Why bother to paint when you can photograph it?
The statement deals with two aspects of art namely photography and painting. They are complementary to each other. Photography, nowadays has supplanted painting because it is a more faithful reproduction of the model, person, thing or scenery.
Photography is based on a scientific principle, and provided the mechanism in a camera does not fail, excellent results are produced. The camera has been improved to a very great extent so that more life like pictures could be taken even by an amateur photographer. Photography saves time. In a matter of minutes pictures are taken. Nowadays colour pictures are taken. Fast films and powerful lenses make it easy to take pictures even in the darkness. The cine industry has added a momentum to the growth of photography. If the chemicals are properly treated on a film a photograph can be kept to the end of time. That is why great documents and books in the national archives are being photographed. Whereas paper spoils too soon, films do not.
With all its favorable points, photography cannot score over painting. The latter is something personal and in great masterpieces, we see the personality of the painter. The painter sets the tone in colour, creates moods and he is a student of emotions in that he could reproduce them in his paintings. In order to do that he must be a student of human nature. Every facial expression, every movement of the muscle, every twinkle in the eye or the contortion of the lips catches his trained eye. The expressions in the human face are kaleidoscopic, still once the painter catches an expression, he will never forget it and given the chance, he immortalizes it in his pictures.
In short the painter is a creative artist. He knows the value of his colors and he is master of every stroke of his brush. He is an actual creator. One or two examples would illustrate this point. In Mysore, India, there is a picture of a women with an oil lamp in her hand. The flame illumines her face. Unless you look at it twice you won’t understand it. But if you look at it from a distance a whole world of art is before you. What a lovely expression. This painting has won the appreciation of the whole world. After all, this painting has no riot of colors. Still it can bring out a whole world of emotions.
The camera may do the same job but it is devoid of emotions. We get a feast of good photography in famous cinema pictures. A cameraman must wait to take particular scenes. The shots may come up or may not when developed. There are chances for mechanical failures. A photographer may spoil a picture which cannot be caught at that precise moment again. He may bring about distortions by taking at wrong angles.
Photography cannot displace the painting for a painted picture is a reflection of the personality of the painter and subject. The same can never be said of photography. That is why we speak of `schools’ of painting and never schools of photography.
