Fine art photography is one of those areas of art that puts more focus on the content, story and emotions of the image rather than the technical aspect.
The creation of pure photos (as called by some artists) is a personal journey and requires more planning and patience. Fine art photographs don’t just occur like action photos; they are generally more curated and designed by the photographer.
What is Fine Art Photography?
Fine art photographers combine taking pictures and the conceptual thinking behind the content as an entire process. It’s an opportunity for the photographer to get more personal by expressing feelings, situations, memories and ideas through the subjects in the scene.
Given that all good photographers should aim to invoke a bit of themselves in every photo they take and their images should cause a reaction in their audience – couldn’t all photos be ‘fine art’?
Well the lines are blurred yes, and fine art photography can stretch over a few different genres and ultimately it’s subjective as to what is classified as fine art. But over this fine art photography tutorial, we’ll detail the principles, approaches and thinking that creates the foundation of an obvious fine art photograph.
The concepts seem to come from different places and the end result is often different. Even if the processes are the same.
What Makes a Photograph ‘Art’?
This is probably the most controversial section of our fine art photography tutorial as they answer the question ‘what makes photography art?’ will yield a million different responses.
Everyone sees beauty in different places whether you’re a photographer or not. Therefore the photography definition of ‘art’ is a little vague. Photographers are sometimes a little more in tune with finding interest and beauty in situations that are otherwise overlooked by others. It’s that creative interpretation of the scene that starts the separation between snapshot and artwork.
Fine art photography should be created as carefully as a painting. The resulting images aren’t taken as everyday photos in a quick moment.
Instead, they require a lot of groundwork planning out the message, detail, relationships within the overall composition. Some fine art pictures are put together with others as a photo series, they may not be a standalone photograph.
These fine art photography definitions may sound vague but that’s because the meaning of art itself is always changing and evolving. Hopefully, the accompanying images on this fine art photography tutorial will give further understanding and ideas.
Ultimately the main goal of fine art photography isn’t to demonstrate your technical camera skills. Instead, it’s a chance to express an idea, emotion, or message. This could be personal, social, political or fictional.
We know one thing for sure; fine art photos are not snapshots. Every fine art photo involves a lot of planning. Between the composition, details, and meaning, these images are created as carefully as a painting.
Is My Photography Art?
There are a couple of questions you should ask yourself when you’re thinking ‘is my photography art?’
- How do I feel about this photo?
- Would I miss this photo if it were lost forever?
- How much do I remember about the moment I took this photo?
- Is the story of the photo clear to strangers?
If you are able to answer these with detail then chances are you’ve got some deep and meaningful images in front of you. But don’t expect all your photos to fall under this category. There is a finesse to creating fine art.
If you find yourself spending time convincing or explaining to others the artistic merit of your photos chances are the image is refined enough. Don’t forget about how messy backgrounds and distracting elements ruin a shot.
Who is Fine Art Photography For?
Anyone can be a fine art photographer; there are no hard and fast rules about it. You don’t need a qualification to become a professional fine art photographer but spending time studying the art is advisable for it to become a natural approach.
While you don’t need a certificate to say you’re a fine artist you will find some personalities suit it better than others. Digital photography art requires much more time and dedication in the planning stages. Treat it more like a painting or a sculpture – you may do sketches, test shoots and write down lots of ideas before you even turn the camera on.
Some fine art photographers may have a couple of attempts at the same shot over a number of days or weeks – it’s not an instant moment where it all comes together.
Fine art will test your skills of perception too. It will make you a more creative person and will challenge your perceptions of people and locations.
How to Become a Fine Art Photographer
If you want to be a fine art photographer then you need to go to places that you know will help you create images. These may be places that are out of your comfort zone and away from your home. Fine art will push you to these areas because not everything can be re-created digitally in Photoshop.
Being in the right environment helps you think about the story of the shot. This may stir emotions you’d not considered when planning and it’s exciting to let these new fine art ideas take over.
You must be willing to go the extra mile to make your shots look authentic and sometimes controversial without holding back too much. If you have a busy work and family life you may find that the demands of fine art aren’t possible to match.
While it’s not just an art form for young, carefree photographers you do need to have flexibility in your schedule to dedicate a good amount of time to it.
Autumn 