Post by Saknika on Sept 30, 2009 23:04:34 GMT -5
Conceptual photography is not something that is easy to do for those who struggle with symbolism. In order to do conceptual photos well, you have to be able to convey an idea through [sometimes] unconventional but aesthetic means. This will be a challenging practice, but if you can master it or find you have a natural talent for it, then you’ll find that your imagery will become just that much more powerful.
The big thing to realize is that most fine art photography draws on the idea of conceptual photography in some way, and usually heavily. That is why fine art photographs are so difficult to achieve, and why those who do it well have the opportunity to make good money off of it.
Concepts can be very abstract, or very obvious. And because the photograph will be conceptual, it’s infinitely more difficult to explain what one needs, and easier to give examples.
Example One: Many of you remember this thread with a photo of mine. It’s fine art in essence, and a still life; but it’s also conceptual. The question is, why. It’s simple, really. The lily pad and lotus aren’t real, but the concept of them is given through the folding of paper into the proper shapes. The water beneath on the other hand, is real. But, even if it weren’t, the concept of that lotus floating on water would still be there.
Example Two: This photo takes the idea of the sea, and a boat, and abstracts it with origami and coloured pencils. It’s not a real boat, nor it is water, but the concept of the ship sailing is clearly conveyed.
Example Three: This photo is a little more abstract. At first it’s just two very adorable kittens, but if you look closer (without looking at the title!) you’ll notice that they also form a YinYang. The concept is there, but the subject matter isn’t necessarily as noticeable. However, if it were two tiger cats, this photo would just be cute. With the black and white and concept behind it, it packs a better punch.
So the basic way to make this work, is to follow these steps:
1. Pick an idea for a concept.
2. Choose objects that can convey this concept, and photograph.
3. Post your photo, and please provide a short explanation of your concept.
4. Constructively comment on the photo by the person before you.
5. Reshoot or try a different concept in which you can improve, using the constructive comments you received.
6. Share your new image, and enjoy your improvement.
So what ideas should you use?
As you can see, it can be very simple to very abstract. One of the good ways to get a concept going, is to use old adages. Some you may want to try are as follows:
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”
“Birds of a feather flock together”
“Not the brightest crayon in the box”
“What goes around, comes around”
“To wear your heart on your sleeve”
If that doesn’t work for you, take a photo, and represent it with unconventional objects, just like examples one and two.
Or, you can take an idea and form it into a photo, like mine below.
My conceptual photo that I will share is one based off of the western idea of the grim reaper, and the eastern (specifically Japanese) idea that the dead cross a river, known as the River Sanzu. The east also has the idea of a grim reaper, but it is not exactly the same as our western ideas. So for me, the Grim Reaper is crossing a bridge over a river, or in other words, leading the dead across the River Sanzu.
The big thing to realize is that most fine art photography draws on the idea of conceptual photography in some way, and usually heavily. That is why fine art photographs are so difficult to achieve, and why those who do it well have the opportunity to make good money off of it.
Concepts can be very abstract, or very obvious. And because the photograph will be conceptual, it’s infinitely more difficult to explain what one needs, and easier to give examples.
Example One: Many of you remember this thread with a photo of mine. It’s fine art in essence, and a still life; but it’s also conceptual. The question is, why. It’s simple, really. The lily pad and lotus aren’t real, but the concept of them is given through the folding of paper into the proper shapes. The water beneath on the other hand, is real. But, even if it weren’t, the concept of that lotus floating on water would still be there.
Example Two: This photo takes the idea of the sea, and a boat, and abstracts it with origami and coloured pencils. It’s not a real boat, nor it is water, but the concept of the ship sailing is clearly conveyed.
Example Three: This photo is a little more abstract. At first it’s just two very adorable kittens, but if you look closer (without looking at the title!) you’ll notice that they also form a YinYang. The concept is there, but the subject matter isn’t necessarily as noticeable. However, if it were two tiger cats, this photo would just be cute. With the black and white and concept behind it, it packs a better punch.
So the basic way to make this work, is to follow these steps:
1. Pick an idea for a concept.
2. Choose objects that can convey this concept, and photograph.
3. Post your photo, and please provide a short explanation of your concept.
4. Constructively comment on the photo by the person before you.
5. Reshoot or try a different concept in which you can improve, using the constructive comments you received.
6. Share your new image, and enjoy your improvement.
So what ideas should you use?
As you can see, it can be very simple to very abstract. One of the good ways to get a concept going, is to use old adages. Some you may want to try are as follows:
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”
“Birds of a feather flock together”
“Not the brightest crayon in the box”
“What goes around, comes around”
“To wear your heart on your sleeve”
If that doesn’t work for you, take a photo, and represent it with unconventional objects, just like examples one and two.
Or, you can take an idea and form it into a photo, like mine below.
My conceptual photo that I will share is one based off of the western idea of the grim reaper, and the eastern (specifically Japanese) idea that the dead cross a river, known as the River Sanzu. The east also has the idea of a grim reaper, but it is not exactly the same as our western ideas. So for me, the Grim Reaper is crossing a bridge over a river, or in other words, leading the dead across the River Sanzu.
