🖼 My First Time Trying Fine Art Photography... Here's How it Went
A unique way that stretched my “photo brain” through a fantastic break of reality and a mirror of one’s inner self
Since a young child, my mother took me to art galleries and museums to admire art. Key word: admire. Even though I am a photographer, I’ve never tried fine art photography before.
Despite all forms of photography being art, the end goal of the artistic vision serves different purposes. For example, a commercial photographer will follow the client’s brief or vision, then tries to interpret that in an understandable manner to the typical layman, so that the purpose is to sell the product. Different from photojournalism or commercial photography, fine art is not always representational, but rather, symbolic.
Fine art photographers use the medium to bring to life their ideas, emotions, and perspectives. The author has more liberty to communicate their own concept and have more free rein over the subject matter, even in commissioned work.
“Fine art photography is the intentional use of photography as your artistic medium of choice, used to further your conceptual idea.”
– Professor and photographer Ariel Wilson
I love viewing fine art photography, but it had always seemed too difficult to translate my emotions and feelings into physical matter – too abstract to create. In fact, fine art photography needs a strong concept. Something that has been well thought about and processed until fruition.
It wasn’t until my friend and photographer Chase Harris contacted me for a collaboration for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. On that day, I stepped into the doors of fine art photography.
Visual Art Photography Is Created Carefully
One thing certainly describes fine art photos: fine art photos are not candid snapshots. Every fine art photo involves a great deal of planning and tweaking. Between the composition, details, and meaning, these images are created as carefully as paintings.
We carefully planned out the stages of life we wanted to convey. It was no simple step to brainstorm how to express an intangible experience such as “adolescence” or “maturity”. In fact, this is the draft sketch that we envisioned to portray this shot of “birth”:
Childhood was another shot that required deep brainstorming to portray. We stayed away from stereotypical ideas of childishness such as wearing pigtails or dresses. Instead, we wanted the viewer to understand the emotions a child might experience.
In adolescence and the upcoming stages of life, we used the desk to symbolize academics, work, and responsibilities which a growing child is introduced to but not yet fully understood. Think of how a child is excited to go to kindergarten every morning, but little do they know or anticipate that they will dread waking up for high school.
Equipment
Well, lack of equipment. In fact, the day of the shoot, we forgot to bring multiple props to the location. However, we learned that a key to expression is through simplicity.
Originally, we planned to bring books to represent work and academics more plainly, but realized that those props might’ve subtracted from the focus of the image, rather than help. Leaving out the books to avoid overcomplicating the photograph or have excessive distractions, the subject was the sole source of communication.
Maturity and Realization was the most exciting photo out of the series that arised by improv on the set. Chase toppled the desk, as if the subject realized that the true meaning of life is not materialistic – not achieved by futile goals and success which society promises will bring us happiness. Instead, we rise up from the matrix of running on the wheel like a mouse, and begin to search for what brings us genuine fulfillment.
Finally, one reaches the end of the road through finding peace and understanding that life (the grass) has always surrounded us. We appreciate the support of work but recognize that more purpose to living to relish than just our daily tasks. This is the end of confinement and the beginning of freedom.
It’s a Wrap
This was one of the most creative shoot I have ever done, yet it required the least amount of props. Fine art photography is much different that what I am used to, me being mostly involved in commercial and portrait photography. It was a unique way that stretched my “photo brain” through a fantastic break of reality and a mirror of one’s inner self.
But more than just the shoot, it felt almost transcendent to collaborate and critique each other on the editing and story-writing process together as two photographers. I learned a lot about his editing style – which is more of an editorial, film style and very different than mine. In fact, several of the photos featured here were my edits but mimicked his style.
I enjoyed this challenge, from struggling to translate our ideas into a photograph, forgetting almost all our props on the day of, to posing outdoors in 33°F weather while making it seem as if we hadn’t shot at near freezing point. It was eye opening to be involved from beginning to end in a fine art photography shoot, something I thought I was only meant to admire.
I read your letter on the No College Mandates stack. You are far braver than all of the "adults" running universities. Stay strong, the vast majority of America has your back.
I love this. Keep on keeping on :-)