The question of the artistic status of photography has been continually discussed since the very invention of the camera. Those who do not believe it is an art point to the seemingly accidental nature of the process (the photographer has no real control over his medium to the degree that the artist has) and the fact the photograph is always a picture of a particular or real thing, whereas a painting or drawing is a generalization, an interpretation. This specific quality of the camera is never more apparent than in a photograph of a nude: we are looking at an individual, real woman. However, we will always misunderstand and under-appreciate the finest photography if we insist on judging it by the standards of fine art. What we must look for are photographs which combine the camera’s unique qualities with a sense of form and mood.