A Fine Art Photo is Often Symbolic and Complex to Compose

This photograph was created for the collection 'Freedom'.

The Composition of an Art Photography is Complex

The creation of an artistic photograph always begins with the shooting. We place ourselves inside of the photograph and not a montage photo (we are speaking of the photograph specifically rather than the general term of photography). The composition and the framing of an art photo is very complex and difficult to achieve. Indeed, it must have several levels of understanding for an audience. Each level must give a way of being interpreted and judged.

An artistic photo does not reveal itself at first sight. It must be suggestive. It takes time to interpret and understand what the artist wished to translate. An audience must stand in front of an image when it is printed and contemplate, interpret and examine the content from an emotional viewpoint.

An artistic photograph suggests introspection, the search for oneself. Deciphering the meaning of an art photo takes time because it is not concrete or factual.

An Art Photograph Does Not Need to be Located

The geographical location of an artistic photograph of nature whether animal, landscape, or underwater, does not need to be specified. This information does not matter.

The geographical location can be named and specified in the form of a subtitle, but the important thing is that the photographed scene is at the service of the artistic vision of the photographer. It must serve as a support for the message that must be transmitted.

A popular scene or an area that is easily identified by the general population is an excellent subject of an introspective artistic photo. It is the photographer who will choose how he will embellish the scene to convey the message and emotional impact. The photographer wields the paintbrush.

An exceptional scene or behavior does not necessarily make a photograph into an artistic picture, unless the photographer knows how to utilize the proper tools and techniques when shooting, and later when highlighting with post-processing. An exceptional scene is not a sufficient condition for the creation of a photographic work of art. Emotional and sentimental content is necessary otherwise the photography will lack artistic interest.

Incorporating technique into a photograph is the main difference between artistic photography and documentary photography. A documentary photo must show an extraordinary place or an exceptional behavior. It is often the unexpected and the exceptional that characterizes this photographic genre. However, a documentary photo is difficult to achieve, as it is a rare testimony to a single moment in nature. Such a picture provides nobility. For example, a rare animal makes an excellent subject for a unique documentary photo. A distant, harsh landscape that is difficult to access also makes an exceptional documentary photo. An underwater image of the ocean’s mysterious depths presents significant technical challenges. Overcoming these challenges is what makes a documentary photograph successful. Because few people attempt to master the rough wilderness, documentary photos are valuable. Nevertheless, if the author did not use the scene to convey his emotions and perspective, then the photo has poor artistic value.

Let's not forget that a documentary photographer does not have to get involved in the photo he makes. It is factual and should be designed to express an unbiased opinion.

Finally, whether the scene is banal or extraordinary, the photographer must obey the same artistic photography principle: the photograph must convey the vision of the photographer.

The Metaphorical Level of an Art Photo

As we mentioned earlier, an artistic photograph must be read on many levels. One of them, and for us, it's certainly the most important on the metaphorical level.

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a term, a set of terms, or an idea is defined by an expression that normally means something else. For example, when we speak of a tree, we call it "a witness to the passing of time". When we see a sky laden with dark clouds we are referring to "the wrath of heaven".

Artistic photography, like other forms of art, can express itself in a metaphorical form. The question we are often asked is "Is it better to express an emotion in metaphorical form rather than using more clearly direct words?" For us, the answer is yes. Indeed, art photography is not descriptive nor is it factual. It reflects the photographer's opinion, sensitivity, and emotion. Metaphorically expressing the character of a photographic work only extends the artistic photographer's vision and artistic approach.

Again, if we use our example of trees, a documentary photographer would say that they are "perennial plants, ligneous, ramous, which can reach at least 7 meters of height and bear their durable branches only at a certain distance from the ground." As photographers who create fine art photographs, we see the trees as witnesses to times long past. These expressionless figures have been contemplating humanity for hundreds of years.

The use of metaphors is not always easy because they are arbitrary and engage only the author who uses them. Moreover, they vary from one culture to another.

In artistic photography, it is the elements of the scene that express the metaphor desired by the artist photographer. This method allows the artist to assert his vision and style.

Another example of research on photographic metaphors concerns gelada monkeys. It is a species only found in the highlands of Ethiopia. For us, they are not monkeys but an anthropomorphic vision of our human societies. We never photograph human beings, thus, thanks to the geladas, we can express our perspective on humanity.

Finally, the use of metaphors creates a higher level of reading to photographic works created by an artist. It is necessary to know how to use them wisely so that audiences with diverse cultures can interpret and read them without causing misunderstandings as unintentional as they are.

Fine Art Photography Requires Quality

A photographer who wishes to create photographs of art must be irreproachable in the quality of his/her photos. By using the word quality, we imply several points that are essential for us.

The word quality implies that each photograph must be carefully thought out so as to match the artistic approach chosen by the artist.

The word quality applies to each shot, whether for the choice of the point of view, the choice of the composition, or for the choice of framing. But quality also means perfect technical mastery in noise management and the degree of sharpness.

The word quality almost implies that the development of the photos must be technically flawless. This does not mean that the chosen aesthetic should please every viewer, however, each detail must be made with care and delicacy. For example, the cropping, the removal of the sensor’s spots, and the management of the horizon must be precise.

Finally, the word quality integrates the presentation of photographic works. The photographer himself must convey tremendous importance, taking care to be strictly professional when presenting his work to different audiences. He owes them respect, and this should be shown through every detail of the performance, whether it be the support of the photographs, the frames, or the frame liners. All of these things must be chosen carefully. Nothing must be left to chance.

The evocation of these few points, even if they are incomplete, show that a qualitative creation of fine art photographs is very time-consuming. With only twenty-four hours a day and only seven days a week, quality must efficiently dominate quantity.

Every detail counts when creating an artistic photograph. Nothing must be neglected. So, does the reputation of the photographer. A fine art photographer must never forget the respect it owes to the people who will look at its works. Without them, he would not exist.

Limited production is a guarantee of quality work because the time spent will be longer for each photograph. But danger lurks for the author. We have not experienced it personally, but we have already observed it. When a work is created, and it is successful, it is very tempting to reproduce it using all the quality criteria that we have just mentioned. As the whole chain is mastered and known, it is very easy complete this method of “copy-and-paste” as in a word processor. Unfortunately, each series after the other begins look identical as the first. For us, this is a grave mistake because the photographer falls into mass production. Even if the quality of the final photos is present, the artistry is not. When the artist favors quantity over quality, it is an act of disrespect towards the audience.

Why and How Creating Fine Art Photos

Defining art photography (fine art photography) is complex and difficult. For years, we have been trying to express ourselves as photographic artists, and through this process we have gained certain certainties about this artistic discipline, which we will share in this article.

We also think it is important to share our thoughts because this is what we have been doing for several years during our photography workshops.

This photograph was created for the collection 'Musical notes on water'.

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An Art Photograph is Created to be an Artistic Work

To create an artistic photograph, the photographer must consider himself to be an artist by taking control of the creative process. In this article, we have already explained that, for us, photography should be considered to be an artistic discipline.

Making an art photograph requires a special creative approach that remains strictly separate from documentary photography.

Indeed, creating an art photograph goes well beyond the representation of a scene. It does not have to account for reality. Most importantly, an artistic photograph is an image that shares a photographic vision an artistic approach that always sends a contemplative message to its viewer. The situation can also be described as a metaphor.

The photographer is completely involved in this process. The scene he chooses is merely an excuse to portray his emotions and feelings.

Art Photography is not “Just” a Documentary

An artistic photograph is not “just” a documentary. We use the word “just” as it is very important—we use it with a special purpose. Indeed, for us, art photography can be approached from a documentary perspective, where the photographer equips certain means during a shoot or during post-processing to beautify an image while maintaining his interpretation of the scene. He can also use an easily recognizable scene to create a metaphor or a parable highlighting the photograph’s purpose.

But what is documentary photography? It is a photographic discipline that is both factual and descriptive. It does not need to be aesthetic. The purpose of a documentary photograph is to illustrate a magazine article, a book, or to serve as a legal document for administrative papers.

This type of photography is not intended to create a parable, a metaphor, or to transmit a message. Above all, it is a descriptive snapshot. A documentary photograph is a testimony to a fact.

The technical evaluation criteria are simple. A documentary photo must:

Have the subject(s) presented in sharp composition.
Expose the central theme accurately.
Manage colors smoothly.
Have a strong contrast.

For example, it should not have overexposed or underexposed areas because key details could be lost, and the factual aspect would be called into question.

For example, documentary photography is intended for researchers because it has the value of testimony over time.

In a documentary photograph, the photographer must not engage from an emotional point of view or express an opinion of the scene that is photographed. A rule of thumb is that the photographer must be absent from the scene. His beliefs and his opinions should not be reflected or expressed either implicitly or explicitly. The photographer must be totally neutral, as if his presence never existed.

To expand this reasoning further, a documentary photograph could be taken by a totally autonomous camera that would take pictures automatically.

An artistic photograph pursues completely opposite goals. It depicts a scene that is detached from reality. It does not have to account for what the people on the scene have seen, as it is only a personal interpretation of reality.

It must show the artistic vision (the artistic approach) of the photographer, who should be completely immersed in the creative process of the work. This reasoning goes so far that one will be able to recognize the brand and style of the photographer.

When an artist photographer reaches this stage of creativity, he is in the prime of his art profession. When creating an artistic photo, the photographer weaves his passion and soul into his work, metaphorically speaking. Indeed, he must be present in the picture even if we do not see him. An audience must be able to guess that someone is behind the viewfinder. As we have described in this article, in general, art is a means for a person to express his personality, to show his vision of the world and his source of inspiration. This is what it means to be an artist.

Being an artist is to share one’s perspective of the world by interpreting reality.

If we follow this principle, fine art photography is a way to share a photographer's vision with an audience. It is for this reason that an artistic photograph is completely different from a documentary photograph because it reflects the expression of an artist who is a photographer.

But an art photograph can have documentary bases. By post processing the photo, a photographer gives artistic relief by transforming the subject into a medium of black and white or by saturating the colors, or perhaps by changing the depth of the field. These transformation tools are infinite. Power lies within the photographer's imagination, and only he can limit himself.

An Art Photography is Always Processed

As we said before, an art photograph is an interpretation of the real world by a photographer. The transformation tools to manipulate reality are mostly installed computer software. As we will see in a future article, the use of computer tools allows the artist to translate an image into an artistic photo. Processing reinforces the artistic approach or the photographic vision of a photographer by illuminating key points.

The goal of this conversion is to allow the artist to always produce works that can be recognized and attributed to him at a glance. It takes years to achieve this result. This is the ultimate achievement for an artist: to be recognized by his style. It is a constant task. It is incessant, meticulous, difficult, and delicate, because the photographer must first discover his own personal style and affirm it before incorporating it into each work that is produced. To isolate one’s particular style is the most complex stage for an artist to fulfill. Again, the word “artist” is used in a general sense.

Mastering computer tools is not a guarantee of producing quality art photographs. Certainly, it is the artistic work itself that determines its success. The photograph alone must interpret reality. Computer techniques illuminate certain aspects but are not a sufficient condition to be considered as a quality artistic approach.

An artist photographer who uses software to transform reality must do so by being consistent from one photo to another. His style must be visible, identifiable, and clear for all individuals who will look at the photos. For us, it is certainly the most difficult stage. This Holy Grail is difficult to attain.