A rhinoceros rests beneath the afternoon sun, sitting back to back with her human friend. There is beauty in the relationship between man and animal. But there is also sadness. Najin is one of only two northern white rhinos left in the world.¹

This amazing picture was taken by the Slovenian photographer Matjaz Krivic. Earlier this week he beat 20,000 other entries to win the Travel Photographer of the Year award. His competition included a heron flying with a skinkA small type of lizard. in its mouth, a mouse-eye view of a mighty elephant and a portrait of Mongolian wrestlers.

These images confirm the power of a good photograph. Some would argue that photography is the greatest art form of all. If greatness was determined by popularity, photography would top the charts. 

Photos are everywhere. Unlike more 3D artworks, they translate well to the screen and can be easily shared digitally.

Some think the best art should be able to speak to all. Photos do. As New York Times Magazine Director of Photography Kathy Ryan writes: "Photographs are the universal language of our era. Everyone has hundreds, maybe thousands in their pocket."  An estimated 1.81 trillion photos are taken worldwide every year, around five billion a day and 600,000 a second.

Others strongly disagree. The Guardian art critic Jonathan Jones writes: "A photograph in a gallery is a flat, soulless, superficialOn the surface only. substitute for painting." For Jones, painting requires talent, skill, creativity and hard work.

A good painting has many layers. But a photograph only captures the surface. Great art requires time and struggle. But a photo is created in a split second. A photographer can keep clicking the button until they get the best picture.

Yes: The goal of art is to be beautiful. The great Romantic poet John Keats wrote that "beauty is truth, truth beauty". Photography is the art form closest to the truth, and therefore the most beautiful. 

No: The best art takes us from the everyday and makes us think. But thanks to print, advertising and social media, photos are so common that it has become part of this daily clutter.

Or... There is no greatest modern art form. Photography, film, painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, performance, installation art, digital art, land art: all of these and more form a rich family.