I have met Gareth Dent, the CEO of the OCA, on a number of OCA study days.
We discussed the photography course with Gareth saying that the modules aimed to take the student beyond technical considerations to consider photography as an art.
I don't doubt this approach for a moment yet feel that photography is going too far in the direction of art which allows people to use the medium because it is seen as an easy form of expression. To actually convey one's vision through photography is however not easy since one can not rely completely on the obvious attractiveness of the medium. I mention Steve Edwards from the Open University whose book A Very Short Introduction to Photography considers the photograph as both art and document.
Studying the character of great photographs is part of the art of photography approach.
Sometimes photography, particularly modern photography which no longer tries to use artistic conventions, can be depressing and it is the body of the work that needs considering rather than individual images.
One needs to be aware of entrenched attitudes within the medium of photography particularly one's own.
We discussed the photography course with Gareth saying that the modules aimed to take the student beyond technical considerations to consider photography as an art.
I don't doubt this approach for a moment yet feel that photography is going too far in the direction of art which allows people to use the medium because it is seen as an easy form of expression. To actually convey one's vision through photography is however not easy since one can not rely completely on the obvious attractiveness of the medium. I mention Steve Edwards from the Open University whose book A Very Short Introduction to Photography considers the photograph as both art and document.
Studying the character of great photographs is part of the art of photography approach.
Sometimes photography, particularly modern photography which no longer tries to use artistic conventions, can be depressing and it is the body of the work that needs considering rather than individual images.
One needs to be aware of entrenched attitudes within the medium of photography particularly one's own.
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