Take or Make a photo
What are your thoughts?
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Just a short post this week. But one that has been causing a lot of discussion since - well, probably since the invention of photography. Search the internet and you'll be bombarded with threads on the subject.
It's whether you TAKE or MAKE a photo.
The debate between saying "take a photo" versus "make a photo" often hinges on the perspective one has about photography as a practice.
"Take a photo" is the more commonly used phrase and aligns with the idea of capturing a moment or scene that already exists. It implies a more passive role, where the photographer is simply recording what is in front of them.
"Make a photo," on the other hand, suggests a more active and creative process. It implies that a photographer is creating (or even constructing) an image, which might involve arranging elements within the scene, using specific techniques to influence the final image, or post-processing to achieve a desired effect.
In general, "take a photo" is widely accepted and understood by the general public, while "make a photo" is often preferred by those who view photography as an art form (and themselves as artists).
The choice between the two phrases can reflect an individual's philosophy about photography and their role in the process. So, while it may be just a semantic discussion, it can also influence how photographers and viewers alike approach and appreciate the art of photography.
My take on this (no pun intended)
I believe we take photographs because these images are already out there, waiting for us to capture them. We seize the moment, framing and composing what appears before us, making choices about what to include or exclude. In doing so, we aren't necessarily capturing "the reality" but rather our interpretation of it—"a reality" shaped by our perspective and the decisions we make in that fleeting moment.
Please let us know your views on this
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The recent essay on AI by Ted Chiang is good at focusing on art as decisions we make:
“When photography was first developed, I suspect it didn’t seem like an artistic medium because it wasn’t apparent that there were a lot of choices to be made; you just set up the camera and start the exposure. But over time people realized that there were a vast number of things you could do with cameras, and the artistry lies in the many choices that a photographer makes. It might not always be easy to articulate what the choices are, but when you compare an amateur’s photos to a professional’s, you can see the difference.”
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/why-ai-isnt-going-to-make-art
this is an interesting topic but i cannot decide for one or the other and my explanation is simple: when at rugby matches, things happens so fast that most of the time i don't have time to compose and think what to leave in or out of the frame, so i'm taking a photo.
when working in studio and a client just tells me what they want and leave the rest to me, i'm making the photo (no art director involved) to please/suits client needs.
as a result, my approach to this topic is: i'm not taking a photo, i'm not making a photo, i'm just photographing.