Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/12/18

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Subject: [Leica] What makes a great photograph?
From: daniel at dlridings.se (Daniel Ridings)
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2010 08:18:50 +0100
References: <AANLkTikvi0n2jmp1YGWLvyO2twt2s+nGsuWEYPPTk-+x@mail.gmail.com> <AANLkTim-4pWiDm1=mbjPoKGTceeymuhs=HzQ=hfdKV6n@mail.gmail.com> <AANLkTinXhKmrpRJSKCNqW4QS7cmN4NjPhGsxResES3u6@mail.gmail.com> <0310419D-DFC6-460A-B34C-34905C9CD482@usjet.net> <DA3F87D2-C6C1-4014-BAAA-898854941697@mac.com>

Keep it up, George!

Good candidates for Lightroom tagging ...

Daniel

On Sat, Dec 18, 2010 at 9:29 PM, George Lottermoser <imagist3 at mac.com> 
wrote:
> It seems to me that photography falls into the following genres:
>
> Documentary:
> ? ? ? ?Events
> ? ? ? ?News
> ? ? ? ?Sports
> ? ? ? ?Travel
> ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Landscapes
> ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Cityscapes
> ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Street life
> Portraiture (individuals and/or groups):
> ? ? ? ?Formal
> ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Studio
> ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Environmental
> ? ? ? ?Candid (generally also environmental)
> Fine Art:
> ? ? ? ?Conceptual
> ? ? ? ?Experimental
> Artsy:
> ? ? ? ?HDR, iPhonography, and other special effects
> Scientific:
> ? ? ? ?Astronomical
> ? ? ? ?Macro
> ? ? ? ?Micro (including electron microscopy)
> ? ? ? ?Heat, IR, UV, etc.
> Illustration:
> ? ? ? ?Opinion / Editorial
> ? ? ? ?Fictional narrative
> ? ? ? ?Advertising:
> ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Fashion
> ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Product
> Archival:
> ? ? ? ?Family Snapshots
> ? ? ? ?Museum Catalogs
> ? ? ? ?Archeological records
> ? ? ? ?Etc.
>
> I may be overlooking a genre or three; and invite suggestions.
> Within each genre the history of photography has high-water marks; 
> examples of greatness.
> And each of these genres can of course overlap.
> An advertising concept, portrait, document or scientific image can reach 
> for and achieve Art.
> A documentary image may reach for and achieve op-ed, humor, irony, etc.
>
> As we consider photographs within the various genres
> we can compare our, and other's, work with the high-water marks
> and evaluate on the basis of:
>
> Socially
> ? ? ? ?extremely important
> ? ? ? ?important
> ? ? ? ?neutral
> ? ? ? ?unimportant
> Historically
> ? ? ? ?extremely important
> ? ? ? ?important
> ? ? ? ?neutral
> ? ? ? ?unimportant
> Aesthetically
> ? ? ? ?gorgeous
> ? ? ? ?beautiful
> ? ? ? ?pleasing
> ? ? ? ?bland
> ? ? ? ?weak
> Emotionally
> ? ? ? ?extremely moving
> ? ? ? ?moving
> ? ? ? ?inert
> Conceptually
> ? ? ? ?profound
> ? ? ? ?outstanding
> ? ? ? ?fresh
> ? ? ? ?derivative
> ? ? ? ?weak
> Technically
> ? ? ? ?superb
> ? ? ? ?well done
> ? ? ? ?adequate
> ? ? ? ?weak
>
> So
> I may think of Howard's recently posted "Vancouver sunrise pano" as a 
> travel, cityscape, document;
> historically important, aesthetically beautiful, conceptually derivative 
> and technically superb.
> or
> Ric's body of work documenting local street life
> as socially and historically important, aesthetically beautiful, 
> conceptually fresh and technically well done.
> or
> his musical performance archives as socially and historically extremely 
> important
> aesthetically pleasing, conceptually derivative, and technically adequate.
>
> Regards,
> George Lottermoser
> george at imagist.com
> http://www.imagist.com
> http://www.imagist.com/blog
> http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>


In reply to: Message from lrzeitlin at gmail.com (Lawrence Zeitlin) ([Leica] What makes a great photograph?)
Message from sonc.hegr at gmail.com (Sonny Carter) ([Leica] What makes a great photograph?)
Message from daniel at dlridings.se (Daniel Ridings) ([Leica] What makes a great photograph?)
Message from robertmeier at usjet.net (Robert Meier) ([Leica] What makes a great photograph?)
Message from imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser) ([Leica] What makes a great photograph?)