Conceptual Photography

Good Ideas can evolve over time or strike in a moment of pronounced clarity. Concepts can be planned meticulously or captured spontaneously, as they exist in the real world. My compelling challenge as a photographer is to recognize the visual potential around me and to formulate elements that would photographically illustrate an idea. This could be constructed in the studio with props and lighting, camera angle and multiple exposures. Separate elements could be photographed and combined in post production. Conceptual photography has no rules and often develops as the visual components are brought onto the digital canvas in post production. This is creative discovery uncovered through the process.

Another method is where a client might relay to me a word or words, a mission statement, a concept or an idea. Beginning with a firm mental outline of this idea allows me to fit the image(s) to the concept. All photography is conceptual to a degree. I am illustrating or conveying an idea to the viewer, whether it is to be the open, friendly attitude of a doctor and patient or the clean, beautifully designed lobby of a new bank. I am portraying an intent or concept: beauty, grit, confidence, etc. As a professional photographer, this is done through inspired vision, expert lighting techniques and consummate post production skills.

Conceptual Photography is exciting, creative and revealing. The inherent, visual affinity a photographer possesses can often be discovered in this category. It reveals one’s individuality of vision.

Proficient compositing in post production can create a scene impossible to capture in reality. My many years of experience working with the software to accomplish this has expanded the possibilities for idealistic results. An image of a newly constructed office building in need of a lush green blanket of grass in front can become a reality by digitally replacing the existing dirt with a lawn from my library of landscapes. Skies can be replaced, cars can be removed, and people can be added to a scene. These are a few examples where idealistic images can be created, illustrating the exemplary idea a business wants to portray.

Conceptual photography is most creative for me. I find joy in recognizing that color, shape, conveyed mood, camera angle, cinematic style, art history, photographic trends and personal life experiences contribute to what I genuinely like to make images of, whether that be for a client or simply for myself.