What is this object or event that I see or hear or otherwise sense?
Fine art photography is photography created in accordance with the vision of the artist as photographer. Fine art photography stands in contrast to representational photography, such as photojournalism, which provides a documentary visual account of specific subjects and events, literally re-presenting objective reality rather than the subjective intent of the photographer; and commercial photography, the primary focus of which is to advertise products or services. Fine Art Photography can be best distinguished from a mere photograph by the intent of the artist or concept behind the image. A snapshot versus a creative expression.
What is it about?
Fine art photography is all about concepts, it differs from snap shot or snap shot aesthetic. Fine art photography is well planned before shooting with a camera, the photographs are constructed through concepts and ideas. It's beautiful and creative.
When photographic images are referred to as “fine art,” it raises questions—perhaps because it gives an impression that fine art images are somehow superior; more artistic; even gallery-worthy. Still, there is a history and an established meaning of “fine art images” in the world of photography.
Advocates such as S.D. Jouhar, founder and Chairman of the Photographic Fine Art Association in 1961, strove to establish a new classification of photography created as art, defining “fine art” as “creating images that evoke emotion by a photographic process in which one’s mind and imagination are freely but competently exercised (Jouhar).”
Along those lines, fine art photography was distinguished from commercial photography. Jouhar strove to classify photography as an art rather than a craft, one of the prevailing perceptions at the time. The new definition also encompassed the “technical” perspective from which the photograph was created, emphasizing “fine perception” and “technical execution.”
What does it represent or express?
Fine art photography usually represents and expresses an idea through beauty, it can be interpreted in thousands of words. Work is set in a fast-paced, social environment where an intuitive sense of timing and perception is revealed in the quality of the photographer's work. Investigating present day photographers for the meaning of “fine art photography,” Alain Briton provides a note-worthy analysis of the term in his essay, “Fine Art Photography Top 16” (Briot, 2010), excerpted below:
What does or did it mean to its maker?
- “Become an expert in light
- Compose your images carefully
- Study colors and contrast
- Create images that represent what you felt, not just what you saw
- Focus on quality not quantity
- Master both art and technique
- Master all the aspects of fine art photography (composition, conversion, optimization, printing, curating, and exhibiting)
- Optimize your photographs using layers in Photoshop
- Make the final print your goal
- Mat and present your work in a professional manner
- Focus your work and effort on projects
- Share your work with others and build an audience
- Do not try to recreate the wheel
- Create a personal style
- Do not expect success overnight
- Do not overestimate talent”
Fine art photographers produce high quality, original photographs that convey moods, emotions, ideas and themes that distinguish them as works of fine art. They make bold statements with color and lighting.
As a highly creative and fast-paced career, fine art photography allows for flexible hours as some photographers are self-employed. Others work for portrait studios or art galleries.
A fine art photographer interacts with a wide range of individuals on a daily basis. They collaborate with other artists and designers to create and exhibit their work. Negotiations are made with gallery owners to secure opportunities to display work. Maintaining a highly developed portfolio is vital to speeding career progress and snagging opportunities in this highly competitive field.
Fine art photographers realize that pictures convey more than words can express. Capture more than a fleeting moment and share your vision with the world as you embark on this exciting career path!
Work of Kyle Thompson
Fine art work of Kyle Thompson
Kyle Thompson was born in Chicago on January 11th, 1992. He began taking photographs at the age of nineteen after finding interest in nearby abandoned houses. His work is mostly composed of self portraits, often taking place in empty forests and abandoned homes.
His work encapsulates the ephemeral narrative, a nonexistent story line that only lives for a split moment. These images show the collapse of narrative, as there is no defined story line with a beginning and end; instead, these images create a loop. This fleeting moment lives on in a constant unchanging state. By diverting the view of the face, the images become more ambiguous, the viewer is no longer able to tie a defined story line to the image.
-You describe some of your work as ‘fine art’, what’s your definition for ‘fine art’? What makes a piece ‘fine art’?
-It just means art. I suppose the term “fine art” can come off as a bit pretentious. I just use the term to separate my work from documentary or commercial photography
(From an interview with Kyle Thompson online, resource: http://www.emptykingdom.com/featured/ek-interview-kyle-thompson/ )
What is it a part of?
Fine art photography is a part of aesthetic feelings and perceptions of things, people and the world. It is an understanding of beauty, and building a unique style of beauty. It is a way and method to express an idea through photographs. It is a part of life, a part of imagination, and also a part of perception of beauty.
What are its references?
Fine art, from the 17th century on, has meant art forms developed primarily for aesthetics, distinguishing them from applied arts that also have to serve some practical function. Historically, the five main fine arts were painting, sculpture, architecture, music and poetry, with minor arts including drama and dance. Today, the fine arts commonly include additional forms, including film, photography,conceptual art, and printmaking. However, in some institutes of learning or in museums, fine art and frequently the term fine arts (pl.) as well, are associated exclusively with visual art forms.
One definition of fine art is "a visual art considered to have been created primarily for aesthetic and intellectual purposes and judged for its beauty and meaningfulness, specifically, painting, sculpture, drawing, watercolor, graphics, and architecture." In that sense, there are conceptual differences between the Fine Arts and the Applied Arts. As originally conceived, and as understood for much of the modern era, the perception of aesthetic qualities required a refined judgement usually referred to as having good taste, which differentiated fine art from popular art and entertainment. However in the Postmodern era, the value of good taste is disappearing, to the point that having bad taste has become synonymous with being avant-garde. The term "fine art" is now rarely found in art history, but remains common in the art trade and as a title for university departments and degrees, even if rarely used in teaching.
The word "fine" does not so much denote the quality of the artwork in question, but the purity of the discipline. This definition tends to exclude visual art forms that could be considered craftwork or applied art, such as textiles. The visual arts has been described as a more inclusive and descriptive phrase for current art practice. Also, today there is an escalation of media in which high art is more recognized to occur.
What is it responding to?
Fine art photography is responding to the present society, the issues from society or humanity, or anything that indicates a topic of something, it always metaphorically indicates, expresses, represents a thought, a mind, a statement of a fact or an idea; fine art photography tells a story or fact through a beautiful way of art. And it is an aesthetic taste of photographs.
Why did it come to be?
First, and foremost, a fine art photograph begins with a message, an idea. something extraordinarily profound, but a meaning encoded into the photograph is essential. The purpose of fine art photography is to ennoble the beauty of what is in front of the lens. It is the photographer’s job to fortify the photograph with a clarity of view unique to his or her passion for the subject. Given the beauty of a fine art photograph viewed in person, the photograph itself should hit the viewer on a visceral level—completely “right brained.” That is to say, not to think, but to feel. If the viewer is thinking, not feeling, that it is not fine art. The reaction to the entire photograph should be immediate, and simply overwhelm the sensation of the viewer. Whatever techniques are used by the photographer to get there, they should not detract from the primary mission—which is the ennoblement of the beauty within the subject matter.
How was it made?
Fine art photography is a metaphor for a feeling that the artist is trying to express to the viewer. It is not about the object, place, or event of the photograph, but rather about the feeling generated within the artist as part of the process of the photography.
One photography historian claimed that "the earliest exponent of 'Fine Art' or composition photography was John Edwin Mayall, "who exhibited daguerrotypes illustrating the Lord's Prayer in 1851". Successful attempts to make fine art photography can be traced to Victorian era practitioners such as Julia Margaret Cameron, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, andOscar Gustave Rejlander and others. In the U.S. F. Holland Day, Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen were instrumental in making photography a fine art, and Steiglitz was especially notable in introducing it into museum collections.
In the UK as recently as 1960, photography was not really recognised as a Fine Art. Dr S.D.Jouhar said, when he formed the Photographic Fine Art Association at that time - "At the moment photography is not generally recognized as anything more than a craft. In the USA photography has been openly accepted as Fine Art in certain official quarters. It is shown in galleries and exhibitions as an Art. There is not corresponding recognition in this country. The London Salon shows pictorial photography, but it is not generally understood as an art. Whether a work shows aesthetic qualities or not it is designated 'Pictorial Photography' which is a very ambiguous term. The photographer himself must have confidence in his work and in its dignity and aesthetic value, to force recognition as an Art rather than a Craft"
Until the late 1970s several genres predominated, such as; nudes, portraits, natural landscapes (exemplified by Ansel Adams). Breakthrough 'star' artists in the 1970s and 80s, such as Sally Mann and Robert Mapplethorpe, still relied heavily on such genres, although seeing them with fresh eyes. Others investigated a snapshot aesthetic approach.
American organizations, such as the Aperture Foundation and the Museum of Modern Art, have done much to keep photography at the forefront of the fine arts.
What purpose might it have served its maker or patron?
The purpose of fine art photography is to ennoble the beauty of what is in front of the lens. It is the photographer’s job to fortify the photograph with a clarity of view unique to his or her passion for the subject. But the image is not about the photographer; it is not about the photographer’s camera system; it is not about the photographer’s technique. The photographer is the conduit for the formation of the image, and what tools and techniques are used should invisibly support the beauty within the photograph in celebrating what is before the lens. Historically, prices for fine art photography have tended to be much lower than those fetched by artists working in other medium, but that seems to be changing for some parts of this market, albeit pretty slowly.
Fine art photography unlike commercial photography, its importance in marketing and selling is about the feelings to the artworks. On the other hand, commercial photography is working with clients to take pictures for. Making fine art photography is self-motivated, a project or a piece of artwork that's not set up by any clients, its inspiration is found by the artists or makers, and exposed in public, then attracts the viewers and the viewers decide to purchase or not as a costumer or a patron.
What pleasures did it provide those responsible for it?
The pleasure of making fine art photography is the feelings, emotions and spirits into the art pieces. Photography isn't all about documenting things, it can be art as well. Fine art photography usually inspires the viewers on something, an inspiration comes from visual perception then understand the artwork. That full-stride moment comes when the fine art photographer simply FEELS. The rest is irrelevant. And it comes at a personal cost of gaining maturity of self that is beyond ordinary “things.” It is beyond the point of worrying about what the photographer is getting out of the process in art or reward. It is beyond the point in what others might think of the work. The photographic tool simply has become the means for the photographer to connect with the meaning of life€™s, truth through beauty. What is seen through the lens is a metaphor for truth as shown through beauty. And to get there, the artist must give up all the rest. The perfect light is that which is imperfect.
What needs does it relieve?
Fine art photography relieves from the pressure of the reality, it makes the reality more beautiful in fine art photography, photography is captured by cameras, and camera captures the most real subjects, objects or things, unlike painting or drawing, they are through the imagination and usually turns out not to be the same thing what we see - the real things; fine art photography is capturing the reality and turning into beauty. It is a perception of beauty and perception of beauty relieves the humanity and human's eyes, thoughts and minds.
What does it mean to others?
Fine art photography is a beautiful and aesthetic way of art through photography. Most people who reviews fine art photography would say "wow" or "it's amazing". It is true that fine art photography amazes if it's a good piece of fine art photography.
What does it mean to me?
I am personally very into fine art photography, cause its beauty and how it makes me feel; every time when I look at a new piece of fine art, I would feel, every time, it is a different type of feelings.
Does it affect my life?
I gotta say, fine art photography affects my life a lot, I've been studying photography for 2 years, and not long ago, I've set a goal and path on my photography era, that is doing fine art photography, I love bring my cameras to occasions or places and just take photos around me or for my friend. I like the fact that fine art photography had influenced me quite a lot and I have made the direction of making fine art photography in the future.
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