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Shoot a fine-art image

What separates a fine-art image from any other form of portrait? There are no strict rules that define what a fine-art image is or how it differs from other types of portraits, but there are some guidelines to help you create distinctive and saleable images. Possibly the most crucial factor is deciding whether to shoot in colour or black and white. While both media are suitable, the timeless quality of black and white and the feeling that monochrome images are a departure from reality often give it an edge over colour.

Many fine-art portraits play down the role of the subject, as the power of the image comes from the pose, the lighting and the general photographic style. The ambiguity or universality of such an image can give it a classic look and build its fine-art appeal. Another successful approach is to choose a composition that tells a story, in particular picturing a subject in the environment of their home or workplace. These images often gain appeal over time, as the clothing and locations gather charm and historic significance as the years pass by.

PIANO MAN

A pianist plays a lonely melody in St Mark’s Square in Venice. This beautiful moment typifies the qualities that make a successful fine-art portrait: its timeless nature, its strong sense of mood and the unidentifiable subject at the heart of the image. The low light demanded that the camera rested on a stable surface while the scene was exposed for the shadows to retain as much detail as possible. This image won the BIPP’s International Fine Art Photograph of the Year 2003.

Canon EOS 3, 28–70mm f/2.8 lens, 1/30 sec at f/3.5, Fuji Neopan 1600, ISO 800.