"Is Photography Art?"

I wonder like many photographers if the pictures I take are classed as art or just "snaps" We have the masters of photography, ie Ansel Adams, Bernice Abbott, and Bresson plus Bailey, and Hockney but is their work classed as art in the same way that paintings are ?

Your pictures are probably snaps unless you have developed a unique distinctive style. Have a look through the people on here and see if you can spot their images without looking at the names? Not that many are distinctive or unique. (I don't mean the subject matter either as that's often a dead giveaway).

Look at last week's lines comp. There are many good images, a few that have artistic merit and stylistically it is difficult to spot who took what. A bunch of snappers.

The great photographers are most definitely artists. You can spot their styles a mile off even if you haven't seen the attributed image before.

The money says so too.
http://www.theartwolf.com/articles/10-most-expensive-photographs.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_photographs

I see that Hockney now paints on his iPhone and iPad. Still art, just a different medium.

There are a few photographers who are artists, but there are a heck of a lot more who aren't .

Ansel Adams was one photographer who, after taking his photo of say, Yosemite National Park, then spent ages in the dark room manipulating it to how he wanted the final result.

And a lot of painters who are not too.

If people were to choose to call my work "Art" and give me lotz of money... I ain't gonna argue and tell them it's "Frank" or "Joe" or "Bill"... tell you that fer sure.



call it whatever the heck they wanna call it... jus gimme the money.

Doesn'tmatter how you do it. Video, film, photograms, pinholes etc etc

Crewdson doesn't even touch the camera, he directs his photographer and creates grand compositions.

The Genius of Photography is a really interesting documentary series from a few years ago, 3ish. Available on DVD (£12) and an accompanying book (£13). It is a really good insight into photography as art leaving the technical nitty gritty aside.

Ilike this!

No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.
Ansel Adams

The beholders decide if it's art or not, there is no clear rule what is and what isn't.

Puma, got it, spot on!

If anyone does something, take a photo, write a poem, write or sing a song...

If, no, when they share something of themselves in a thoughtful way with others, or offer it to others, then they are artists & it's Art.

Everyone's an artist.

Coker.

yes it is an Art and a very good one

Yes, photography (by some people) can be art.

PS Great answer by Doug

A few people I follow on Flickr have a distinct style and, as you say, I can tell from the image within seconds who took it, however ...

I do not believe that having a distinct style makes you more the artist than someone who does not have a distinct style but takes great images. Certain subjects I have shot have to be classed as art - smoke art and light trails as two examples.
My other love is cars, I am told that I am not allowed to call a car art as it was made with a purpose, art has no other purpose or function other than being art itself

The photo that won £12k in the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize certainly isn't Art (IMHO)

If this were a decent photograph I would be very annoyed in the way
the BBC think they can just chop it up any old how

Good shout, what is that all about ?