In The Name Of Photography-The Research Of The Deviation Of Contemporary Chinese Conceptual Photography

The prosperity of the conceptual photography seems to be unprecedented in recent years in China, following the swelling of the nation's higher education of photography. Meanwhile, the excitement for new digital technology sweeps the photography society and propels the conceptual photography developing towards digital composite image. Digital composite image becomes the most prevailing approach to express concept, and there are few words released to reflect on this phenomenon compared with a vast crowd advocating the unlimited possibilities of the new digital age in the photography society.This dissertation focuses on the essence of deviation from the nature of photography concealed in the way of digital composite image. In order to cool down this abnormal enthusiasm for digital composite image, a viewpoint has been put forward consequently that conceptual photography and composite image did not originate from the contemporary age but from the initial stage of photography by means of analyzing photography history. Digital composite image is subordinate to photography or not? What is the nature of photography? Through revealing typical characteristics of digital composite image and the nature of photography, the answers are apparent. Digital composite image has no attribute of photography in the term of traditional definition. So digital composite image should be separated from photography, and the significant thing of present conceptual photography is to retrace to the nature of photography and concentrate the attention on conceptual expression, not just on technique.