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8 - Photography and Creativity

from Part II - Creativity in the Traditional Arts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2017

By
Joanna Serafin  and
Stephen J. Dollinger
Edited by
James C. Kaufman ,
Vlad P. Glăveanu  and
John Baer
James C. Kaufman
Affiliation:
University of Connecticut
Vlad P. Glăveanu
Affiliation:
Universitetet i Bergen, Norway
John Baer
Affiliation:
Rider University, New Jersey
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Summary

Abstract

This chapter reviews some aspects of creativity that are common to many artistic domains and particularly aspects that are distinctive about photography (e.g., the violence/entrapment metaphor, the role of timing and light, the issue of whether photography is merely a reproduction of reality with minimal creativity). Although photographers typically do not concern themselves with definitions of creativity, many have offered suggestions on how to judge photographic creativity which aids the measurement process. In this chapter we cover creativity in photography based on three different perspectives: (1) creative photographs, (2) expertise in creative photography, and (3) creative personality as studied through photographic autoportraits and photo essays. Consistent with the expansion of the literature, the rapid growth of digital technology suggests that this domain of creativity is entering its golden age.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity across Domains , pp. 123 - 144
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2017

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