I've always thought photography was an art form, but it had very low appreciation in the beginning, except for some Europeans, and of course Stieglitz. Stieglitz always considered photography to be an art form and is the "father" of the creative concepts of the twentieth century.
The camera cannot, but the photographer can.
A photograph is not an accident - it is a concept.
My last word s that it all depends on what you visualize.
To photograph truthfully and effectively is to see beneath the surfaces.
Black and white photography is truly quite a 'departure from reality', and the transition from one aspect of visual magic to another was not as complete as many imagine.