I was thinking the other night about the process of giving life to a fine art photograph. What are the steps on takes; what is the path one follows? Ever since my first workshop with Alain Briot I’ve been on a journey of discovery with the goal being to have a better understanding of my personal style, my unique way of viewing and presenting the world. There were several “Ah-ha” moments that evening, one of them being that one’s personal style is embodied in one’s workflow, the steps one takes to produce a fine art photograph.
In looking at this from a big picture perspective it seems there are two types of photographers – those that previsualize the final photograph while in the field and those that discover the photograph while in the darkroom (digital or chemical). Certainly one must capture the right moment, the right light, the right composition in the field if there’s to be any chance of producing a fine art photograph. But some photographers have a clear idea of what they want to say at the moment the shutter is snapped. I’m of the latter group. I fully explore the photograph in the digital darkroom and so often the artistic potential is revealed as I journey through my ‘workflow.’
By the way, I used the word ‘capture’ above. I really hate the term ‘digital capture’ that is used so often to describe our art when the medium is a digital camera. It’s so left-brain, so technical, the antithesis of art. Besides, if we’re artists, I don’t believe we capture our subjects. In fact, it’s the complete opposite – our subjects capture us. But back to the journey to a fine art photograph. I just had to get that off my chest.
So, you’ve uploaded your files from your camera and selected an image to work on. The first question to ask and answer is, “Where do I start?” There are so many choices, so many starting points for this journey. What tool should I use to perform the RAW conversion? Should I use HDR or select a single image that has the best exposure? Does this image need DxO or Light Zone? How much adjustment should I do in Light Room; should I strive to do the majority of the global adjustments or leave them for PhotoShop? There are so many starting points for this journey and each will lead you to a different destination. It strikes me that this is analogous to the opening moves in a game of chess, not that the image is your opponent but that the interplay between artist and image throughout the course of the journey will be influenced by the first move you make, the first step you take. Another analogy is writing the first line of an article, a story or a novel. It sets the tone and the direction. Who can forget, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of time.”
That first step is a bold one and once made you’re on your way…
(340)
One thought on “Journey to a Fine Art Photograph”