UlfSpuhl
Hello fellow analogue photography enthusiasts,
Perhaps someone here has some thoughts on my idea of undertaking a distance-learning course in artistic photography at an art school to gain a qualification. I have long wanted to pursue formal, institutional training in photography. As there are no schools offering this here in the region, distance learning is a compromise. It takes three years, costs money and takes up a lot of time. The advantage is that it allows for specialised study without having to give up my day job or leave the area. The focus on artistic work in the spirit of the Bauhaus Dessau is particularly noteworthy. This is an important difference from the many other distance learning photography courses that are usually on offer. Does anyone have any thoughts or comments to share on this?
Regards, fluuu
UlfSpuhl
...hasn’t anyone thought to comment on further training in artistic photography yet?
Doesn’t anyone reading this have any real ambitions and want to develop their skills in analogue photography, or are there only technicians and collectors here who are solely concerned with the equipment itself? I see photography first and foremost as a process of image creation. For me, the creative act of making images is the main focus. Of course, self-teaching is one way to learn, but direct institutional interaction with a teacher brings with it a whole different set of challenges.
I’ve now started my course; the first semester covers the theory of composition in the visual arts. It forms the basis for any kind of visual composition – a very exciting and demanding pursuit, as the aim is to find the optimal form of composition... something every image should possess, whether it be a painting, drawing, print or photograph.
Is there no one who has even the slightest artistic ambition when it comes to taking photographs?
Regards, fluuu
Wolf_XL
...and what other drugs do you take? ;-)
UlfSpuhl
Hello Wolf_XL,
From your question, I gather that, for you, this artistic field is a castle with a thousand gates that you will never be granted the chance to breach in your lifetime.
Otherwise, you would know that creative work in life, artistic processes and creative endeavours are the all-encompassing drug one needs to find happiness in life. At least, that’s how it is for me.
The challenge of art school is the ultimate life-drug, one of many...
I can’t see any drug in the exhaustive study of technique; it lacks the kick for the consciousness, the result, the stimulation of the mind and spirit...
Regards, fluuu
Wolf_XL
"...from your question, I gather that, for you, this artistic realm is a castle with a thousand locks, which you will never be granted the chance to unlock in your lifetime."
...and from your answer, I gather that you see art merely as a well-secured object that can be unlocked with a 'purchased' key... Probably still following the motto: the more cash, the more art... Unfortunately, that’s not the case... Art is like love – you can’t buy it – at best, a similar feeling... Some go to a brothel and others get talked into a ‘distance learning course in art’... Ultimately, both are merely being sold an illusion...
Seriously though – do you know any artist who’s acquired their art through a distance learning course??? I don’t...
Have a think about what you actually want... And above all, put your own definition of art to the test! For you, it might be the ‘blue flower’ of Romanticism – for others, it’s merely a business...
Hoddy
.
Is there no one here who has even the slightest artistic ambition when taking photos?
[color="#3366FF"]I have artistic ambitions with every shot I take; otherwise, I’d be nothing more than a security camera.
But I don’t need a teacher for these ambitions. At most, they can show me that the horizon shouldn’t be in the centre of the frame, and even that isn’t always right.
Regards, Waldo[/colo
UlfSpuhl
... not another pointless debate with hollow arguments; it leads nowhere, so I’m not going to bother...
Better to learn through distance learning than to think you know it all, reeking of pathetic pettiness and stupidity from every pore and constantly having to hide behind a mask.
It’s a bit like a poet or lyricist having a conversation with a bank clerk or a slaughterhouse worker. It’s pointless... or rather, it requires targeted psychological treatment and therapy to even begin to make sense of it...
Regards, fluuu
Wolf_XL
...oh come on, don't be like that – give me a go of that stuff you're smoking... Maybe then I'll reach the heights of bliss...
*rofl*
enbe
Hello everyone,
What is artistic photography? Are there any rules of composition, and when is it acceptable to break them? Colour or black and white? And what about the clichés (red sofa, blue umbrella)? When is a photo a historical document and when is it art? How do you draw the line between the nude and eroticism/pornography? When are we talking about art and when about kitsch? Turning the banal into art, or trivialising art? I’m going mad!!
The technical side of photography needs to be mastered; super-automatic modes have their limits; mass-producing images – made possible by digital cameras – doesn’t improve quality?! Analogue versus digital! MF versus AF! Processing it yourself versus a specialist lab! Correct exposure and sharpness versus visual impact... or perhaps not! I can’t take it anymore!!
Perhaps a suitable “artistic” course might clear a path through the thicket described above, though it certainly cannot eliminate it. No profound wisdom is imparted there either. It is more likely that one’s own horizons will become even narrower.
Provided you have mastered the basics of photography, you should continue to develop your skills through the constructive criticism of friends and acquaintances, by visiting photography exhibitions and studying various publications. If you then also retain control of the entire process from start to finish (from ‘taking the photo’ to the finished image), you’re on the right track.
Remember: The journey is the destination!
EJG
Hello,
I happened to come across your comments on distance learning. I think it’s a good idea to
acquire theoretical knowledge in this way and put it into practice. I don’t believe creativity just falls from the sky. The basics of photography, such as framing and composition, colour theory, etc.
are essential for taking good photos. Where can one study photography as a part-time course?
Regards jgjava script:emoticon(':(', 'smid_3')
:(
enbe
Hello,
I happened to come across your comments on distance learning. I think it’s a good idea to
acquire theoretical knowledge in this way and put it into practice. I don’t believe creativity just falls from the sky. The basics of photography, such as framing and composition, colour theory, etc.
are prerequisites for taking good photos. Where can one study photography part-time?
Regards, ejgjava script:emoticon(':(', 'smid_3')
:(
Hello EJG,
A distance learning course to learn ‘artistic’ photography? To be honest, I already have issues with the terminology. Art always ‘happens’ in the mind of the viewer. That’s where it’s decided where art begins and when it hurts.
I can also acquire a knowledge of the basics of photography in an adult education centre course or through relevant literature. In my opinion, the actual creative act is the image concept, whether planned or spontaneous. The rest is craftsmanship and the ability to know the limits and possibilities of one’s “tools of the trade”. And it is precisely this ‘residue’ that is the difficult part, impossible to master without (self-)criticism and the many inspirations that literally leap out at you in our world, which is literally drowning in (good) images. Since everything has now been ‘photographed to death’, this also points the way to finding one’s own individual form of expression.
I hope that didn’t sound too stilted.
Best regards,
enbe
UlfSpuhl
Hello,
Of course, creative or artistic talent isn’t something you can learn through theory alone, but that’s not what I’m talking about anyway. I’m talking about a form of learning in life, pure and simple. This can be achieved through books from the library, through trial and error, through practical experimentation, through university studies, adult education centres to a certain extent, through work placements in companies, by consulting masters or recognised experts, and indeed through distance learning. No successful artist is ever asked about their training; to practise the profession of a visual artist, one does not need to provide proof of qualification in the form of certificates; what counts is solely the ability to create and express.
As Joseph Beuys puts it:
“Art can be learnt; a certain talent is probably a prerequisite, but diligence is part of it. Art comes from having something to say; on the one hand, you must have something to say, but on the other, you must also have the skill to say it. And then there is a sense of proportion, of mass, a sense of form, a sense of balance. Of course, this is subjective. But there is no way to make judgements outside the subject.”
So, in learning about the laws of nature, the contexts of human existence and creative insights, I always see the journey as the destination; it is the engagement with other people, with teachers, with knowledge in everyday life, that brings about a fulfilling life’s journey...
He who laughs last laughs best.
Regards, fluuu
