Backlit portraits with flare

[accystan]

Hi Richard:

I do hear what you say...... but...... if you feel that photography is, at least in part, an art form then distorting, twisting or otherwise perverting the image is part of it. Pushing the barrier as it were.

Photography is different for everyone. For some it’s capturing exactly what they see or perceive. For some it’s distorting, emphasizing, minimizing etc. the subject. For others it’s ‘Photoshopping’ or some other sort of post-processing etc.

I agree with Robin. I believe that a photographer can be anything from craftsman to artist; and is often a combination of both. The ‘craft’ bit is where you use your camera skills to produce the most perfectly exposed, perfectly composed etc. pic. that you can. The ‘artist’ bit is where you ignore the rules and experiment outside of the box. For me the tougher of the two is the artistic or creative bit and I respect those that are bold enough to try it.

Cheers, Dave D

[Colin Southern]

I do hear what you say...... but...... if you feel that photography is, at least in part, an art form then distorting, twisting or otherwise perverting the image is part of it. Pushing the barrier as it were.

Hi Dave,

I have a saying that goes like this: "It's OK to break the rules - so long as the image 'works'. If one breaks the rules and the image DOESN'T work then ... one should have followed the rules!".

IMO intentional flare is one of these "rule breakers" - some manage it achieve it ... and it works, but many try it and it doesn't work. Personally, I'm not a subscriber to the theory that it's OK to present cr^p so long as it's called "art", but that's just my opinion. I'm reminded of someone who entered a local art competition by throwing the packaging used by other artists into a big heap ... they won. There's something very wrong when that happens. IMO in that's not art ... it's just cr^p.

[Designer]

Colin, yes, I've seen plenty of that as well.

speaking of "rules", IMO, one needs to be aware of the rule, and understand why it is a rule before "breaking" it. Furthermore, there is usually some skill involved in breaking a rule with finesse. Also, the artist should have a reason to break the rule other than simply that he's rebelious.

[Colin Southern]

Colin, yes, I've seen plenty of that as well.

speaking of "rules", IMO, one needs to be aware of the rule, and understand why it is a rule before "breaking" it. Furthermore, there is usually some skill involved in breaking a rule with finesse. Also, the artist should have a reason to break the rule other than simply that he's rebelious.

2 of the first rules of photography ...

- Always shoot with the sun to your back

- Don't centre everything

... yeah right