Is photography an art? Are photographers artist?


While there are similarities since creativity and art comes from the right side of the brain, there are subtle differences between a photographer and an artist.  Many would think that a photographer is also an artist - the end results are the same.  A photographer has a pre-visualized image in his imagination and uses a camera and photographic skills to record that imagination onto a 35 mm or larger camera sensor.  An artist has also a pre-visualized imagination and uses brushes, colours, pastels and oils to record that imagination onto a blank canvass.  While the end result is the same, the processes to achieve the end results are not the same.


An artist creates their masterpiece by additions - landscape elements, trees, the flow of water and lighting are added onto a blank canvass to create the final output.  A photographer creates their masterpiece by subtractions - subjects, branches jutting out from corners, rubbish and landscape imperfections are subtracted from a chaotic scene to achieve compositional balancing in the final output.


Over the years, I have received many collaboration and exhibition opportunities from various gallery owners locally and internationally.  I have even received an offer to exhibit some of my images in an art gallery in Italy.  However, I found out that most of these galleries specializes in art exhibitions - the water colour and painting types of artwork.  I had felt that my photographic works somehow do not fit into these type of artistic categories.  Most of the time I had to turn down these offers, no matter how exciting it may seem at that time.  The only photography exhibition offer that I had taken up was the KL Guerilla Photography Exhibition at Avenue K and Klickr's My Neighbourhood Exhibition at Capsquare some years back.  I want to be known strictly as a photographer, not as an artist.  Although I did a lot of drawing and painting during my school days, I have no interest at all to dabble with brushes, pastels and oils once again. 


In case I am pilloried by this posting, I am not talking about fine art photography as I do not categorize my works as fine art.


Image 1: The 12 megapixel EOS 5D / Lens EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM


Image 2: EOS 5D Mk II / Lens EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM