Subject Matters

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About Subject Matters

S U B J E C T (noun):


1.that which forms a basic matter of thought, discussion, investigation, etc.
2.an object, scene, incident, etc., chosen by an artist for representation, or as represented in art





(Verb)
1. to bring under domination, control, or influence
2. to make liable or vulnerable; lay open; expose





...or in all simplicity, just another element of photography. But while other photographers obsess over smaller elements in their pictures, I find that oftentimes one neglects to put thought into the quality of the subject. Sometimes this is due to taking a random series of shots or simply due to an untrained eye to photography.





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There's a subject lying on the table in front of the photographer. The camera moves, an eye looks through. Feet shuffle about, looking for the right spot. "A new angle, maybe? Or black and white?" The photographer asks, working away, ever focusing on this central point.
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A camera alone can show a subject for what it is: exposed and vunerable to the human eye. A camera in the hands of a photographer however, allows great influence over the subject as it's percieved to its viewer. There are almost endless possible effects and technical combinations to capture a given subject. Yet these techniques and effects alone do nothing without the subject in front of the lens.



I find myself at times commenting, "Wow! I love the treatment on this one, you should do it with other photos!" and of course by "photos" meaning "subjects."






This group is for good photos where the subject plays a big part of the picture. There are many many many many possible subjects, so instead of being a "Showcase your many different subjects and we'll all comment on them!" group, this group is aimed at being a "Wow, thats a cool photo and wow yah the subject is cool too, hooray!" group.





Subject is a difficult concept to grasp. Even the most experienced of us amateurs will sometime proudly produce a flop of a photo having thought it was a masterpiece.






It's difficult to generalize or discriminate against certain styles of photography, since in the end everyone will have his or her own idea of what is art and what makes a good subject. But luckily there are industry and widely-accepted standards on which we can base such opinions.

So!

Some basic rules:
-no nudity
-all photos must be your own work
-no foul language or humor

and all other sensible guidelines implied by a family friendly group.

SO basically, there are possibly reasons that certain subjects are common. Possibly. In the case someone in the group molests (as in annoys) your photo by claiming it is "just another flower picture," uh, contact me via flickrmail and I will do... uh, something. This also goes as a warning to people joining the group. uh, be warned.

New notice: If your photo does not fit "subject" criteria (looks like random shooting or abstract image) then it will be removed. Any picture without a good subject. A good tip-off to whether the subject is good or not is whether any comments are on your photo at all. If not, you may want to consider shooting something else! I'm really trying not to do based on what i personally think makes an appealing subject! I mean just dont photo your toothbrush with hair in it and call it art, even if you contacts all comment on it!
Btw that toothbrush thing was my dads idea, to symbolize annoyance or something ridiculous. ech! =)

Best of luck! I may hold a contest soon if enough people join and enough photos are submitted.