Photography vs. Art

I've been reading over at Ken Rockwell's spot reading his world renown advice "Your Camera has Nothing to do with it." I've read it before but this time it made me start thinking, I've been doing a lot of photography, but I haven't really been doing my passion of photographic art, well yes and no. I have taken a million cliche pictures. Sunsets and pictures of buildings that most anyone can take. However reading this article again made me think that there is a difference between photography and art. I will show you some examples of what I'm talking about from my collection. I suppose in the end it is all about the perspective of the viewer for some they may view it as a picture and for others they may view it as art. I can only distinguish what I think is Art from what I think is Photography. I have decided to start selling some of my photos while I am here so that I can get in the practice of what is done. I do however often fall into the pit of all of my images not being good enough. So I will share some images and you can tell me what you think is it Art or just Photography?

This is my favorite picture of Mina, but I would consider this Art because it is a picture that captures you and you have to look at it. I love this picture.



I have one of each of my daughters that I love, this is Niama on the same day I would also consider this one myself to be art even though she has a runny nose.

This last one is of Sabira it has been photoshoped but I love the way that it came out. I suppose that the difference between Photography and Art is how it grips you so that you have to keep looking at it and studying it. Those shots are hard to find a lot of times.

I love candids more than anything like this next shot of me leaving I would call photography.



And this one with me and the falcon I would call photography also.

This one is a great picture of a minaret of the Grand Mosque but I would also call it Photography cause I can't see someone using it as a screensaver or placed on their desk at work or anything like that unless this particular minaret held a specific emotional value.

This burned out Dhow I would also consider photography because it doesn't jump out and grab you and there aren't any reflective properties to it.



This sunrise I'm not so sure. It has qualities of tranquility and reflection.

This one taken the same day I would lend more to the Artsy side.

This one I struggled to get but still to me it just screams photography.



This one I would call Art, but it is debatable.

This however is definitely Photography.

This one I would lend closer to art.



These cats were fighting and they were interrupted by my shutter flash allowing the black and white one to escape. I would consider this one to be art.

These are all of the pictures that I am sharing today. I have to start going through my Bahrain pictures so that I can see which ones are worth producing and trying to get them sold. This means I'm going to have to start farting around in Photoshop which has a massive learning curve but once you master it you can literally write your own resume into any job dealing with photography.