Instagram-it and call it art

What makes photography art?

Is it...
...the idea behind an image?
...the skill which goes into capturing it?
...the quality of a photograph?

Is there even an answer?

Recently there's been an art movement called "iPhoneography" or "iPhone photography", in which people take pictures with their poor quality iPhone cameras and photoshop them using some sort of app such as Hipstamatic or Instagram, usually giving them a vintage toy camera effect. It's so easy; all you have to do is take a picture and choose from one of the filters to photoshop it. You can make almost anything look cool with these apps. It's kind of ridiculous; everyone walking around with iPhones, calling themselves photographers. There are even iPhone photography exhibits and competitions!

It's almost insulting, to people like me, who own expensive cameras, read books on photography, and have practiced for years in hopes of mastering the art. And I'm nowhere near the skill level of professional photographers, many of whom studied photography in school and worked hard to get into the profession.

The thing that bothers me the most, is... I kind of like some of the iPhone photography I've seen. And I kind of like Instagram.

But here's a question to ponder...
Who's the artist behind iPhoneography? Is it the iPhotographer? or is it the people who designed the apps?

Photography in general is much easier and more accessible now than it was 50-100 years ago. The process of capturing and developing an image used to be much more difficult. Last December I had the opportunity of visiting the Musée Orangerie in Paris. During that time the museum was displaying photography by Heinrich Kühn, an Austrian photographer around the turn of the century. Looking at his work and reading about the methods he used in capturing and developing his images made me reflect on how much skill went into producing each photograph back then compared to how photography is today. On the other hand, advancements in technology have led to the production of better quality cameras with clearer precision and greater control in image capture.

Who's to say one method of photography is better than another? And who am I to say that iPhoneography isn't a real form of art?

Regardless, I have created a tumblr intended to mock the iPhoneography art movement. The idea is that you can take any image (even crappy iPhone pictures of random, ordinary objects), transform it with Instagram and call it art. Call me the Duchamp of photography (that reminds me, a picture of a urinal would be the perfect addition to my tumblr).

So here it is: Instagram-it and call it art. Enjoy. And feel free to submit your iPhoneography images of random, ordinary objects as well.