What’s the difference between a snapshot and a fine art photo? Is it the subject? Is it the size of the print? Surely it’s not the camera. I probably shouldn’t pose a question that I can’t clearly answer, but I do think the topic is worth exploring.
I learned a long time ago that beautiful scenes don’t always translate into a beautiful photo. Sometimes it’s best to just enjoy the scene, and maybe take a snapshot to record the experience. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a fine art photo of beautiful scenery, it’s just that I feel that we need something more in the image than just a beautiful scene.
It’s really difficult to describe what makes fine art; it’s one of those things that you know it when you see it. A fine art photo can be completely abstract, or completely realistic. It can be vibrantly colored, or simple black and white. It’s normally going to be a pleasing scene, but sometimes the image is a bit troubling and makes you think.
For me, there are two qualities that a fine art photograph will always have. First of all, it should show you not just the scene, but the photographer’s interpretation of the scene. The goal of my fine art photography goes well beyond documenting a scene – I want to apply my own interpretation. It may be through how I manage the colors, or through other digital transformations that bend the image to fit my point of view.
The other characteristic of a fine art photography is the quality of the finished result. Quality starts in the camera, but the “digital darkroom” work also has to preserve and enhance the quality of the result. That means carefully managing tones and colors as well as the perceived sharpness. I don’t want the viewer to notice any the work I’ve done, it should just look clean and pure with no noticeable flaws.
My own fine art photography always takes the form of a large, archival print. That means the print itself also needs to be executed well. Large prints are much more difficult to handle without damage, so a great deal of care is needed in mounting and framing.
There’s a reason we have a common figure of speech to describe something done exceptionally well. A fine art photograph should truly be “a work of art.”
