Chapter 17. Artsy Photos: Fine Art, Composite Pictures, and Abstracts
Turning to fine art photographs
Understanding the elements used in abstract pieces
Working with multiple exposures and collages
Sparking creativity using digital techniques and film cameras
No black-and-white areas or defined lines separate artistic photography from commercial, scientific, and journalistic forms of photography. Any photograph can be considered art. For example, a microscopic image of the elements that make up a chemical can be used for scientific purposes but also can be used as an abstract piece of art (most people won't recognize what they see in the image anyway). Similarly, a journalistic piece can provide a message about the hardships of Cuban citizens, and an artistic piece can provide the same message. Commercial photography and artistic photography both usually are created to provide aesthetic pleasure. So how can you tell the difference?
Art photographs are those that are produced directly in accordance with the creative ideas of the photographer. Art typically has a personal message. It doesn't have to be truthful, politically correct, meaningful, relevant, representational, or clear in its message — but, of course, it can be. The thing about art photography is that you just know it when you see it. In this chapter, I discuss different art forms in photography and help stimulate your creative thought process.
Classifying Photography as Fine Art
Commercial photography often tries to sell an idea, a sense, or an emotion in order to sell a product or the reputation of a person. Fine art also sells ideas, senses, and emotions but without trying to sell the specific product or person. It's more universal and open for interpretation. The message is sold to you simply to make you experience it. An artist likes to get a reaction from viewers and doesn't need a reason or a product to support his message. An example of a fine art message could be that the human form is powerful and sensitive at the same time.
The first step to creating fine art is finding subject matter that's interesting to you. If it catches your eye in real life, you should be able to compose a beautiful image of it as fine art. Also important is composition. Successful composition in fine art photography has a sense of poetry: The shapes, lines, tones, and lighting work together to provide an image that needs no explanation. Viewers easily can feel something when looking at a well-composed image; it will cause viewers to study it longer and get a better understanding of its intended message.
Figure 17-1 shows a photograph of a common scene from the side of a mountain. The purpose of this image is to give viewers something nice to look at. It provides a warm and comforting sentiment that most people can relate to.
When creating art you don't always have to go out of your way to be completely original. Taking a common theme and executing it extremely well can sometimes provide the most satisfaction to the artist and the viewer. As Henry John Heinz, the founder of Heinz Ketchup, said, 'To do a common thing uncommonly well brings success.'
If you do an image search online for fine art photography, you'll come across many examples of dramatic and ultraexpressive portraits, studies of the human figure, sublime landscapes, patterns in nature, still-life images of flowers, images of strangers in public areas, and scenes of weathered and abandoned structures. Anything you're interested in can be the subject of a fine art photograph.
In the following sections, I provide information on how to light your subject in a fine art photo and how to make the best of any scene or situation.
Figure 17-1: The sunset may be the most common artistic theme but not without good reason.
Lighting your subject
When deciding how to light a subject in fine art, consider what's most important to the particular subject's essence. Shape, form, and texture should determine the direction and quality of light you use. (For more about lighting, see Chapter 10.) Here are a few points to keep in mind:
Soft light coming from the side helps accentuate a subject's form. Hard light coming from the side helps accentuate texture.
Light coming from the front minimizes the amount of form and texture a photograph reveals.
Backlighting your subject helps to maximize the emphasis on a subject's shape by creating a silhouette.
The desired dramatic impact you want determines how much contrast you make in your composition. For example, you'll most likely photograph a subject that's beautiful and surreal with very little contrast. Doing so helps to
create a dreamlike essence. Conversely, you'll likely photograph a mysterious and dramatic subject with very high contrast so you reveal only the details that you want viewers to see.
Figure 17-2 shows a surfer in a tropical environment. The subject is lit in a way that makes him stand out from the other elements in the scene, but his face is hidden by shadow. This shadow is created by the direction and intensity of the key light. The soft quality of the light helps create a melancholy mood, and the high contrast creates mystery. The purpose of this image isn't to show the man's identity like a portrait would but to look pleasing and to convey a message, idea, or feeling.
50mm,
Figure 17-2: Fine art often can conceal specific details (like the face) and reveal an idea ratherthan an identity.
Making the best of your situation
Have you ever shown up somewhere and had your friends tell you the scene or situation was better the last time they were there? Like when surfers say, 'You should have been here last week when the waves were overhead!' As a photographer, know that what happened last week doesn't matter. You're here now and have to make the best out of what you have. A surfer may be bummed when the waves are puny, but if he's smart he'll find another way to entertain himself. Similarly, a good artist can find aesthetic qualities in any situation.
Being present and paying attention to your surroundings ensures that you capture great moments as they happen. Many beautiful fine art images have been created on the spot and without planning. A surprise for you is a surprise for your viewers. If you see something that inspires you to create a work of art but you feel that the
