Photography...minus the abstract

My friends & I were having a discussion about photography and 1 of them joked that what would happen if a photographer sent in the wrong pics for an exhibition and thus the wrong pics were actually displayed. We joked that, maybe if the theme is abstract, people may just think it's meant to be and go "hmm...interesting" still. "Emperor's New Clothes" syndrome maybe? Then I recalled to them that I once saw an exhibition where some of the photos actually looked like normal out-of-focus photos, where me & my friend just sort of "huh?" about it.

You can think I don't know how to appreciate this kind of "art", but I think sometimes, maybe there's more "smoke" than real skill. Don't get me wrong, coz actually, I like photography, if only the more "real" kind, i.e. not those that are said to express some abstract idea. Well, to me, photography, besides skill, it somehow has to be gripping, and essentially, it is "of the moment". I'm not against abstract, coz sometimes, I also think with an abstract mind, but sometimes, you just feel it's not really that great and the abstract idea may just be "smoke".

Then it occurred to me (well, it could well be only me who thinks that way) that maybe pics of nature are the most real, in a sense. I mean, how do you do "abstract" or fake nature? And nature is so simple, yet mystifying and well, natural.

It also set me thinking. As I thought further, I think photos of nature gives a sense that the world is larger than the photographer, at least that's how I feel. One is taking a pic of something not created by human, but of something shaped & created by God. And usually, in good nature shots, I feel that the intention is to capture the greatness and mystique. The clouds, sea, trees, flowers, etc. are subjects for this. It is quite different from when the photographer tries to impose some kind of idea of his own on you. Hmm...don't know if you understand what I mean. Maybe like for nature/scenic shots, you will first be struck by the vastness of nature first and step back for a while to appreciate it before you start thinking of the photographer. On the other hand, especially those "abstract" kind, you will tend to wonder first "what was the photographer thinking?".

Of course, other kinds of photos I like are those dealing with real issues like disasters, war, etc. Very National Geographic hor?