Find your truth in fine art photography.

Discovering landscape photography.

From historic landscape photographers like Ansel Adams to contemporary pros like Dan Tom, photographing landscapes often falls within the realm of fine art. These artists communicate the truth of a scene and strive to share it with the world. There’s a lot to learn about environmental causes and the nature of the world within the work of landscape photographers.

Looking into fine art portrait photography.

Portraiture can be a wonderful example of fine art, but not all portraits are considered fine art. Headshots created for a business website, for example, wouldn’t be categorized as fine art. But portraits created with intention, like those by Justin Dingwall, or the work of the legendary Robert Mapplethorpe, strive to represent the world and communicate an attempt to understand it. People are drawn to looking at other people, and portraits and self-portraits are a wonderful opportunity for capturing the experience of the human condition.

Finding the quiet truths within still life photography.

A still life is a collection of inanimate objects arranged as the subject of a composition. There are countless famous still life paintings and photos in museums around the world. While still life photographs often take the form of product photography today, by stepping out of the box, like photographer Elise Mesner, you can capture something unique and fanciful. Taking a whimsical approach to capturing something simple can allow you to create a distinctive voice and find a new perspective on that item.

Pursuing your passions.

The world of photography is practically endless, and these are just a few of the forms fine art photographs can take. If street photography, fashion photography, or astrophotography is what interests you, do some research and find the famous work within those disciplines that inspires you. Learning from pros is an invaluable tool for bettering your skills. 

What makes great fine art photographs.

While art is subjective, the same rules that make a commercial or product photo successful also make a fine art photograph. Photographer and teacher Tina Tryforos suggests focusing on “compelling content that pulls the viewer in, really good composition, and beautiful light.”

“Great fine art photos often have three things,” photographer and professor Ariel Wilson notes. “They have an aesthetic draw and are visually appealing, are well constructed and crafted, and have some form of conceptual engagement.” If you can create an interesting image that’s well constructed and related to a larger idea, you can create fine art photos.  

The role of post-processing.

You don’t need to capture your image perfectly in the camera. Post-processing tools, like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom, can help you transform and elevate your image. “Use any means necessary to get your point across,” notes Long. When it comes to photos and digital art, everything is up for interpretation. It’s all art. For example, a photo of an apple isn’t an apple — it’s a representation of an apple. And depending on the light, exposure, and composition of that image, the intent of the photo changes.

Tips for fine art beginners.

Learn your tools.

To create great fine art photos, you need to understand the tools at your disposal. Get a handle on how to use your camera and test out different settings. When you understand the intricacies of depth of field, focal length, and shutter speed, you can use those tools to better convey your ideas.

Change your perspective.

Try photographing a mundane object 100 times to see the different perspectives and visuals you can create. While 95 percent of those images may be useless, you’ll better understand your tools, and you can end up with five very interesting images. If you’re used to shooting in color, try creating black-and-white photographs for a change. Mixing up the way you create your photos can help you elevate your ideas and find a new perspective.