owen

Follow Ups:

• Re: Stop knocking snapshots! - Darren Stehr 13:54:20 06/01/03 (2)
  • Re: Stop knocking snapshots! - Owen Phairis 16:32:08 06/01/03 (1)
    • A subset of "disturbance" - Michael McGowan 17:35:39 06/01/03 (0)

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: : I had some stuff in a juried show once and the juror said something that has stuck with me. Those snaps you guys are bashing are some the most valuable photographs in the world. First, there are usually only one or two copies in existence. Second they hold greater importance to the owner than any photograph a great photographer has taken. Yes, there are many arguments that can be made about the relative nature of his statement as there are arguments to support it. 

: : I think it is very dangerous to travel down a road where we have to classify each type of photography genre. This simply 'ghettotizes' certain types of photography making photography on the whole vunerable to censure. Of course there types of photography that are very vile that do require censor and punishment, kidde porn being a prime example.

: : Darren 

: Ok.... I resisted long enough.

: Snapshots... a photographic record of a particular time, place, person, or thing without regard to lighting, composition or prethought to the end result. I say this because, once you start thinking of what the final picture is going to look like, and start controlling the composition you become a photographer rather than a snapshooter.

: Can a photographer be a snapshooter? I'm not so sure...
: If you were to take away the oil and canvas from Rembrant and hand him a ten cent crayon and a piece of writing paper his work would still be considered by most a masterpiece. Couldn't the same true for Photographers? Don't show me photographs of Yosemitte, the most beautiful place in the world, by a  professional photographer and then try to pass them off as simply little vacation snapshots.

: Do snapshots have value? YOU BET! I remember seeing a snapshot on the cover of Time magazine. It was taken in San Diego of a PSA 727 jet airliner after a midair, nose down just before impact. A snapshot that will remain with me the rest of my life. Snapshots today are valued much more highly than artistic photographs. Find a reclusive celebrity in an awkard situation and sell it to the tabloids, they sell for much more than any Adams print. If you only had the shot of O.J. with the gloves and knife, what would that be worth? 

: Do snapshots win at Salons?  YOU BET!  I've seen it happen. A lucky opertunist at the right place at the right time. Nature on occasion does spectacular things and if you are there to take the snapshot you too can win prizes and money. But lets not call it fine Art, lets recognize it for what it is.

: You say you don't like to classify, well guess what? Music, paintings, sculpture, and all other forms of Art are classified. They have to be, so we can all talk on common grounds. Just as all famous photographs, paintings, and musical compositions are TITLED, so we can all know what we are talking about. Imagine all of Adam's prints being untitled, try talking about one of his Yosemitte prints and see how much confusion there would be. Why would photography be the one art form not to be classified?

: Most likely, I think, all photographers started out as snapshooters but became quickly dissatisfied with their work. They wanted more. They studied, worked at their craft and after much dillegence, we became photographers. Raise the bar, take those family snapshots, and put them in that family album and then store them on that top shelf of the closet, but please don't call them ART!

: Thanks,
: Owen


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