Lens Nation

This is all well and good, but can they truly fit in the category of "Artist"? Perhaps the test of a Photographic Artist is the way we interpret what we see or at least perceive what we think we see. We all observe differently and feel differently about things. Our true artistry then comes into play when we view life through our very own lens. The lens that shows the subtle nuances of our individual life experiences, whether good, bad or indifferent, on any particular subject. And once the shutter is clicked or pressed for an electronic "capture", our creativity is just beginning. I am always amazed when I hear or read a quote from a photographer who specifically points out that they have changed nothing in their photo, that is, no Photoshop, no photo editing whatsoever. Why should I be impressed? This is a good rule to follow for photojournalists who want to maintain the integrity of their news story, but for artists, we are still obligated to maintain our creativity all the way through to the final completion. Even Ansel Adams, probably the most well known of 20th Century photographers, used filters on his large format camera lenses and created scenes which if "documented" as is, would never, ever appear in reality the way his photos appeared in their final print.

Many years ago when displaying one of my pencil drawings, someone asked me how long it took to complete. I could almost hear their brain calculating the per hour rate of my modest artistry. Instead, I told him it took my entire life. The same is true with anything we create, whether an oil painting or a black & white photograph. We all choose directly or indirectly what we want to include or exclude from our artwork. The final version is almost always based on who we are and where we are at any given time. Any less of an effort is something an ordinary security camera at a Seven-Eleven store does, that is, shoot indiscriminately at anything or anyone at any given time. Aren't we much more than this? I maintain that we are and what's more we owe it to ourselves and to our buying public.