Photography is a fine art

Photography is a fine art but not all photographs are necessarily fine art. Fine art is often defined as; creative art, especially visual art whose products are to be appreciated primarily or solely for their imaginative, aesthetic, or intellectual content. So if I create a photograph primarily or solely for its imaginative, aesthetic, or intellectual content I can classify it as fine art. In fact, all the art museums I have visited have photography displayed along with other various pieces of art. All of the art galleries and art shows I have seen have photographs displayed. Apparently, it isn’t just my opinion but also the views of curators of museums and galleries.

Some would argue that the camera does all the work unlike painting, sculpting, or other traditional arts, but I will argue back that to achieve the specific fine art photograph I intend takes skill, knowledge, creative vision, and talent.

It is important, for me, to see that as time has gone on photography is being accepted as fine art because I am working to create pieces of art through my photography.

Nearly all of my photographs are very intentionally created where I am controlling or working with the light, adjusting the settings on my equipment to get the look and feel I want. I then take the raw image and work with it further using software to create the final finished product I envisioned. When I’m creating pieces as projects I don’t “just push the button”. I am taking all the training, skills, and knowledge I’ve learned over the years and putting them together. I am considering all the books, paintings, drawings, sculptures, and other pieces of art I have seen. I am creating a visual piece of art so viewers can appreciate them for the imaginative, aesthetic, or intellectual content. My work may not appeal to everyone just as any art form may not appeal to everyone.

To those who say photography can’t be fine art I say, “That’s just your opinion, man”.