Response to "Criticizing Photography" by Terry Barrett

Response to Chapter 7

Theories of photography bring to light many different branches of philosophy that question the nature of photography as art. Four general branches of photography; ontology, epistemology, aesthetics, and ethics. The ontology of photography, or the nature of existence of photography, asks "what is a photograph?". Is a photograph defined by convention or how realistic or how non-conventional it is? What kind of role does intent play in the photographic process? Intent could be one full or reason or seemingly no reason at all, but there is still some conscious and many times subconscious reason that comes to play in the photographic process. The thought process of photography is crucial. Many would say that it is the thought process that defines the photograph as art and the relevancy of the meaning behind the image. A photographic image is one that is very psychological despite the intent a photograph. The psychological response in the capture of an image is one step of many to creating an image that comprises of a genuine emotional and metaphysical attitude while creating a visually stimulating response.

Regarding epistemology in photography, or the investigation of the origin of the photograph, starts to question are photographs true? Well truth on every level is a subjective spectrum which comes down to a personal belief system. However, it is not about whether or not the image is true or false but more like is the theory applied to the photographic image accepted or denied. The methods of taking photographs, in a straight deadpan style versus fabrication in the directorial mode, or the post production process of editing are various practices that some say define the integrity of one image over another. But can one photograph really be truer than the other? No. The photographer is always creating the image; key word here is “creating”. It is not a replication process but rather a means of representation through visual media. It is more relevant to try to understand what kind of theories and practices the image maker undergoes in their creating process and what kind of truth, or theory, are they trying to achieve by it, and whether or not those methods help or hurt the intended response.

Photography aesthetics, or the emotional response to an image and the sense of beauty derived from it, may seem more subjective than most other categories. But is photography art? To many people today this would seem quite a silly question for photography seems to have such a well established home in the art world, this was not always the case. Photography is an art that seems to need a lot of defending for it is one of the newest forms of fine art. Painting and drawing are classic forms of fine art that are never questioned in the way that photography is. This comes down to skill, education, and the technology and availability of tools. Not everybody can pick up a paintbrush and paint something beautiful; there is a certain amount of skill necessary. However anyone can pick up a camera take a picture, but just like painting there is a certain amount of skill necessary to take a beautiful photograph, but the depreciation of photography is rapid since the process seems so automatic. The education of the image maker and the viewer make all the difference. People who learn visual arts are more qualified to make judgments on an image than a person who hasn’t studied the art, simply because it is something they have studied. There are more references and their eye is more visually sensitive, their knowledge is more in tune with what is relative feedback to the artist.

Photography’s relation to ethics, and the system of moral principles on which it is built off of, questions whether or not photographs are moral. This becomes more of a personal pursuit, for the photographer and the viewer. The photographer may decide to go against certain generally agreed upon morals for a desired reaction in the name of their art or cause, or in many cases the photography may even go against their morals and integrity as an artist for the paycheck. Of course morals are very personal and a based on a personal system of beliefs but there are also social and cultural morals to consider which are generally agreed by a mass population to consider. The viewer or public may make moral judgments on a photographer and their work because of the subject matter or by the means in which the image was captured. And based on this judgment and the extent of the reaction (whether good or bad) the success of the image may soar or sink.