Fine Art Photography: What Is It And How To Do It?
From technology to art
Life never stands still giving birth to new genres of art and expressive mediums. When the first camera saw the light of the day in the early 19th century, it was merely a way to digitally record the surrounding world. Today, it has definitely become much more than that. With multiple guides on building a perfect composition, a great number of filters and effects allowing photographers to process their shots in the most unexpected ways, photography has long taken its rightful place along traditional types of visual arts. But how exactly do you turn a lifeless digital copy into a living and breathing thing? Here are four basic rules that distinguish a simple camera shot from a fine art photo.
How to make your photos speak
1. Vision
Before a photograph can be considered fine art, you need to have a vision of your future work. That is, you need to imagine, more or less distinctly, how exactly it will look like. To achieve the desired effect, you may need to try different angles or make some changes to the composition.
2. Idea
What differs fine art from just photography is the idea. Your work shouldn’t just aptly capture a view or a person’s face, it should convey a certain emotion or message. No matter if it’s small and private or global and philosophical, but without it things just won’t click.
3. Technique
Technical capabilities can be used to emphasize the artist’s message. Use proper tools to make your work ‘sound’ more profoundly. If you plan to create a series of photos, using the same medium and techniques can become a glue holding the entire concept together.
4. Statement
It might not always be obvious to a viewer what your photo implies. So don’t be ashamed to accompany your work with a brief commentary telling why and how you created it and what it is about. That will help them figure out your intentions and the ultimate message of the photo.
Getting prepared
Going from an amateur photographer to an artist is a long way. And before you start it, ask yourself these questions:
- What subjects do you enjoy photographing?
- What topics are you interested in?
- What thoughts and feelings would you like to put across?
- Are you fascinated with any particular techniques?
Answering them might not be as simple as it seems, but it will help you a lot in finding your own path and succeeding as a fine art photographer. Good luck!