Photography as an art & science

I have met with so many people who want to be photographers in the last year or two I can't even count the number. The one thing I tell them all is learn your craft if you want to be a professional photographer. People like to break the rules, be original and creative ,but if they don't know the rules they just don't know what they're doing. I break the rules all the time but only because I know them. Photography is an art and a science. If people tell them they are a great photographer who have seen some of their snapshots that means they probably have a good eye for composition. That is a must, but does not a great photographer make. There is a technical side to photography that seems to be being overlooked these days, perhaps even avoided and unfortunately the result of people not caring about proper lighting, posing, and composition, not to mention being technically ignorant of their equipment, is causing a dramatic fall in the quality of photography being produced. The volume is staggering but the craftsmanship is lacking. Here is a quote from a recent article on "luminous landscape" by Alan Briot

"Photography consists of two separate elements: art and science. It is through the successful combination of these two elements that the creation of world-class photographs can be accomplished.Yet art and science differ greatly in their aim and their practice. In fact, they are so far apart as to present serious difficulties if their respective qualities are not known to the photographer.The science part of photography includes technique and equipment. The artistic part of photography includes the photographer's artistic goals, his vision, inspiration and the use of art-related concepts. These two parts need to merge seamlessly for the creation of a successful world-class photograph to take place. If one of these two parts dominates the other the result is either a technically excellent photograph without much artistic interest, or a very artistic photograph lacking technical excellence."

"Let me be really clear. If you are
a mediocre photographer, or you have
mediocre skills in dealing with clients …
if what you offer is a service for people who
aren’t clever enough to take their own
pictures, you are doomed. D-O-O-M-E-D."
Seth Godin

If you are an aspiring photographer I would encourage you to learn your craft anyway you can. If you are an established photographer I encourage you to learn more of your craft. If you are a potential client I hope you will learn to discern the difference between a good snapshot and a portrait created using all the elements of the art & science of photography.