Photography is the art or process of producing images by the action of radiant energy and especially on a light sensitive surface (such as film or an optical sensor). It is an application and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light sensitive material, like photographic film.It is employed in many fields of science, manufacturing (such as photolithography), business, as well as its more direct uses for art, film and video production, recreational purposes, hobby and mass production.
Photography can be an art form, but not all photographs are created to be artworks or as forms of artistic expression. It took time for photography to be truly recognised as a valid art form. However, in the present day, many art museums and art galleries now exhibit photographic artworks.
Photography art is photographs that have been created to be seen as artworks. They have been developed specially for creative expression, not for a commercial brief. They are rare and collectible and can be exhibited like other forms of artwork.
Photography art differs from other forms of photography that serve educational, documentative or commercial purposes, such as selling products or documenting evidence or process.
Examples of non-artistic photography could include adverts, passport photos, news photography, etc. And personal photography, such as selfies, everyday portraits, and family photos, are also not considered photography art. However, portraiture can still feature in fine art photography. Some galleries even specialise in this type of fine art photography, such as London's National Portrait Gallery.
Photography uses the same essential elements and principles as other visual art forms like painting and sculpture. The most common elements of art seen in photography include:
- line
- shape
- form
- texture
- balance
- asymmetric balance
- colour
- size
- depth
- light
- positive space and negative space
An artist that works well with the talent of photography is Alex Stoddard, he began taking self-portraits at the age of sixteen in the woods behind his Georgian home, and this stirred in him the need to create and express himself through the craft of photography.
His work focuses on the human form and the process of infusing it with natural surroundings. He also strives to create whimsical and surreal portraits.
This photographer mainly focuses on dark, narrative portraiture. What inspires me about his work is that all of his pieces tell a story of their own. What appeals to me most about Stoddard's photos is that they give out genuine emotion; they are dark, depressing, and beautiful, all at the same time, sometimes looking like they are portrayed by a fantasy.
This photo taken by Stoddard in 2017 is called Bleeding out, with a woman in a blue dress is laying in a patch of blue flowers, who is, supposedly, bleeding out as the title states. I like this image because of the consistency of the colour blue throughout, the colour blue can represent rest and can cause the body to produce chemicals that are calming and release feelings of tranquility. It is also cooling in nature and helps with balance and self-expression. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise and stability, so that this image seems more calmer than the meaning may be. The image has a medium underexposed filter where this gives the overall picture a mysterious and whimsical feeling, like Stoddard had originally intended. The photograph has a rough texture to it, because the patterns of the flowers laying around the woman, as well as the photograph having a soft and silky texture to it as the lighting on the fabric of the dress gives it a smooth shine, the outlines of the shines aren't too bold or bright. The photographer had used a greater field of depth, thus allowing more distance in the image to be more clear with sharper edges, especially in the distance where it looks distant, the smaller the aperture used, the less light would be allowed to be let into the camera lens, making the frame darker. This darker image allows the shutter speed to capture this crisp image with a faster shutter speed as the photographer wanted a still yet meaningful photograph. What I like about this photograph is how simple the image looks, yet how detailed and layered the meanings could be, and so I would say that this image is a success, it captures the whole essence of Stoddards other works that he had created throughout the years.
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