The Genius of Photography
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The Genius of Photography

2007, Art and Artists  -   27 Comments
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Ratings: 7.57/10 from 46 users.

The Genius of PhotographyIn the course of our 170 year relationship, photography has delighted us, served us, moved us, outraged us and occasionally disappointed us.

But mainly, it has intrigued us by showing the secret strangeness that lies beneath the world of appearances. And that is photography's true genius.

Follow the story of photography in BBC Four's six-part series The Genius of Photography. See some of the most famous photographs ever taken and find out more about what made them so very special.

The series explores every aspect of photography from daguerreotype to digital, portraits to photo- journalism and art to advertising, and includes interviews and encounters with some of the world's greatest living photographers including William Eggleston, Nan Goldin, William Klein, Martin Parr, Sally Mann, Robert Adams, Juergen Teller, Andreas Gursky, Jeff Wall and many others.

Episodes are: Fixing the Shadows, Documents for Artists, Right Place, Right Time?, Paper Movies, We Are Family and Snap Judgements.

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sadi
sadi
6 years ago

Dracu, seems like you have photography all mixed up with something else. To dismiss a discipline like photography as 'not art' is perhaps to not understand that photography does not have to be compared to other art forms. Its is own beast you see, with its own emphasis, dialogue and artistry. Of course its not painting, but you see, not all of us artists have the time for paint and brush. For the sort of images I want to make, I need the camera, not the canvas.

Haywardini
Haywardini
7 years ago

I wouldn't say it is super easy to tak whats considered a great photograph. With SLR cameras being introduced more control was given to the amatuer photographer. Controlling your aperture, shutter speed and exposure can be used to create artistic effect. I you understand the science of the camera and light you can gain a much clearer insight into how the photograph will look. I feel digital takes this away as its cheaper and all photographs taken are up for instant review. Film forces you to slow down your photography and think hard about what you are taking photos of. Part of the artistic ability of a photographer is to decide to press the shutter when the moment is right. Art is 5% skill and 95% subjective. Everything depends on what your audience think of it. As long as your photographs mean something to you and you are not just taking pictures of meaningless things, it's art.

pusspussbangbang0555
pusspussbangbang0555
11 years ago

I want to see all of this documentary, but ut seems to be blocked by theBBC in france shame ,it looks interesting

pusspussbangbang0555
pusspussbangbang0555
11 years ago

Dont bother with Veoh, it is a **** site full of ads, and completely useless gra&phics which direct you to nothingville, this site should be binned as 3what a ******* waste of time"

Guest
Guest
11 years ago

Photography allows one to stop time for a fraction of a second....and allows one to look at that slice of time for ever.
az

Hugo Couturier
Hugo Couturier
11 years ago

Eyes. Everybody has at least one of those and they all look the same in a broader sense. But when you get closer, you see colors, shapes, patterns, depth, light, lack of light...
Some are beautiful while some lost their beauty to sickness or physical damage. Still, to most, the mere fact that this organ perceives light and transmits it to nervous cells is something beautiful in itself.

The beauty of an eye can be interpreted in many ways. Photographs are exactly like that. They all have this little something to them, but their beauty is quantifiable. Although in a different manner by each one of us, the inherent quality of photography is nonetheless quantifiable. Political rectitude will never change that fact.

Jo Tito
Jo Tito
12 years ago

I am not a trained photographer but have been doing photography for 17 years. I use my camera on auto ALL of the time but I must say you do have to have the ability to see light and to compose a good photograph. Today my work is very intuitive and over this year I've painted a stone, photographed it and then posted it online. It does help when you are taking photos all the time - it is definitely something to master and is now a part of my life where I see everything in a photograph!

knowledgeizpower
knowledgeizpower
12 years ago

I love photography. Some people have a real artistic eye behind the camera, others have that artisic beauty in front of the camera. How can anyone be a bad photographer when you think about it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. How can you take a bad picture? You can find something different that you admire in each frame each shot. When you capture the picture you capture something different each time not one photo is exactly the same.

Lorena White
Lorena White
12 years ago

Can I put in two cents worth...A question;

After enjoying a beautiful meal, would you then say to the cook “You must have a really good oven, that food was delicious!”?

All of us posses a creative mind some more than others, good photography is an art that not all are able to master or understand, but some are able to capture. Photography rocks my world, I think in this angle of fine Art, you’ve either got it, or you don’t.

Dracu,
Dracu,
12 years ago

I don't mean to say that photography doesn't have any intrinsic artistic value(beside its main informative role) but compared with other forms of art it is extremely overrated(as it is presented in this documentary) and effortless.
My subjective and disrespectful opinion is that it seems a self-praise to consider yourself an artist when you just press a button and mirror reality...this form of art is more conditioned by the present reality(like any other form of conceptual art) than by the artists conscience which gives its true value.

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
12 years ago

This website is simply the best! ... And I watch most of my media here. Not only do you provide the best new documentaries as they appear online and put them all in one place but you allow truly free and open discussion of all issues that come up.
You guys rock!!

Remco Gerritsen
Remco Gerritsen
12 years ago

I myself am a photographer of nature and incidents. I love photography, it's the best hobby in the world:) Totally watching this docu then:d If it works xD

Teamtigerpaw
Teamtigerpaw
12 years ago

Thanks for this one Vlatko.

Guest
Guest
12 years ago

Super doc! more than just photography!
Not quite done yet but so far my favorite quote:
"you know when you press that shutter whether that visual orgasm has occured or not"
(didn't catch the guy's name)
az

esmuziq & frames
esmuziq & frames
12 years ago

dope docu !!!!

u should post water & power aswel