Share article:
Share article:

Reflections on Photography & Art
Subject Matter & Print Size
by Alain Briot

Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems.
Rene Descartes
In the previous essay in this series, Art & Science, I discussed the relationship between the artistic and the technical aspects of photography.  I now want to move to a reflection on the practical applications of this relationship.   The first practical application I want to address is the relationship between subject matter and print size.
_____________________________________________________________________________
1 – Let us start with a story
When I was at the Beaux Arts I had a life-changing experience in regards to the relationship between subject matter and print size.  Since at that time I was a painter, I will use the term painting size in this story.
As a painter it is tempting to make small paintings.   As a painting student it is even more tempting to make small paintings. ...

Read this story and all the best stories on The Luminous Landscape

The author has made this story available to Luminous Landscape members only. Upgrade to get instant access to this story and other benefits available only to members.

Why choose us?

Luminous-Landscape is a membership site. Our website contains over 5300 articles on almost every topic, camera, lens and printer you can imagine. Our membership model is simple, a Dollar-a-Month ($12.00 USD a year). This $12 gains you access to a wealth of information including all our past and future video tutorials on such topics as Lightroom, Capture One, Printing, file management and dozens of interviews and travel videos.

  • New Articles every few days
  • All original content found nowhere else on the web
  • No Pop Up Google Sense ads – Our advertisers are photo related
  • Download/stream video to any device
  • NEW videos monthly
  • Top well-known photographer contributors
  • Posts from industry leaders
  • Speciality Photography Workshops
  • Mobile device scalable
  • Exclusive video interviews
  • Special vendor offers for members
  • Hands On Product reviews
  • FREE – User Forum. One of the most read user forums on the internet
  • Access to our community Buy and Sell pages; for members only.
Share article:
Alain Briot creates fine art photographs, teaches workshops and offers DVD tutorials on composition, raw conversion, optimization, printing and marketing. Alain is the author of Mastering Landscape Photography, Mastering Photographic Composition and Marketing Fine Art Photography. All 3 books are available from Alain’s website as well as from most bookstores. You can find more information about Alain's work, writings and tutorials as well as subscribe to Alain’s Free Monthly Newsletter on his <a href="http://www.beautiful-landscape.com/">website</a>. You will receive over 40 essays in PDF format, including chapters from Alain’s books, when you subscribe.
See all articles by this author

You may also like

Adrienne Anbinder’s digital mixed media artwork featuring a serene, statue-like figure with closed eyes and white doves overhead, emphasizing a dreamy, peaceful aesthetic.
Photographer Profiles

The Art of Light and Shadow: Adrienne Anbinder’s Journey into Digital Mixed Media

An artist's quest to capture the soul through light and shadow in digital photography.
Jon Swindall

Jon Swindall

·

February 20, 2025

·

8 minutes read


Vivid urban graffiti scene captured using the OM System OM-3 with Built-in ND filter for long-exposure light painting. The colorful street art, illuminated by artificial lighting, highlights the camera’s computational photography capabilities, making it a powerful tool for creative night photography.
Camera & Technology

OM System OM-3: Three Weeks Later - When "Fine" Costs $2000

The OM-3 shines creatively, but similar-cost larger-sensor cameras may offer better value for some photographers.
Jon Swindall

Jon Swindall

·

February 18, 2025

·

4 minutes read