In Response to The Thing Itself

It is very interesting to think of how an image cannot be defined without the subject. It is an aspect of photography that many, including myself, forget while practicing artful photography. The subject is an unconscious principle that, a beginning or even experienced, photographer may not ever think of, mainly because most artist look for photographic aspects that people like rather than focusing on what the subject they are photographing really is. Art is something that can only come fourth in its true form, when it flows from the heart rather than from external influences. I think one of Bill Jay's most pertinent point in this article is that, photographers, who are taking pictures with their understanding of the subject, have successful images because the subject has been examined thoroughly from ones internal perspective. But on the flip side photographers, who shoot when thinking in terms of public taste, become caught up in what looks pleasing, rather than focusing on the subject before them. Subject is key in photography because, many viewers do not consider the person who took the picture or the process behind a certain photograph.

Photography is a medium that is unique because subject matter often rules over the artist. A photographer catches the essence of a subject in many ways and I believe Bill Jay in this article stresses that the photograph should capture the reality of the subject and the artist's understanding of that subject. Without the focus on the subject, a photographer will try to hard to capture something that is inorganic. That is why so many young photographers become fed up with the academic side of photography because many students simply want images that are pleasing to faculty members and peers. There is nothing wrong with wanting pleasing images, but since subject is inseparable from a photograph, and since a certain subject is framed for significance, a better understanding of how one understands that subject is key to having creative and wonderful images. With deeper understanding of why one would shoot a rock, a viewer will capture the essence of that rock through their own understanding. Photography like art is something that cannot be forced. The best art is the kind of art that doesn't try hard to be tasteful.