The Significance of Photography

Photography, as an artistic medium, has struggled for recognition as a viable creative art form since its inception.  The combination of changing technology, multiple printing processes and accessibility challenged the more traditional and conventional art forms. Regardless of criticism however, photography is inclusive and connective and allows the audience both a true and abstract perception of things, places or people they could not otherwise access.

Robert Doisneau is among the most affective and most expressive contemporary photographers as realized in his essay Three Seconds of Eternity in which he offers an explanation of the photograph – “The most beautiful gesture of all, and the simplest, is the spontaneous reflex with which one tries to hold on to a moment of happiness which is about to vanish. Or there is the more calculated gesture, that of seizing an image from the passage of time and brandishing it as a proof of the existence of one’s own universe.” Is this then an act of desperation or creation? What is this phenomena? What is photography? Who is the photographer?

The photographer is an observer. Photography is an invitation to storytelling. It is an instrument of knowledge, history and culture sharpening our curiosity and bringing hope of new discoveries.

We all have the capacity to view our surroundings in the terms of a photographer; with perspective, orientation, light and color. We are all photographers. We all have the ability to assign meaning and intent to our subject. We have all captured and collected images, or proof, of our personal history, moments in time of an evolving significance. Most kept randomly, disorderly pieces of nostalgia, out of context and out of sequence, each telling a unique story, each with its own meaning.

We want to encourage you to revisit your personal photographs. Review them for their artistic quality, their meaning and their dynamic nature. Study the photography of renowned photographers Robert Doisneau, Henri Silberman and Ansel Adams for perspective and comparison. We believe this will enhance your appreciation of photography as an art form and yourself as an artist.

Visit Decorate Your Life to view more popular photography.