Fine Art Photography

What is your definition of fine art photography? The Wikipedia definition is "photographs that are created to fulfill the creative vision of the artist." This is the definition that I like. To me it is also any piece of beautiful artistic photographic work that is non-commercial that can be a landscape, a portrait, an abstract image or a macro image of some kind.



Different people have different definitions of what fine art photography is, some say it has to be black and white or monochrome, others say that the print has to be matted for framing before it can be called fine art. I do not subscribe to these at all. In truth fine art can be black and white / monochrome or color but I must admit that I do prefer black and white. My own fine art images are exclusively in black and white as I prefer this format for printing and framing. To say though that the photograph must be matted is a little obscure in my view. Surely it is about the image at the end of the day?



One thing I do see on a regular basis are personal photography websites touting themselves as fine art photographers and offering so-called fine art prints. Unfortunately many of these lack any artistic quality whatsoever and are merely record shots or snapshots. I doubt very much if they will see many sales of these! At the other end of the spectrum I also see truly fantastic photographic art on display in photography magazine reader galleries, that the photographer is not promoting or offering for sale or for print from their own site. I'm pretty sure this is down to lack of confidence from the photographer in their own work.

Abstract Ice Images

I love abstract images and photos, particularly those that allow the viewer to see different images and shapes every time they are viewed. For me they also have to contain lots of detail and layers giving an illusion of depth.

One subject that makes great abstract art is ice, especially if there is a dominant color or tone through it. Given the right color and the right light the ice can be made to look metallic or like liquid metal or mercury.



Removing all color and only using black and white also produces excellent images that enhance the liquid metal effect even more. It's also possible to produce images that almost have an 'H.R. Geiger' quality to them.



Ultimately these type of images are best viewed at large sizes so that the detail can really be appreciated. Framing A2 size images and hanging them in a living room or lounge will really add impact to a place and also provides an interesting talking point!