Weekly Poll: Take Pictures or Make Pictures

[Nicole]

Last week we had a spectacular response to the poll which asked if you would pick day or night photography, but lots of people didn't want to explain their choices. I'm hoping that this week will get even more votes and explanations. And feel free to keep voting on and adding to any of the previous polls.

This week, I'd like to hear whether you prefer to take photos or make photos. What's the difference you ask?

Taking photos, in this context, means that you take a picture of what you see or what you find. Landscapes and wildlife photos are common examples of taken photos. You may argue that you compose your landscape shots using the rule of thirds or the golden mean, but since you didn't plant a tree for the shot, and move the bird into the specific place on the branch, then let's call it a taken photo.

Making a photo, on the other hand, is something that you've taken the time to arrange every last detail (or at least a good majority of the details) in a way that creates your vision for the photo. We had a still life assignment that exemplified this. And really, is a massively staged photo worth any less than one that is found? The National Gallery of Victoria sure wouldn't agree. Or do you consider it making a photo once you've edited it to perfection even going so far as to change the way a person looks in a substantial matter. We've all heard how editing photos can make a substantial change in the believability or even credibility of the photos.

It'd be really interesting to hear what you consider to be the line between taking and making a photo, so please share with us what you think once you tell us whether you prefer to take pictures or make pictures.

[epeyton@tampabay.rr.com]

I love taking pictures and that was all I did until recently. For the first assignment I did in transportation I created a photo. The end product wasn't what I had planned in the beginning but I liked it. It encourged me to figure out how to make it work. The knowledge I gathered from this exercise was priceless. It left the door open for endless possibilities that never occurred to me when I was just taking pictures.

[ike]

I take photo's.

The reasoning behind this is i am an imulsive photographer. I will go out with the idea of taking a certain type of photo and this doesn't change throughout the shoot, it might deviate slightly from landscape to taking a photo of a cow or something.

I have made a few photo's for an assignment, i think it was the zen one. But i dont tend to plan anything in advance, just kinda 'shoot from the hip' and make something up.

I think i need to concentrate more on making photo's to improve myself from within, which would make for taking better photo's.

ike,

[Isilwen]

I usually only "take" photos. My specialty is location portraiture and found that too much "making" in that genre didn't get the free and natural look I was going for. I tend to play with the kids or chat it up with the adults and end up with some really fun shots. Like this one was a peekaboo game with a 2 year old. Almost looks made, doesn't it? If I knew how to clone out that darn sticker, I would!



On the other hand, I'm trying to become proficient at the art of "making" a photograph. I've done a several shots as part of a contest and had a few published, but I don't think it's my forte. My mom is an amazing food photographer and I'm always amazes at what a bit of staging can do for a shot. So much more artsy!

[Sime™]

I'm a "take what I see" kind of photographer (I use the word photographer loosely!) so i'd be in the "Take Photos" catergory... I have tried to set up a couple of shots and enjoy it, but for now - Take -

[Joe Hoetzl]

Since "capturing moments" wasn't an option, I choose "take photos"...

[Ilyanep]

I think I'll say take, because as just a starting photographer, I find that nature and life tend to make better photos than I could.

Maybe when I develop an eye for these things, it'll change...

[jdepould]

I fall squarely on the "take" side. It's probably the journalist in me, but I prefer the challenge of capturing things as they happen. That isn't to say that the opposite approach isn't challenging, only that the challenge isn't as much fun for me.

[RexK_Cozumel]

I am mainly a take what I can get photographer as a lot of my shots are nature related I can try to set up all I want the damn sun and clouds dont always cooperate with me.

[Saralonde]

Although I often like to be contrary on these either/or polls and take the opposite of what everyone else says, I'm going with the majority here: I take pictures. For me, making a picture includes a fair amount of editing which I rarely do. I will set up for some pics, bit I truly like to take a walk and find things I never planned to shoot. Sometimes they are the pics I like the most.