Photography a dying yet growing art?

√v^√v^√♥ - posted on 06/13/2011

I think it will never die out as being prestigious. In fact, it may be that much more prestigious if someone actually makes it in the photography industry, seeing as you are right - everyone now has a camera and many more people want to be photographers. So if I met anyone who really had true success at it, I would probably be that much more impressed.



However, I have seen some crappy wanna be photographers, even though they have done a few weddings...... I mean really big make it big lol



Nor will it die out as an art form, even if everyone does have a camera. We are now all artists. Even if we suck :D lol

Kaleigh - posted on 06/11/2011

It is a dying art but it still exists. I know several people with top of the line professional grade equippment that can't take a decent picture to save their life yet a friend of mine using her crappy cell can snap a photo that has the ability to trigger strong emotions in people. Hell she took a picture of her daughter walking away from her beside a chainlink fence middle of fall and I dunno if it was the way the lighting was or the angle of the camera or just the way this little girl looked in the scenery but it brought tears to my eyes it was beautiful and absolutely art. Taken with a piece fo crap camera by someone who has never stepped foot in a photography class. So yeah photographers are a dime a dozen these days but true artists are still kicking around. I know how to use a paintbrush and I can buy an expensive canvas but that still doesn't make me an artist, could call myself a painter but thats as good as it will get for me.

Fiona - posted on 06/10/2011

Yup, technology is killing photography as an art. Real photographers had to think about everything from composition and subject matter to distances, light source, film type, camera capability/limitations as well as consider developing and printing processes. Now you can play with a few camera features, push a couple buttons, instantly see the result and either delete it and try again or take it home and photoshop the hell out of it til you get what you want.

Not to mention that digital photography is resulting in a decline of services available to photographers. While every second corner store now seems to offer digital printing, it is becoming next to impossible and outrageously expensive to get quality film processing, real black and white processing, slide processing and quality archive ink and paper printing done. I can see that it has made photography accessible to everyone and that is great, but quantity has come at a great cost to quality in my opinion.

What really gets me though is that the majority of professional photographers now use much the same materials and resources available to the general public and often with no quantifiable difference in ability or skill in use. Sure they have bigger, better lights, sets and props and more practice with photoshop, but really "professional quality"used to mean something unique and beautiful, not just expensive.

Tah - posted on 06/10/2011

i think maybe with all the things technology can do now it may be a dying art. i don't think it will neccessarily completely die out thoguh. People always want pics of the kids, special occassions etc.

♏*PHOENIX*♏ - posted on 06/10/2011

It is a dying art form. I think what makes a good photographer is someone who puts in the TIME/work to know all the ends and out of the photograph world.

I just got into taking pictures and it's a lot of tricks, and knowledge into taking a really good picture.
If I knew it would really be lucrative I would get into it more,(I really enjoy looking at and taking pictures, but I would still need to make some dough)