People frequently ask me what exactly is fine art photography? Before I answer, I usually take a big breath and brace myself to answer the question in the time it takes to ride a few floors in an elevator as they usually expect a quick answer. And, despite my apprehension to answering their question, I have come to realize that most good answers are the ones that are simple and direct. Hence, I begin by clarifying that fine art photography does indeed have objective criteria despite falling in the subjective and vast realm of art.
NIKON D810 + 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 200, 1/2000, f/5.0
The principal and underlying criteria that distinguishes fine art photography from other fields in photography is that fine art photography is not about digitally recording a subject. Using a camera to document what exactly appears in front of the photographer usually falls in the category of photo-journalism and is frequently found in publications that feature purist images taken with a camera to record the scene as it exactly existed at a precise moment in time.
NIKON D810 + 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 31, 1/1, f/16.0
Fine art photography, on the other hand, is first and foremost about the artist. It is not about capturing what the camera sees; it is about capturing what the artist sees. In fine art photography, therefore, the artist uses the camera as one more tool to create a work of art. The camera is used to make an art piece that reveals the vision of the artist and makes a statement of that vision rather than documenting the subject before the lens.
NIKON D810 + 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm, ISO 80, 1/1000, f/5.0
For example, Georgia O’Keeffe’s famous desert paintings are an expression of her vision of the New Mexico landscape; on the other hand, if a dozen photographers with tripods set their settings to the required exposure after light-metering and took an image of the landscape next to Mrs. O’Keeffe’s easel, the results would be images that would have recorded the scene but not have presented the artistic statement required of a fine art photograph. Hence, a fine art photograph must contain elements of control similar to the controls Mrs. O’Keeffe and all artists use in making an art piece. Ansel Adams’ expressed it best in the quote below:
Art implies control of reality, for reality itself possesses no sense of the aesthetic. Photography becomes art when certain controls are applied.
So, a fine art photograph must go beyond the literal representation of a scene or subject. It must deeply express the feelings and vision of the photographer and clearly reveal that it was created by an artist and not by just the camera. It must be clear that it involved an original, deliberate creation and that every aspect of making the photograph in the field and in the photographer’s post-processing digital studio, including the printing, are an individual expression from within the artist. The fine art photographs you see in the article are examples of the works I have recently completed. Please enjoy and share your thoughts, or perhaps examples of your work, in the comments section below.
NIKON D810 + 200-500mm f/5.6 @ 390mm, ISO 250, 1/1250, f/5.6
This guest post was submitted by Brian Rivera Uncapher. For more on Brian, visit his website or check out his Instagram feed.
This reminds me of the conversation I had a few years ago with an Adobe rep at a public conference at George Mason U in Manassas VA. I was admittedly a newbie to post-editing & was conflicted by its justification.
I asked her how she could call herself a photographer when the end-result depended so heavily on Lightroom & Photoshop. Her response? “I’m not a photographer, but a lens-based artist.” She changed my life with that simple statement!
Excellent article! I came across it tonight while researching some ideas to put in my own piece about the differences between photography and real fine art photography, especially after earlier today seeing a local business promote a woman’s “fine art photography” that was a bunch of snapshots, some not even good compositions (the kind that make you feel claustrophobic/awkward looking at them), she was having a mass-manufacturer similar to a Zazzle shop print up, selling them for $12. SMH. Anybody can hang out a shingle these days, affecting the understanding of pricing for the rest of us folks who actually make art between their brain, their camera, their post-production, and their printing expertise. While the whole “deliberate” thing doesn’t always come into play, as sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you thought and what you didn’t plan turns out even better, but it sure isn’t snap a pic, upload it to an Internet shop, and not care about the prints quality. You quoted Ansel Adams, who spent countless hours in the darkroom utilizing the tools we so easily can do in Photoshop these days (like dodging and burning, copying and pasting multiple negatives together, etc.), not because he sucked in-camera, but because he was making art.
What are you trying to convey with your photography?
Exceptional Article! I think the best-described article for Fine art. It is step by step so I get all answers to my questions and is very informative at the same time.
Very well put across. The subject of what is fine art photography is always a topic for debate amongst photographers.
Many definitions for the term “Fine Art” state the creation of something simply for its beauty without any further purpose. What is beautiful to each of us is different; likely because we all use different life experiences to evaluate what is beautiful. If you want to truly consider having the ability to understand “Fine Art,” you must learn how to remove your prejudice and open up your thoughts such that you can experience the art as closely as the artist did when it was created. This is undoubtedly the most difficult “skill” to achieve around viewing art but once you have it, “Fine Art” becomes demystified and more meaningful. Practice not projecting your motives onto another persons art because it redefine the original meaning by attempting to make it yours, not theirs. This cannot happen if you want to truly understand “Fine Art.” Another way to state this is if you don’t like another persons art, then try to learn what the artist was thinking at the time of its creation, or just walk away but don’t think you are the absolute authority on its value.
Loved ur content..
Brian’s comments and assessment of the definition of Fine Art Photography is the best, most cogent explanation I have seen. I would like to use some of his explanation on my website (credit given).
May I have written permission?
Love the photographs as great examples of the type of digital art to aspire to.
Tell ’em Betty!