Fine Art Photography: A Complete Guide for Artists & Art Lovers

Chiaroscuro: The Power of Contrast

Chiaroscuro, a term from the Italian Renaissance, refers to the interplay of light and dark in a work of art. In the context of photography, chiaroscuro is a technique that creates strong and bold contrasts between light and dark areas in a photograph. This style is often well suited to portraiture, still life and boudoir, or simply to give a scene the illusion of three-dimensionality. It adds depth and a more mysterious atmosphere by creating impact and contrast between highlights and shadows in a photo. Chiaroscuro is also a popular technique often used in black and white photography.

There are several photographers who have used the chiaroscuro technique in their work. Prabuddha Dasgupta is considered a pioneer in both fashion photography and the use of chiaroscuro. Other photographers who have used this technique in their work include Robert Moran and Dani Vázquez, among many others.

Photo: Dani Vázquez

Solarization

Solarization photography, also known as the Sabattier effect, is a unique photographic technique that results in the reversal of tones in an image due to extreme overexposure. This effect is most commonly seen in photographs that include the sun, where the sun appears black or grey instead of being the brightest spot. The process involves re-exposing the photographic film or paper during development, resulting in this dramatic tonal reversal. The areas that have been exposed the least are affected the most by this re-exposure, while the darker areas or shadows show little change. This technique transforms ordinary scenes into surreal images with unconventional tones, creating a distinctive and captivating effect.

Pioneers of the genre include Man Ray, who is often credited with bringing this ethereal technique into the limelight in the early 20th century. His work showcased the technique and elevated solarization from a technical anomaly to an art form with distinct aesthetic qualities. Other notable figures include Minor White and Ansel Adams, who created the iconic solarised image ‘The Black Sun’. Today, the technique continues to influence a wide range of artists and photographers who seek to push the boundaries of their craft.

Photo: Ansel Adams – The Black Sun

Infrared Photography

Infrared photography is a fascinating genre that allows us to explore the unseen world beyond the visible light spectrum. This technique uses the near-infrared light spectrum, with wavelengths ranging from about 700 nm to about 900 nm. The human eye cannot see infrared light, but with the use of an infrared filter or film, we can capture images that show amazing effects. Colours and textures take on unique properties when reflected by infrared light, also known as IR light. The most common result of infrared photography is called the “Wood Effect”, named after infrared pioneer Robert W. Wood. With the Wood Effect, infrared images of scenes reflect light in such a way that foliage appears white and skies take on unusual colours. This effect is commonly used in landscape photography to create dreamy scenes. Skin takes on a smooth texture, perfect for haunting portraits.

Pioneers of this genre include Robert W. Wood, who published the first infrared images in 1910. His photographs were taken on experimental film that required very long exposures, and most of his subjects were landscapes. Today, modern cameras and filters have made digital infrared photography more accessible than ever, and photographers such as Mike Irwin, Ryan Struck, Paolo Pettigiani and Doug Golupski have made significant contributions to the field.

Photo: Paolo Pettigiani

Low-Key Photography

Low-key photography is a fascinating genre that emphasises the dramatic and mysterious aspects of a scene. It involves photographing dark scenes by lowering or dimming the key or front light illuminating the scene and emphasising natural or artificial light only in certain areas of the frame. This technique creates a majority of tones that are darker but not underexposed, creating a mysterious atmosphere that only suggests various shapes, often graphic, leaving the viewer to experience the photograph through subjective interpretation. It’s a style that allows the photographer to be much more creative and produce more artistic results.

Among the proponents of this genre, Edward Weston, Yousuf Karsh and Irving Penn are among the photographers experienced in the “black on black” technique. In addition, Edward Steichen, Imogen Cunningham and Edward Weston are considered pioneers of low-key photography. Their works, such as Steichen’s Portrait of J.P. Morgan and Weston’s Pepper No. 30, are considered some of the earliest low-key photographs. These artists contributed significantly to the development and popularity of low-key photography.

Photo: Yousuf Karsh – John F. Kennedy, 1960

Zone System Photography

The Zone System, a technique developed by Ansel Adams and Fred Archer in 1940, is a method of controlling tone in photography. It provides photographers with a systematic way to precisely define the relationship between their visualisation of the subject and the final result. The system divides the tonal scale into eleven zones, ranging from pure black to pure white, allowing photographers to precisely control the placement of tones. Originally developed for black and white film photography, it has since been adapted for use in digital photography. The Zone System is based on the principle of sensitometry, the scientific study of light-sensitive materials. It’s a powerful tool that can help photographers achieve optimal exposure and tonal range in their images, whether they’re working with film or digital media.

Photo: Ansel Adams – Mount Williamson – Clearing Storm

Focus Stacking

Focus stacking, also known as focal plane merging and z-stacking, is a digital image processing technique that combines multiple images taken at different focal distances to produce a resulting image with greater depth of field than any of the individual source images. This technique is designed to overcome the limitations of depth of field, making it possible to keep both foreground and background elements in an image sharp. The process involves taking several images of a scene, each focused on a different part (i.e. the foreground, mid-ground and background), and then blending these images together to produce a final file that has a sharp foreground, a sharp mid-ground and a sharp background. This technique is often used in landscape, product and macro photography, where different elements need to be in focus at different focal planes.

There are many photographers who use this technique, but good representatives of this genre are photographers like David Leaser and Max Foster who have made significant contributions. David Leaser is known for his detailed botanical images, using focus stacking to bring out the intricate details of flowers and plants. Max Foster, on the other hand, uses the technique in his landscape photography to ensure sharpness from foreground to background, creating stunningly detailed and immersive scenes.

Photo: David Leaser

Push/Pull Processing

Push processing, also known as uprating, is a technique in fine art photography that extends the capabilities of film beyond its standard sensitivity. By adjusting the development process, photographers can use film with a lower ISO rating and expose it as if it had a higher sensitivity. This technique is particularly useful in low-light conditions where extra film speed is required. Push processing alters the visual characteristics of the film, resulting in higher contrast, more grain and lower resolution. It often results in a dramatic charm with deeper blacks and increased contrast, giving images a gritty, raw aesthetic that’s highly sought after in artistic circles. Although it can lead to more pronounced grain and a potential loss of shadow detail, the effect can add a character and mood that’s hard to replicate with conventional development techniques.

Pull processing is a darkroom technique used in fine art photography. It underdevelops film by reducing the development time or chemical temperature, resulting in a unique effect of reduced contrast, muted colours and finer grain. This method manipulates the film’s light sensitivity, or ISO, by treating ISO 400 film as if it were ISO 100. It’s useful in high-contrast lighting to preserve detail, and offers a distinct softness that’s difficult to achieve with digital processing. It’s a popular choice for photographers looking for a specific aesthetic.

Push processing has been used by many photographers, for example Daido Moriyama, a Japanese street photographer, is known for his high contrast, grainy images, a result of push processing. His work often captures the chaos and contradictions of post-war Japan. Another notable photographer is William Klein, an American-born French photographer. His use of push processing in his street photography has resulted in images with high contrast and pronounced grain, adding a raw and gritty aesthetic that has become his signature style. Finally, Bruce Gilden, a street photographer from Brooklyn, New York, has also used push processing to create high-contrast, bold images that capture the energy and eccentricity of city life.

Photo: Daido Moriyama

Van Dyke Brown process

The Van Dyke Brown process, named after the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck, is a unique printing process that has been in use since the late 19th century. The process involves coating a canvas with a mixture of ferric ammonium citrate, tartaric acid and silver nitrate and then exposing it to ultraviolet light. The canvas is then washed with water and a solution called hypo to keep the chemicals in place. The resulting image has a distinctive Van Dyke brown colour, hence the name of the process. Unlike many other printing processes, the Van Dyke Brown process does not require a darkroom, making it a versatile and accessible technique for artists and photographers.

The process was patented in Germany in 1895 by Arndt and Troost. Originally, it was called many different names, such as sepia print or brown print. It has even been called Kallitype, but this process uses ferric oxalate instead of ferric ammonium citrate. Despite concerns about the archival qualities of Van Dyke Brown, due to the fact that many early Van Dyke Brown prints did not last long, Van Dyke Brown prints, when properly processed, should last as long as any other silver process. This process has been used by many artists and photographers over the years, contributing to its enduring popularity.

Photo: Mark Hilliard

Gum Bichromate Process

The gum bichromate process, also known as gum printing, is a photographic printing technique that dates back to the 19th century. The process uses photosensitive chemicals mixed with gum arabic and pigment. The mixture is applied to a support, such as paper, and allowed to dry. A negative, or matrix, is then placed over the emulsion and exposed to a UV light source. The light source hardens the dichromate in proportion to the density of the negative. After exposure, the paper is placed in a series of simple water baths and allowed to develop until the unhardened parts of the emulsion have evaporated. This process is known for its ability to produce painterly images from photographic negatives and is often used to create multi-layered images.

Notable contributors to the genre include Mungo Ponton, who discovered that dichromates were photosensitive; William Henry Fox Talbot, who found that sensitised dichromated colloids became insoluble in water after exposure to sunlight; and Alphonse Poitevin, who added carbon pigment to the colloids, creating the first carbon print. Other important contributors include John Pouncy, who used coloured pigments with gum arabic to create the first colour images, and Robert Demachy, known for his work with gum bichromate.

Photo: Robert Demachy

Daguerreotype Photography

Daguerreotype photography, named after its inventor Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, was the first publicly available photographic process and was widely used in the 1850s and 1860s. The process involved treating a silver-coated copper plate with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it in a camera and developing it with mercury vapour to produce an exquisitely detailed image. The image, unique and extremely delicate, is on a mirror-like silver surface and can appear either positive or negative depending on the angle of view and lighting conditions. This process was eventually superseded by cheaper methods that produced more visible images, but it marked the beginning of a new era in visual representation.

Among the proponents of this genre, Louis Daguerre himself is a notable figure. Other major contributors include Charles Nègre, Thérèse Bonney, Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes. Some of the colourful characters immortalised in the daguerreotype medium include writer Henry Thoreau, Seneca leader Blacksnake, Navy Commodore Matthew Perry, mental health crusader Dorothea Dix, showmen P.T. Barnum and Tom Thumb, and actress Charlotte Cushman. Daguerreotypes made by Alphonse-Eugène-Jules Itier in Macao, by Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey in Athens, Cairo and Lebanon, and by Jean-Pierre Alibert in Siberia are among the earliest surviving photographs of these places.

Photo: Albert Sands Southworth, around 1848

Salt Print Photography

Salt print photography, one of the earliest photographic techniques, was invented by William Henry Fox Talbot in the early 1830s. The process involves creating a light-sensitive coating on paper by first applying a weak solution of common salt and then sensitising the paper with silver nitrate. The two chemicals combine to form silver chloride in the paper, which darkens where it is exposed to light. The exposure is stopped when the darkening is deemed sufficient, and the result is stabilised by applying a strong solution of salt. From 1839 to around 1860, this process was the dominant method of making positive prints from negatives.

Among the most notable practitioners of this genre was William Henry Fox Talbot, who invented the process. In the contemporary world, some photographers have continued to embrace the magic of salt prints. Among them are Sally Mann, Adam Fuss and France Scully Osterman, who have made significant contributions to the genre.

Photo: France Scully Osterman, Light Pours In, from the Sleep series

Carbon Print Process

A significant development in the field of photography, the carbon printing process is a method of making photographic prints using pigmented gelatine rather than silver or other metallic particles. The process was invented by Alphonse Louis Poitevin in 1855 and later adapted to colour by Louis Ducos du Hauron in 1868. The process starts with a base paper coated with gelatine mixed with pigment to form a “carbon tissue”. This fabric is sensitised to light using a solution of potassium dichromate and left to dry in the dark. Once dry, the carbon tissue is exposed by contact printing with a negative on top. The image is formed by washing away parts of the pigment, creating a print that is exceptionally resistant to fading and other deterioration. Notable artists in this genre include Julia Margaret Cameron, Rudolf Koppitz, and Nickolas Muray, who is best known for his use of the carbro process.

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Photo: Nickolas Muray

Pinhole Photography

Pinhole Fine Art Photography is a unique genre that combines the simplicity of pinhole camera technology with the aesthetic principles of fine art. This form of photography is characterised by its lensless technique, where a small hole replaces the traditional lens to capture light and create an image on film or a digital sensor. The resulting images often have a dreamy, ethereal quality, with infinite depth of field, soft focus and a unique perspective that can be quite different from conventional photography. The process encourages a slower, more contemplative approach to image-making, as exposures can last from seconds to hours, depending on lighting conditions and the size of the pinhole.

Notable practitioners of the genre include Mieko Tadokoro, known for her monochrome pinhole photographs, and Martin Henson, who has published a behind-the-scenes look at his pinhole photography process. Others include Benjamin Posletwait, Matthew Pringle and Marcio Faustino, each bringing their own unique vision and style to this fascinating field of photography. Sir David Brewster, an English scientist, was one of the first to take pinhole photographs in the 1850s, and Flinders Petrie, often referred to as the ‘father of archaeology’, took many pinhole photographs during his excavations in Egypt in the 1880s. These artists and their work continue to inspire and shape the landscape of pinhole fine art photography.

Photo: Matthew Pringle

Tintype Photography

Tintype photography, also known as melanotype or ferrotype, is a unique style of photography that was introduced in the mid-19th century. The technique involves making a direct positive on a thin sheet of metal, often called ‘tin’, although it isn’t actually tin-coated. The metal sheet is coated with a dark lacquer or enamel and used as a support for the photographic emulsion. Tintypes were particularly popular for portraiture and were often made by photographers working in stalls, tents or outdoors at fairs and carnivals. The process was quick and robust, allowing a tintype to be developed, fixed and delivered to the client within minutes of the picture being taken.

Among the practitioners of this genre, Adolphe Alexandre Martin is credited with introducing the tintype process in Paris in 1853. Frederick Scott Archer is another key figure who pioneered the wet collodion process, a variant of tintype photography. In America, Hamilton L. Smith patented the ferrotype, popularly known as the tintype, in 1856. These individuals were instrumental in the development and popularisation of tintype photography. Today, a handful of dedicated photographers continue to practice this art form and keep the tradition alive.

Photo: Unknown author

Projection Photography

Projection photography is a fascinating art form that involves using a projector to project an image onto a person or object and then photographing the result. This technique, which has its roots in the 1960s, has evolved significantly with advances in technology, particularly in the area of projectors. Modern projectors offer more vibrant colours and higher brightness, opening up endless possibilities for artists and photographers. Projected images can be anything from patterns and colours to intricate designs and can be projected onto a variety of surfaces including walls, floors and even people. This genre of photography is highly adaptable and encourages creativity as the only limit is the artist’s imagination.

Proponents of this genre include John French, a renowned photographer who used projection art photography in the 1960s. He is known for his innovative work in which he projected floral and 60s style patterns onto models instead of clothing. Another notable artist is Tom Eshchar, who created a project using naked models in various poses with a range of very different images projected onto them.

Photo: John French, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Chemigrams

Chemigrams, a term coined in the 1950s by the Belgian artist Pierre Cordier, are experimental works of art created by painting with chemicals on light-sensitive paper, such as photographic paper. This process falls within the general field of experimentation in the visual arts and requires the use of materials from silver halide photography. However, unlike a photograph, a chemigram is made without a camera and in full light, rather than in the darkness of a darkroom. Therefore, it is not “light that writes” but rather “chemistry that writes”. The results of chemigrams can resemble watercolours, and the possibilities can be multiplied by using materials from painting, such as varnish, wax or oil.

Among the proponents of this genre are Pierre Cordier, who was most responsible for developing and exploring chemigrams, and Josef H. Neumann, who advanced the process in his chemograms by incorporating optical elements before applying chemicals.

Photo: Pierre Cordier

Liquid Light

Liquid light photography or the liquid emulsion process is a fascinating technique that allows for a high degree of creativity and innovation. It involves the use of a silver-based light-sensitive liquid photographic emulsion, often referred to as “Liquid Light”, which can be applied to any surface, not just paper. This emulsion is virtually the same as that found on ordinary photographic paper, but in a liquid form that allows it to be applied to a wide range of surfaces. The process involves standard darkroom procedures and can be used to print photographs onto materials as diverse as wood, metal, glass, walls and even eggs. The result is a unique and captivating image with an ethereal quality that adds a new dimension to the art of photography.

Among the proponents of this genre is Lloyd Godman, who has provided valuable insights and explanations of the liquid emulsion process. Another significant contribution to this field is the creation of “The Great Picture” in 2007, which holds the record for the largest photograph in the world created using Liquid Light. This monumental achievement required the combined efforts of 6 artists and 400 volunteers, further demonstrating the enormous potential and impact of Liquid Light photography.

Photo: The Great Picture