When you look around at books and the internet you find a lot of reference to ‘fine art photography’. This is all fine and well but what exactly is this and can wildlife photography be classified as such?
Let’s start by looking at what can be seen as fine art. To keep it pretty plain and simple the answer would be – opinion. End of story. What I consider fine art will not even get a second glance from someone else. For the sake of argument however let’s look take this a bit further.
Is a photograph considered ‘fine art’ because that was the intended goal and was shot with that in mind? Is a photograph considered ‘fine art’ when it meets the photographer / artists vision for that specific image? Does a photograph turn into fine art when it is printed on a certain typ of paper with special inks? Is a photograph considered ‘fine art’ when it moves past showing the subject as it literally is and shows the more abstract qualities such as symmetry, lines, tones, beauty?
I suppose the answer to all these questions remains pretty simple – yes.
I have, and still do, strongly believe that wildlife photography can be considered fine art. When you get an image that is more than a tommy-tourist-snapshot and shows more than what you can see it could be fine art. Every day I see people take pictures of wildlife. Lions. Zebra. Landscapes. The majority of the time these images have a ‘documentary’ feel to them and only shows the animal doing what it does. Nothing more. Mood, personality, feeling and even a sense of romance is missing and somewhere in those hides the key to taking wildlife images that transcend genres and can be classified as fine art.
If you know go and process and edit one of these images will it be possible to shape an image closer to that of fine art photography?
Perhaps, but you would still need an image with that special something to work with. Take this image for example.
A breeding herd of elephants drinking water in golden late afternoon sun. This is the image exactly as it was shot. In and out.
Can this image be seen as fine art photography?
Perhaps, depending on who you ask.
What if I were to go and print it on 100% acid free fibre gloss paper. Would that turn it into a fine art photograph?
Does this image have enough to be classified as art by a person who does not care for elephants of wildlife photography?
Now let’s take it a step further. Bring in the photographer and the vision they have for the images. By running the image through a series of basic edits in the digital darkroom that is Photoshop, all acceptable within digital photography, can the image be pushed in the direction of being accepted as fine art?
This is exactly the same image with a few small changes. The saturation has been bumped up slightly. Contrast has been increased and a very small amount of sharpening has been applied. All a normal part of the photographic process.
Has this made a difference to the image with regards to being considered as anything other than what it was originally?
Again – depends on who you ask. Surely if you were to print this image with Epson Claria photographic ink it would look absolutely stunning as a single edition print. Or is that just me being biased towards wildlife photography?
Up until now our test image has only been taken through all the normal photographic steps that any photographer would consider normal. Plan the image in your mind’s eye, shoot the scene, process the image and print the final product. Up until this point nothing has been done to the image with a direct editing input from the photographer since taking the picture.
So let’s try this.
Many photographers are under the impression that you can make an image better, if not yet fine art, by converting it to black & white. Sure, you can get some great results by doing this but have you really gotten involved in the artistic process where a fine art print is the final goal?
This black & white image was made by a single click filter in Photoshop CS4. Not difficult and even though the result is rather pleasing and would look good printed and framed. Is it fine art? Possibly but should there not be more of an involvement from the photographer / artist in reaching the final product? Should you not spend some time and coax the details from the image? Pull the emotion from the scene and use tones, highlights and shadows to show your audience what drew you to the image even before you clicked the shutter?
Why do we do it? Why do we take photographs and make images? This drive is different for all of us but somewhere inside is the desire to create a ‘work of art’ that people will want to look at and that will create emotion when they do.
When an image has intrinsic value to you as the photographer you will be able to create images that move past documentary style wildlife images. You can make wildlife images that, whether printed or not, can be seen as fine art. Taking the picture is purely the beginning of the journey towards creating your own work of art. Why stop there? Keep the process going. Keep the passion going.
Can this image, which is the result of post processing and detailed editing, be considered fine art?
Still – depends who you ask.
The image has been converted to black & white by editing individual colours.
Certain areas have been burned and dodged to make all the various parts of the scene support the ‘vision’ of the image. Is it any better than the previous versions of the image? Will it be seen as fine art by more people now that it has been edited and changed? I am still not sure of the answer as again – it depends on whose opinion you ask.
The entire creative process, from the initial click of the shutter to the final print, forms a part of the photographic experience. If you feel passionate about what you are shooting and have a clear vision for the final image you want to create you will be able to take you wildlife images to a place where more people see it as fine art.
Nature gives us it’s own art to photograph – everywhere. We just have to accept the invitation and allow that emotion, beauty and mystery to flow through the entire process. It is possible! Fine art photography is something that moves you. Something that evokes emotion. Something that has been ceated. Fine art photography is something that comes from passion. Wildlife photography is the same.
Bottom line, can wildlife photography cross into the sphere of fine art? Absolutely!
As always I look forward to hearing from you.
Until next time.
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