Impressionism

[David]

I have been doing a lot of experimenting so far this year.

 

One genre that has really captured my imagination is impressionism photography. Partly because of an inherent snobbery from the critics and photo sales sites all wanting to see total perfection. This reminds me of Paris in the late 19th century when the same was true of paintings.

 

I always advocate that there is a place for all forms of photography and I am not against perfection photography at all and it is still something I aspire to achieve.

 

I have had a go at some impressionism and some artistic effects with movement and zooming a lens during a shot. (Art shots to follow on a separate post). These are my takes on Impressionism. What do you think?

 

Best Viewed Large

 

Garden Shrubs by Streetlight

 

Misty Tree in Urban Light

 

Roses by Street Light

 

Raindrops on Trampoline

[ChrisLumix]

I think #2 and #3 work especially well, especially 3 where I can't even begin to guess what the original subject was.

 

Have a look at my entry in the March challenge - deliberate movement of the camera during exposure (though as an entry it's gone down like a lead zeppelin )

[David]

Yeah Chris I liked it and I have done a few of them in the past, but I have to say that Geodar's really captured my imagination this time, sorry.

 

I love 3 too. The subject is a yellow rose bush that has flowered all winter long, lit by orange street lights. The bushes are being blown in a breeze and the ISO is maxed out on my Nikon D7100 to get lots of noise.

[Barbara]

Would  love all of these for background or overlay textures, especially #3

[FUJI]

You are on the right track, but just don't have the right name.......had these been created by a well known ( or well in) photographer , with Posh Gallery connections, they would be printed on A3 or larger by ultra expensive methods, lit beautifully, written about in all the Art publications, given a private viewing for Art Investors, Russian Oligarchs, Billionaire Arabs, Chinese Investors and Professional Soccer Players in a Mayfair Gallery.......with price tags to make your eyes water.

With my Birthday money this year, I acquired a couple of books, one is entitled....WHY IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE IN FOCUS....Modern Photography Explained.....by ...Jackie Higgins......Published by ..Thames & Hudson in 2012? £9.99.

It is well worth purchasing if you are serious about going down this route.............. our Leon would hate it as much as I hate Milky Water and that Single Moorland Tree.

The book explores almost every famous or not so famous abstract or differently processed photograph ever created.

I find it both inspirational and frustrating and wondering.........." Why didn't I think of that?"

FUJI

[ChrisLumix]

Good points Fuji.

 

I meant to leave a longer response, but it was late yesterday evening, so here is my full two pennorth.

 

Impressionism, as an art form, emerged when the invention of photography liberated the artist from having to create mostly representational likenesses at the behest of their patron or sponsor. Suddenly it became ok to 'hint' or 'suggest' or to merely give an impression of something. Their greatest moments came when they 'painted with light' and of course this is what you see in the best works by Monet, Turner, et al - where sunlight itself, and its play on material objects, is the main component in the subject matter being painted.

 

So why shouldn't photography now turn to the art form it itself inspired? Why should it be always severely representational with everything featured at full sharpness, saturation, and technical perfection? I'm sure there are members here who perhaps might not respond to experimental impressionism, but to me it is a perfectly valid form of expression - or should I say 'expressionism'! For example, Barbara's amazing creations in Photoshop aren't photographs in the 'traditional' sense, but they are beautiful and artistic creations and we would be the poorer for not having them.

 

Impressionist photography would also free us from the tyranny of 'equipmentism' (I'm sure you know what I mean by that!!) as experimental results could be achieved with any old camera that allows particular shutter speeds and apertures to be chosen, and manual focus too. It would be the result that mattered and the response it provoked, not the camera it was took on. 

 

I'm all for your experiments David, and I hope I get inspired to join in with this. (Sometimes, results can be achieved by accident - I leave you with an impressionist picture I took a long time ago, which is how it is simply because the camera chose such a slow shutter speed - or I did - that camera shake couldn't be prevented. I have tinkered with it slightly, adding a bit more blur than was there originally..)

 

[David]

Thanks Blackrox and Fuji I will look out for it. Chris I couldn't agree more.

 

The light on all of these is the yellow street lights that I used to hate for the colour casts they give, however in those shots, I embraced it and worked with it.

 

 

And your accidental photo is one of the looks I am going for in more natural light it sums up the genre

[Guest]

no 3 has a nice abstract feel to it the others just look like blurry pictures to me. Now that doesn't mean they are not good or not art just that they are not for me. I know exactly what you mean about the snobbery of sales sites where if the shot isn't 100% pin sharp they get rejected which ends up with 100's of pin sharp boring shots being for sale and 10's of thousands of atmospheric, warm, romantic etc etc shots being rejected because theres a very small spot slightly out of focus. Most sales sites only accept images that are so sharp they can be printed on billboards

[David]

Thanks Richard, I totally agree with your comments . Number 3 is my favorite too, as soon as I saw it I knew it had something quite special to it.

 

And I agree that people have different tastes and not everyone will like these.

 

I am looking for opinions whether negative or positive to these and the 'artistic' photos I put up on a different post (I won't take offence...honest!)

 

I will carry on experimenting