Can every shot be taken artistically?

AndreaBFS wrote in post #5340035
Do you find that there are certain shots that will just always be snapshots no matter how much you want to capture them with great composition?

Yes - sometimes the subject matter better fits into the snapshot genre. The shot of your child sleeping is a good example. While we all want to be artistic, don't forget photography is about capturing the moment.

AndreaBFS wrote in post #5340035
There are some people who seem to be able to take ordinary things and make them spectacular. I have a friend who can take a picture of some normal household scene and get 50 flickr comments. She just has something special.

Like many others have posted, some are born with the "gift", others have to work at it. That doesn't make those born with the talent any better than those not. Develop your own vision and style.

I wouldn't put much stock or faith in the comments received on Flickr. You don't know the background of those leaving the comments - they could be photography peers or just the average internet user. It's the internet, nothing more.

Remember, photography is capturing the moment along with displaying your vision and style. What works for your friend may not work for you and vice-versa.

Good luck.

Comments from a left brain (one without creativity), neophyte, picture taker.

Use those snapshots to learn your technical skills; shutter speeds, exposure, depth of field, histogram, and a myriad of other things.

Practice, it's free.

Peruse various "artsy" websites to view composition styles. Learn to use "rule of thirds", golden ratios and other "correct" styles.

Practice some more.

Study, not read, study the Stickies at the top of this and other pages.

Some of your images might not be that bad. Get to be friends with a post processing program ( I'm a fan of Photoshop Elements or CS3, they have a RAW workflow).

Relax, it's a hobby, have fun.

And lastly, practice some more.

The flickr comment was just to demonstrate that her photos are really great. That's why hundreds of people have her on their contact lists. It's not flickr comments I'm after. I'm not upset that she gets comments, her work is just that great and she deserves them. I was just trying to make a point about her ability to take a picture of her kid at Starbuck's and it ends up looking like something that should be on a portrait studio wall.

I have that particular shot above from all kinds of angles and with less of her body. They are all snapshots. Yes, I shoot RAW. I just don't see anything in the photo that can be made into anything more than it is. Cropping and processing just can't save it. That was why I posed the question.

Thanks to those who answered with your own experience, which is what I was after. I guess I just have a hard time getting the point of my posts across. I wasn't really after a critique of that shot, I am actually certain that it's a snapshot and nothing more. It was simply the shot that made me start wondering if it's the photographer or the scene that makes the photo... I'm learning that it needs to be a mix of both.

chauncey wrote in post #5342107
Comments from a left brain (one without creativity), neophyte, picture taker.

Use those snapshots to learn your technical skills; shutter speeds, exposure, depth of field, histogram, and a myriad of other things.

Practice, it's free.

Peruse various "artsy" websites to view composition styles. Learn to use "rule of thirds", golden ratios and other "correct" styles.

Practice some more.

Study, not read, study the Stickies at the top of this and other pages.

Some of your images might not be that bad. Get to be friends with a post processing program ( I'm a fan of Photoshop Elements or CS3, they have a RAW workflow).

Relax, it's a hobby, have fun.

And lastly, practice some more.

I just have to address this because it kind of stings. Honestly. Ouch?? What's this about? I really, really don't remember saying that I think all my images suck and they're all "that bad" -- yikes! Are you trying to tell me something about my work?

I am actually quite proud of a lot of my images. I've even just had a few of them accepted into a stock agency (not microstock!). I'm a 14 year veteran of Photoshop. I've been engrossed in images and imagery as a profession for many years, though not as a photographer. I know the rules and break them when necessary.

I just had a specific question about a certain situation. I wasn't getting ready to sell my gear and give up because I suck. :::shrug::::

You gave me the impression that you were new at this and just trying to find your way in photography. If I offended you, I can only offer my apologies.

But in my own defense what, pray tell, offended you to the degree that called for your reaction to my comments, and how was I to know that you were so gifted a photographer?

I musta missed something.

Yes, generally it is the photographer and not the subject that determines the artistic qualities of a photo.

To make art needs passion. Find your passion, art will follow.

Again, I didn't say I was a gifted photographer. I just never said that all of my photos sucked or that I was upset or about to give up. I asked a specific question about making ordinary household scenes less snapshotty. That's all.

Andrea, I just had to post a reply. I took your post at face value, and I think you are absolutely correct in saying that some shots are extremely difficult to be anything but a snapshot.

The frustration that I think I hear from you, is the very same frustration, that has driven me personally for 30 or more years, to try to improve photographly.

I have alway thought that I personally have no talent, but have tried in every way possible to analyze others work and even paintings, in order to gain some insight into this matter. Keep on working at it, and congrats on the stock shots.

Best wishes, Don

Not sure if chauncey meant anything bad by his post. He was being helpful and you are probably reading too much between the lines.

Your original post did sound a lot more "desperate" than what you are saying now however...

AndreaBFS wrote in post #5343528
Again, I didn't say I was a gifted photographer. I just never said that all of my photos sucked or that I was upset or about to give up. I asked a specific question about making ordinary household scenes less snapshotty. That's all.

I really like the capture to be honest and wouldnt class it as a snapshot, snapshots are what I get 80% of the time which is ok it just makes me try harder..

Hope you dont mind but I thought I would have a play for a bit of practise as I am a complete noob with PS.

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

Roly,

I was thinking of greyscale as well!

As far as the photo as a whole, Roly started in the direction I was thinking: get rid of the background stuff! The dark spot by the head, but also the door, could go! You could even do a portait crop of the head, shoulders, and the Charmin, B&W, maybe some vignetting, and you'd have a cute shot to hang on your wall.

I think one big reason why shots around the house look like snapshots is because the home is filled with stuff that makes it home, but in a picture just clutters the scene. If I'm trying to do serious photography indoors, and I'm not talking art but just something that doesn't come out messy, I have to think carefully about the background and the foreground. But, in this case, you were stuck with the scene you had. Using Photoshop to creatively "unmess" the background could really start you with a shot that has some real strength!

Just my opinion, but cropping so just the head is shown would be a mistake. I think her whole body position is what really tells the story.

Desperate? Wow. No idea how you got desperate out of the OP. I said that inside my house, I don't have good settings for artistic composition of photos and that I was starting to wonder if there are certain specific photos that will never be more than snapshots. Based on the content of this thread, I'd say I'm right. Not every shot can be something special you'll hang on your wall. Again, thank you to those who shared their own experiences and answered the question in my post.

Talk about reading into things. It seems like every time I post something like this, just trying to get a good conversation going about something photography-related (this is "Talk about Photography"), I get smacked down with a bunch of personal responses and just a very few who actually read the post and answer the questions actually in it.

In case you're still wondering what the question was, it wasn't, "Help! All my photos suck and they're all just snapshots. I don't think I have any talent, what can I do? I'm about to give up! I don't know Photoshop or how to use my camera properly!" It was:

Do you find that there are certain shots that will just always be snapshots no matter how much you want to capture them with great composition?

There were NO other questions in my OP. Really. There weren't. The rest of the post was my answer to the question. I'm getting that this forum is not the place to "Talk about Photography" at all. Maybe if I put "1Ds MkIII" in my sig, everyone will back off. After all, the cost of the camera indicates the skill and commitment level of the photographer.

AndreaBFS wrote in post #5351114
There were NO other questions in my OP. Really. There weren't. The rest of the post was my answer to the question. I'm getting that this forum is not the place to "Talk about Photography" at all. Maybe if I put "1Ds MkIII" in my sig, everyone will back off. After all, the cost of the camera indicates the skill and commitment level of the photographer.

Outstanding response to constructive criticism

As stated by my only other post in this thread, yes art can be created from nothing. The entire concept of art is for the most part subjective and thus really means nothing or everything depending on your take on it.

Your posts may not have initially been desperate however they sure have deteriorated into defensive.

You and I will just have to COMPLETELY disagree on what "constructive" means. We'll also have to disagree on whether I even *asked* for any criticism, constructive or not. I didn't.