The value of fine art photography

Do Old Techniques Make Better Photography?

by Oscar Matos Linares

Every few months, I hear the same conversations at art shows and online. Someone will say, “Old printing techniques make better photography.” Another person insists that photojournalism is more meaningful than landscapes, or that framed work has more value than metal prints. And now and then, someone throws an insult in, “Photographers are lazy — they just make prints.”

I listen and can’t help smiling. Those opinions say more about their misunderstanding than art.

Vision Over Process

There’s not one technique, subject, or material that automatically makes a photograph better. A powerful image connects through emotion, not process. Whether it is a platinum print, a digital metal print, or an archival paper edition, the feeling behind the image is the point.

Photography captures a moment in time. With photojournalism, it’s human truth within a split second. Landscapes let us breathe and reflect. Any image is profound when the photographer sees with heart and intention.

A photograph lives or dies by what it shows. The tools and chemistry are secondary. An image begins with a moment of seeing — light, color, and emotion coming together — and ends with how that moment speaks to someone else visually.

The Myth of the “Lazy Photographer”

There’s a strange idea that photographers are lazy because they “just print,”
which couldn’t be further from the truth.

For photographers, the print is the original. The camera is our brush, light is our paint, and patience is our craft. Every image requires early mornings, long walks, missed shots, and constant refinement. There’s nothing lazy about standing in the cold before dawn waiting for light that might not arrive.

The final print — whether on metal or paper — isn’t a copy. It’s the artist’s finished expression, the physical result of vision, timing, and persistence.

Framing, Metal, and Misconceptions

Framing gives a piece a classic feel, but it doesn’t make it more valuable. A metal print may look contemporary, even “commercial” to some, but for me it’s the perfect surface for my photographs — reflections, water, and light. Metal brings those images to life without distraction, allowing color and depth to speak clearly.

Art isn’t about following trends or labels; it’s about choosing the medium that tells your story best. Some artists find their truth in matte paper, others in darkroom silver. I find mine in light floating over metal.

Why Process Doesn’t Equal Meaning

Old processes are beautiful and worth respecting. They connect us to photography’s roots and celebrate craft. But they don’t guarantee greatness. A poor image printed in platinum is still a poor image.

Emotion and vision always come first. The best photographers — regardless of medium — create with honesty, not nostalgia. Technique is only the language; feeling is the poetry.

In the End

Old techniques don’t make better photography.
Neither do frames, labels, or edition numbers.
What makes photography art is the ability to evoke emotion — to make them pause, remember, and feel.

The process is simple, the language.
The story — the one that connects artist and viewer — is the lasting impression.

— Oscar Matos Linares
Linares Fine Art