Is Photography Art?

Is Photography Art? If so how is so?

The above question is almost a rhetorical one for one special reason - you cannot muster up facts to support your claim. In other words there are no facts available at any level to answer the question. The sad point here is that it lies in the hands of opinion and opinion at any level is folly.

As an artist and a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago I have the proper credentials to speak on this topic. It is my conviction that photography is not art but does require artistic assistance in delivery. The main reason that I say this is do to the fact that a mechanical object (or electronic digital device) is the agent of photographic depiction not the human at any level. For anything to be a work of art it has to come from a human being.

Rather than view photographs as works of art it is more prudent to view photographs taken by an artist! For it is the artist that has that special mind or "eye" for that which is artistic, much in the same manner as a musician has and understanding and sensitivity to that which is musical.

The artist possesses the acumen to create wonderful images through these mechanical objects. To pose the question "is a photographer and artist?" is folly for the question obviously bespeaks the answer! A photographer is a photographer not an artist.

Stephen F. Condren - Artist