Item 2 - The Art of Photography

Typescript essay, in which Beaton evaluates photography as an art form. Can photography truly be considered an art form comparable to painting? For unlike the painter, the photographer cannot transcend or transform the scene before him. Though he can alter the effects of composition, still his self-expression is limited by the objective view of the camera. In some cases, photography may be considered a minor art form, but for the most part, it is too mechanical. The personal aspect of the man behind the camera has become less important than his ability to produce commerical photographs. But what is the advantage of mechanical progress if the human soul is lost in the process? The solution, Beaton concludes, is to approach photography in the spirit of nineteenth-century pioneers - that is to say, with a sense of wonder. [c.f. D/2/3/65].