Fine Art Photography

Fine Art

creative art, especially visual art whose products are to be appreciated primarily or solely for their imaginative, aesthetic, or intellectual content.

How to critically analyse a picture

Denotation: 

the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests.

 This is a black and white image with a dark background contrasting with a lighter woman in a big white dress, slightly to the right of the centre of the image. The darker background naturally draws the viewers eye to the woman. She is leaning her body forward with one leg below her and another bending backwards over her head. The way her dress is flowing looks similar to a white petal or a feather. 

Connotation:

an idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

I think that this image has angelic connotations. This lady is presented in an elegant way, similar to ideas about angels. Additionally she is shown to be the light in a darker image which is typically how angels are shown to be. The way she is positioned leaning downwards is similar to the way that we think about Angels leaning down over us. 

Punctum:

A small distinct point, personally touching detail which establishes a direct relationship with the object or person within it.

The punctum for me in this image is the womans position. It seems like a difficult position to be in but she appears strong and bold standing like this. Perhaps it tells a lot about the kind of person that she is, fierce and independent.

Studium:

Response to an image that we see at first glance

My immediate response to this image is a woman in dance like Ballet.

Fine Art Examples:

creative art, especially visual art whose products are to be appreciated primarily or solely for their imaginative, aesthetic, or intellectual content.

This is fine art rather than commercial as it isn't products being sold. This photography is by Irving Penn and depicts the life cycle of nature.

I can tell that this is a piece of fine art not only because it isn't advertising or selling a product but because it is thought provoking. It really makes the viewer question what they are looking at and what it could mean.

Vs Commercial Art 

art used in advertising and selling.

This is clearly commercial art, advertising an artist and their music, they are pictured on the right looking very smart, sitting on an amp in front of an electric guitar hanging on the wall. The left side has the outline of a record so It is all quite implicit what they are advertising in the art.

This is a Coca Cola advertisement, I know this by the slogan on the right. The phrase "open a Coke, open happiness" is selling the idea that if the viewer buys and drinks a Coke that they will feel happiness. This is also emphasised by the sunshine in the background.