The meaningfulness of beauty

[Vieri Bottazzini]

A few thoughts on narrow-minded people and the meaningfulness of beauty in landscape photography. Let me know what you think

THE MEANINGFULNESS OF BEAUTY

Best,

Vieri

[Paulo Bizarro]

Interesting write up. Personally, I find at least something meaningful in several genres of photography.

[Vieri Bottazzini]

Interesting write up. Personally, I find at least something meaningful in several genres of photography.

Same here, Paulo. This is actually why I wrote this Too many people seem to think that only some kind of photography has meaning... If one has to make such distinctions, I'd be more interested in talking about whether this or that "photo" is meaningful, no matter the genre, rather than discussing which "genre" is meaningful or not

Best,

Vieri

[luxborealis]

While I agree with your perspective, Vieri, I think you may be overstating it. I don't believe "Too many people seem to think that only some kind of photography has meaning." I think photographers have preferences of one genre over another and, perhaps, a small number may poo-poo certain genres out of their own ignorance or, self-importance.

Photography, like art (or as art), is in the eye of the beholder. Opening minds is a most difficult thing to do! I applaud you for trying.

[Vieri Bottazzini]

While I agree with your perspective, Vieri, I think you may be overstating it. I don't believe "Too many people seem to think that only some kind of photography has meaning." I think photographers have preferences of one genre over another and, perhaps, a small number may poo-poo certain genres out of their own ignorance or, self-importance.

Photography, like art (or as art), is in the eye of the beholder. Opening minds is a most difficult thing to do! I applaud you for trying.

Terry,

Thank you for your message, i am glad you enjoyed it and that you agre with my perspective. About the overstating it, if I did so it was for the purpose of discussion; the point, I guess, is in the definition of "too many"... perhaps, for me, the ones I see are too many already! 

All the best,

Vieri

[Alan Klein]

Much photography, like landscapes, are similar to art in that they have no utilitarian value.  Their purpose is aesthetic beauty.  We look at it because it makes us feel good, and if really good encouraging in us awe and a sense of the infinite.  Photojournalism, while it can have aesthetic qualities, inform our intellect and mind and in that way have a more utilitarian value. 

[Sean H]

Hi Vieri, thank you for your post. I enjoyed your essay and understand your frustration. Maybe the people that you wrote about wanted to specialise in taking photos of beach huts or human interactions with landscapes.  I confess to liking photos of beach huts...there were some nice ones near Melbourne that I saw a few years ago. However, I also appreciate landscapes that are not obviously affected by human design elements. It is good that you wrote what you did to try and expand people's horizons. Most of us here at Lula probably admire different styles and different aspects of photography from time to time. These days in many parts of the world some people's horizons seem to be shrinking, perhaps for the reasons you mention.

On a related note, I noticed  your website and was enthralled by your photos of the Isle of Arran. One photo in particular, I think that it was called 'Lines and dot 1' was very interesting in terms of its composition. The other photos are good too. I have not had the time to explore the other places that you photographed but will do so later. I am impressed with your photography and have added your name to the list of people with whom I might take a workshop.

Kind regards,

Sean

[Vieri Bottazzini]

Much photography, like landscapes, are similar to art in that they have no utilitarian value.  Their purpose is aesthetic beauty.  We look at it because it makes us feel good, and if really good encouraging in us awe and a sense of the infinite.  Photojournalism, while it can have aesthetic qualities, inform our intellect and mind and in that way have a more utilitarian value.

Than you for commenting Alan, very well said. As you said, the line between utilitarian and artistic is not always perfectly clear - they might blur into one other in almost any kind of photography, even if the percentages of one or the other change considerably according to the genre and to the subject matter.

Vieri

[Vieri Bottazzini]

Hi Vieri, thank you for your post. I enjoyed your essay and understand your frustration. Maybe the people that you wrote about wanted to specialise in taking photos of beach huts or human interactions with landscapes.  I confess to liking photos of beach huts...there were some nice ones near Melbourne that I saw a few years ago. However, I also appreciate landscapes that are not obviously affected by human design elements. It is good that you wrote what you did to try and expand people's horizons. Most of us here at Lula probably admire different styles and different aspects of photography from time to time. These days in many parts of the world some people's horizons seem to be shrinking, perhaps for the reasons you mention.

On a related note, I noticed  your website and was enthralled by your photos of the Isle of Arran. One photo in particular, I think that it was called 'Lines and dot 1' was very interesting in terms of its composition. The other photos are good too. I have not had the time to explore the other places that you photographed but will do so later. I am impressed with your photography and have added your name to the list of people with whom I might take a workshop.

Kind regards,

Sean

Hi Sean,

thank you very much for your comment, much appreciated. I enjoy all kind of landscapes, whether with human intervention or without it; I enjoy a little less narrow-minded people, of whom there are too many around, especially when they think that their way is the only way. I appreciate the spirit here at LuLa in terms of being open-minded to many different things, or perhaps to just keep silent when seeing something that one does't particularly like rather than trying to convert the rest of the world to one's positions...

Thank you very much for taking the time to visit my website, I am glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your kind words about my work, very much appreciated. I'll write you off-forum about the rest of your message to keep this thread on topic.

Best regards,

Vieri