Fine art photography means using photography as a medium for creative expression.
In fine art photographs, the personality and the vision of the photographer plays an important role.
Fine art includes most photography genres, from photography manipulation to landscapes and portraits.
Fine art photography ideas come from the soul of the photographer. But sometimes it’s great to boost your creativity by getting inspiration from other artists’ work.
That’s why we’ve collected 21 great fine art photography examples for you.
21. Fine Art Photography Examples: Sunlight.. Planets – by Troyes Christina
Troyes Christina’s image shows perfectly why photo-manipulation is a great tool for expressing your creativity.
She had a unique idea and managed to perfectly realise it by taking images and then playing with them during post-processing.
Don’t be afraid to use photo editing software for creating fine art!
20. Wind – by Farbod Green
Farbod Green gives us a simple portrait where the person’s face is draped in a scarf. This minimal idea is made stronger through a conceptual B&W tone.
The landscape in the background is artistically placed out of focus, which gives an extra mysterious edge.
19. Mountain Fog – by Fabian Irsara
A simple landscape image can create a very minimal, yet conceptual black and white scene.
All Fabian Irsara did was to frame the scene well and wait for the right time.
Due to the natural lighting falling on the scene, it comes out as being very artistic.
18. Bigger than us /4 – by David Schermann
David Schermann creates an abstract image by mixing together a futuristic concept in a natural, landscape setting.
This juxtaposition helps give this fine art photography strength.
Here, the Mise-en-scène is very important, more than any compositional rule.
17. Venetian Bridge Abstract – by Csilla Zelko
At a first glance, you’re not quite sure what you are looking at. This is a great fine art tactic, perfectly employed by photographer Csilla Zelko.
It creates interest and ensures the viewer spends more time looking at the image.
All you need is a kaleidoscopic filter and a great street scene to use it on.
16. LooK – by Anuchit Sundarakiti
Colorful street photography images have a power that can’t be replicated easily.
In this image, we see the presence of three people, in a succession of voyeurism.
The many frames create depth within the abstract image, even if it feels flat.
15. To Exhibit – by Vincent Bourilhon
Fine art photography might be abstract and conceptual, but it doesn’t stop it from having humour. Vincent Bourilhon uses his Photoshop skills well.
His philosophical take on hanging negatives to dry is a great take on an old process.
He manages to mix together the idea of family, daily chores, art and landscape in a single image.
14. Protecting the King – by Simon Downham
Conceptual black and white images can be very powerful. Either in their use of contrast or the ideas behind the scene.
In this image, we see a simple alignment of chess pieces in a simple white expanse. The reflected shadows come across as more white than black, being the oppressor, not the saviour.
See what you have around the house that you could change the meaning of. Then capture it.
Simon Downham took something simple and turned it into powerful fine art photography.
13. The Curious Insider – by Keshav Kandel
Keshav Kandel managed to capture the decisive moment perfectly.
Without the woman opening the window, this image still would have been a great example of fine art architecture photography. But this way it became a street photo with a touch of surrealism.
Looking at this image makes the viewer feel that this was an unrepeatable moment. The perfect composition just strengthens the perfection of the moment.
12. Swanage – by Paweł Prus
By using a tripod, long exposure and Neutral Density filter, you can have some amazing results.
Pawel Prus took his experienced landscape eye and turned it towards the water.
The water looks like a vapor-haze while the remnants of the forgotten pier drag our eyes to the faint horizon.
A few pieces of kit can make all the difference to fine art photography.
11. We are nature. – by Nacho Zàitsev
Double exposures are the guilty pleasure of many a photographer. They were popular a few years ago. But there are still many of us hanging on to its creative touches.
Nacho Zàitsev incorporates a landscape scene into a simple portrait. Man and nature fuse together to create a really deep and meaningful creative image.
10. The Escape – by Mohammed Sattar
It is all a matter of perspective. Is the glass half empty, half full, or did someone sip it while you were looking away?
Mohammed Sattar changes our perspective by creatively using reflected clouds in this minimalist scene.
9. The Tree – by Paul
Simple landscapes are powerful. Especially when they have an element of conceptual black and white to it.
Here, the photographer captured a tree and transported it to a vapor-haze setting.
We are unsure if there is water or how much of the image is manipulated.
But we don’t care. It looks beautiful enough to hang Paul‘s abstract yet minimal scene on our wall.
8. Mixing Of The Senses 11 – by Margaret Morgan
Margaret Morgan’s image is the epitome of South France. The playground of Cézanne is shown brilliantly in this landscape of lavender and warmth.
Leading lines are present, and the colors are complementary. It’s on the edge of minimalism. But, for me, the lighting is what makes this a brilliant example of fine art photography.
7. Alone in a strange place – by Martin Smolak
Martin Smolak presents us with this very manipulated image of a person on the banks of a turbulent sea. The colors are muted and cold.
Houses sit uneasily on the small mountain. Everything about this image is dreamscape-like, from the emotion and atmosphere to the placement of the elements.
The color toning is minimal yet complimentary and the idea is simple. A refreshing, conceptual black and white image.
6. Would you go back – by Ionuţ Caraş
The spiral draws our eye to what should be the ground floor. Instead, we are presented by a gateway of a cloudy nature.
The photographer, Ionuţ Caraş, teases us with a cleverly positioned person at the bottom. A minimal concept, yet philosophically abstract in its nature.
5. 凝望– by 谢宁
For the viewers, this image expresses loneliness. By putting this human into an artificial environment (a building), the photographer created a sense of evanescence.
A great example of fine art photography, because it expresses and evokes feelings.
Meanwhile, it looks great and aesthetic. We could all imagine it in a gallery, but it could be a great decoration for any room.
4. This way – by Inge Schuster
Street photography is often too obvious. The images show us what we see on our daily travels.
Inge Schuster here mixes graphic design and the street for something special.
The colors are strong, and the lines give power to the image. We follow the arrow to the person trying to place him in this 2D abstract world.
3. Corona lockdown – by Thomas Thomopoulos
Fine Art photography can be used for expressing feelings the whole world can relate to.
Thomas Thomopoulos managed to create an image to reflect on the pandemic. It shows the feeling of closeness, which brings out different sides of everyone.
By making it black and white, the shadows, silhouettes, and lights make a great contrast. It enhances the silence of this situation, and the night sky makes it more oppressive.
2. Sailing – by Felix Hernandez Rodriguez
This boat image can remind the viewer of the story ‘Life of Pi’ where a boy is stranded on a boat with a handful of zoo animals. The tale is exceptional, just like this artistic image.
Felix Hernandez Rodriguez has manipulated this landscape and portrait image into a surrealistic scene.
1. Great day for freedom … – by Ahmed Abdulazim
The title gives us the sense that this is a scene in New York before the twin towers fell.
We can’t be sure, but luckily there is much more to the scene than the actual setting. He created a unique texture by extending the lines of the structures.
The birds are untampered, solid objects, which feeds back into the scene and the title.
It’s an artistic cityscape, which makes us feel like we are staring at an impressionist painting. It makes us feel like we were looking at an underwater environment.
Conclusion
You can be interested in any genre of photography, it’s always a good idea to get inspiration from other photographers’ work.
To create fine art, unchain your imagination. Remember, the judgement of art is subjective and it can be controversial. So don’t try to make something that is approved by everyone. I bet you didn’t like all of the images above. Just concentrate on your world.
Fine art photography can literally be about anything. It can appear in landscape photography, street photography, still life images, portrait photography, and even food photography.
Looking at other people’s images not only gets you inspired but evokes feelings and thoughts. It can be relaxing, disturbing, or thought-provoking. But it’s hardly ever neutral.
