taco2go
Explorer
Absolutely!
And have never been any less, I'm sure you'd agree. Just one tiny example if I may: Ultimately it's about being able to express what you see. Photography is so powerful in that it allows you to do that almost instantaneously. But the 'seeing' is still the extremely personal bit. Painting outdoors for me is an amazing study of just how vast an interplay of color exists in nature. The color of shadows for instance, and the relationships of cool and warm hues, complementary tones, atmosphere. The human eye can take in so much more than even the best camera or the most deftly used palate of paints can render- all we can try to do is artistically interpret. And photography is a thoroughly legitimate art form.
Also, I could stand and paint a 'random scenic shot' like this in an hour with relatively little change in light and clouds etc, based on what I'm seeing. But the second by second drama that happens at sunrise and sunset (like in papawheely's capture above) - needs either a camera, or a photographic memory.
