Photographs that look like paintings (lights, message, ideas, develop)

[EinsteinsGhost]

I feel that more painters have made attempts to mimic the reality in front of them than photographers who like to present the reality as they saw it. Even “Monalisa” makes for a great case here. We don’t even talk about her skin tone, or what is likely highlights due to lighting used during portraiture and the isolation or lack of. Those would be the first things post-processed by photographers. Even the Sfumato technique used appears to have been using the same lighting.

[Wild Flower]

Originally Posted by EinsteinsGhost

Sorry about that. Hence I redirected the discussion to a more appropriate thread.

Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

[Wild Flower]

Originally Posted by EinsteinsGhost

I feel that more painters have made attempts to mimic the reality in front of them than photographers who like to present the reality as they saw it. Even “Monalisa” makes for a great case here. We don’t even talk about her skin tone, or what is likely highlights due to lighting used during portraiture and the isolation or lack of. Those would be the first things post-processed by photographers. Even the Sfumato technique used appears to have been using the same lighting.

True but photographs that are hung as art, esp. in the home aren't always so critically critiqued.

BUT that is not what I wanted to talk about in this thread! I am finished with this discussion. It is no longer fun.

You have been respectful in many ways here. Thank you.

[Wild Flower]

Originally Posted by Floyd_Davidson

Well, to be honest it's been an awful long time since I used film... :-)

But, what I really want to say is that it turns out that indeed what you want to discuss is not technology, but philosophy! I think that's cool too!

I've never really thought about what makes a photo look like a painting (I can't draw or paint, and have never wanted to emulate it with photography myself). But there are any number of concepts (even technical ones, but we can avoid those) which artist who work with paint have developed that also apply to photography. Some of those are things that photographers rarely ever seem to think about or talk about... and it might be more interesting if we did!

All of my life I looked at what Pablo Picasso did, and simply didn't understand at all... until the Internet allowed me to see some specific examples of his work, and correlate those with some other philosophical concepts. And one day something went Bingo! And while I wouldn't kid anyone that I understand Picasso in the same vein that someone with a Master's of Fine Arts does, the main ideas make sense now!

The idea of course is that a picture is actually a communications media, and what we do is encode our message into the graphics. Picasso found a way to reduce the entropy in his art. That is, his method of encoding carries more information than a traditional painting does. It's also a complex and very difficult bit of encryption he does to get lower entropy! But each thing on the painting is a symbol of much more than just the obvious. The viewer fills in the blanks. (And when asked why he put an eye on someone's shoulder instead of where it should be, he suggested that he thought that eye was important (as a symbol, not necessarily as a eye) and wanted people to notice it...)

So... have you ever thought about the philosophy of reducing the entropy in a photograph as a way of making your message more terse, and thus hopefully more clear and less likely to be misunderstood by a viewer? Actually, do you take pictures in the first place with the thought of exactly what it will communicate, and how, with viewers?

I have, but I've never figured out a way to implement any technique from Picasso's work, only the philosophy itself...

This is not on topic either!

Editing to add... well, it is kind of topic but I haven't really wanted deep discussions. Maybe I am talking philosophical but really, I only wanted to play with my camera.

Best wishes everyone. I have asked this to be closed. Thanks.

[Poncho_NM]

The original topic of this thread is Photographs that look like paintings

The poster asked:

Originally Posted by Wild Flower

I'm working to create painting like photographs in the field, not on the computer. I wonder if anyone has techniques or ways they do this. I have been working with clouds and later when I can travel, clouds and mountains.

Here is one that I took not knowing it looked so artsy. What do you think? Do you tale photos, hoping to look like paintings?

Originally Posted by Wild Flower

It is not luck. Sorry. Lighting can vary from point to point. Yes, you have to have a good day for the photograph but that is with every photo.

I am talking about making the photograph artistic without using software. Not wanting to go in depth. You can do that. Just do it on another thread. Not mine. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Wild Flower

True but photographs that are hung as art, esp. in the home aren't always so critically critiqued.

BUT that is not what I wanted to talk about in this thread! I am finished with this discussion. It is no longer fun.

You have been respectful in many ways here. Thank you.

Originally Posted by Wild Flower

This is not on topic either!

Editing to add... well, it is kind of topic but I haven't really wanted deep discussions. Maybe I am talking philosophical but really, I only wanted to play with my camera.

Best wishes everyone. I have asked this to be closed. Thanks.

This thread has drifted way off topic, too many times and is closed...


Rich