What is Painterly Fine Art photography?

Whether you knew from the beginning of your creative journey that Fine Art Photography was a genre that ignites a fire in your belly, or you simply realised you’re at your happiest when creating digital works of art. Let’s talk about what Painterly Fine Art Photography ACTUALLY is!

What is Painterly Fine Art Photography?

Firstly, let’s dive into the concept of Fine Art Photography! Fine Art Photography is produced with the perception that the photographer is more of an artist. They use the camera along with editing software to ‘paint’ what he/she sees in their mind. Photography evolves into art when the image becomes more than just the literal portrayal of an object and/or subject. So, rather than just capturing an image, the photographer will go a step further and apply a unique creative process. Creating something extra special!

The possibilities are endless!

So, getting back to the painterly side of fine art photography! Using retouching programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. Photographers are able to push their artistic abilities and take their imagination to new levels. The creative possibilities are endless! Techniques such as frequency separation, dodge & burn and colour grading are used to transform a low light portrait into an image reminiscent of an oil painting. Often photographers use hand painted canvas backdrops or vinyls to help create the scene and finished portrait. Adding authentic-looking textures and overlays also helps to really nail the resemblance of hand painting. You can find a selection of the ones I have created here!

Tell Your Story

Having a clear end goal helps to set up the perfect shot. Think about the story you’d like to tell through your image. What emotions or thoughts do you want to provoke when sharing your creation? Styling is a major player in the creative process! The textures and colour palettes of the clothing used during the shoot can really make or break the final product. Taking a bit of extra time to think about the finer details of the shoot can really pay off in the long run!

Go in with your heart & soul

It takes time to perfect the in camera and post processing techniques required to create a painterly fine art masterpiece. But like with any creative process, the key is to just start! It’s such a fun and explorative style of photography. You can let your creative imagination run wild and free! Once you catch the bug, guaranteed there will be no turning back!

Need a helping hand?

So, if you’re looking to master your skills much quicker and perfect your fine art editing – without spending months or years trying to figure out how to do it on your own. You can sign up to my FOCUS online education subscription . Instantly access a library of fine art editing tutorials, a wide selection of textures, overlays and digital backgrounds. As well as access to an exclusive, members only Facebook community for support!

If you’re new here, hopefully after reading this you’ll have a better understanding as to the basics of what Painterly Fine Art Photography is! If you haven’t already, come join my fine art photography group!