Photography as fine art

I've been an ardent amateur since I was 16. I've sold a few prints, but that only makes me a sort-of semi-pro. I've read a zillion magazines and books on photography and seen and taken another zillion photos. Okay, maybe not a zillion. More like bazillion.

What is it that makes a photograph one you would want to put on the wall in your living room where you could see it every day? Of course, the same question applies to any kind of art. Just being technically good or well-composed isn't enough. And clearly there is one's personal taste, which is probably predominant as a factor. But many that make the magazines and the books, while beautiful, are not enough to sustain one's attention over a longer period of time. I find myself paging through the books and magazines, thinking, "That one's nice/interesting/attractive", but rarely seeing one I would put over my mantel even if someone gave it to me for free.

With the advent of computer-chip controlled cameras, anybody can take a technically well-exposed picture. Technical skill was once a major part of professional photography, but not any more. What can capture and hold the interest in any picture?

How many perfectly photographed pictures of the Grand Canyon do you want? It's clear that simply photographing (however perfectly) any tourist attraction is of little interest, now that it's relatively easy to see them, and the number of good photos of interesting places and things is huge.

I find pictures that I really like and would hang on my walls proudly. Some of them are of people; some are of unusual scenes which can give real objects an abstract design quality. A picture of moss on a tree might make it. I don't know how to define what it is that I'm looking for. I hate to fall back on the old cliche about "not knowing anything about art, but I know what I like". Yet the cliche is true in the sense that if you have to know about something to appreciate its beauty, it's not that great. Knowledge can add to your appreciation but can't turn a mediocre photo into a great one.

Sometimes I think there needs to be a quality of mystery in the picture. Not a puzzle, but rather a sense that the art or photo goes somewhere and does something beyond the frame, a sense of deeper connection than is on the surface.

If anyone has an opinion about this subject, particularly if you have photos to illustrate your point, please contact me. Maybe we can post some on this blog and debate them a little.