A Definition of Fine Art Photography

A definition of fine art photography is very difficult to pin down, and varies widely depending on who you speak to. But in general it can be said that it refers to a photograph whose purpose is more than just mere representation, and attempts to go beyond realism. Successful artistic photography most often conveys something personal that the photographer wishes to express, while at the same time expressing something universal.

Historically, fine art photography originated with the need for photographs to be taken as seriously as painting and therefore early art photographers used the medium to create photos that had a painterly quality to them. During the Victorian era, photographers such as Julia Margaret Cameron in the UK and Alfred Stieglitz in the US were pioneers in the field of art photography. Since that time, however, fine art photography has moved out of the shadow of painting, and has its own language and traditions on which to draw.

Modern fine art photography is often very innovative and may be concerned more with elements such as form, design or concepts than with recording an event. A fine art photograph may be a complex, staged event and the final image may be highly manipulated.

Happily, photography is readily availabe to so many people today and with the arrival of digital cameras it is easy to experiment with your images. The downside is that many photographers lack individuality. If you want to develop your own voice and style, without committing yourself to expensive courses, then a great book to guide you is The Art of Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression. With well over 100 beautiful photographic illustrations in both black-and-white and color, as well as numerous charts, graphs, and tables, this book presents the world of photography to beginner, intermediate, and advanced photographers seeking to make a personal statement through the medium of photography. Without talking down to anyone, or talking over anyone's head, Barnbaum presents "how to" techniques for both traditional and digital approaches. Yet he goes well beyond the technical, as he delves deeply into the philosophical, expressive, and creative aspects of photography so often avoided in other books. An ongoing, invaluable photographic reference for years to come, this book is truly the resource of choice for the thinking photographer. (Amazon Product Description)

For some artistic photographers, creativity can really blossom after they have taken the shot. If this is you, then Beyond Digital Photography: Transforming Photos into Fine Art with Photoshop and Painter is a terrific resource. Geared for intermediate to advanced users, Beyond Digital Photography is a beautiful and instructive book that uses time-honoured design principles and basic drawing and painting skills, and applies them to digital photographs. The easy-to-follow, step-by-step format allows you to practice a variety of Photoshop and Painter techniques and gives you the confidence to achieve your own expressive goals with great results. In this inspiring book, you'll discover how to transform your photos into works of art:

• Shoot and select photos with good composition and lighting for painting
• Emulate the look of pop art, woodcuts, and dry media texture
• Create Old Masters-style oil paintings, watercolors, contemporary paintings, and abstract art
• Add edge treatments and textured borders with brushwork
• Build creative compositions, such as collages
Create traditional styles such as landscape, portrait, and - life paintings
• Use a pressure-sensitive tablet for gestural, expressive painting