Psychology of Beauty

Is photography an art? This question has hung in the air since the Victorian era when photography was first developed; at an early meeting of the Photographic Society of London, for example, it is recorded that one of the members felt photography was far “too literal to compete with works of art” and therefore unable to “elevate the imagination”. Thus began the rather widespread perception of photography as little more than a mechanical recording medium.

It was not until the mid-20th century that this attitude began to change, and photography began to be seen more as a synergy of art and science, with both coming together and, aided by the imagination, producing spectacular and thought-provoking results.

Finding this “sweet spot”, this ideal middle ground where art and science combine, is no easy task—art and science differ widely, after all, in their aim and their practice, and often those who are “artistically minded” are believed to think quite differently than those who are analytically and scientifically minded.

To truly master the art of photography, one has to have the technical ability required to master a range of complex electronic equipment, to incorporate it all flawlessly to create perfect technique. However, one also must have that intangible quality we can only call “vision” and an artistic eye that guides placement and looks at common things from diverse new angles. Truly adept portrait photographers must also be able to convey something of the essence or “soul” of their subjects, rather than simply taking a technically perfect (or even overly flattering) photo.