Hi there!  And welcome to my new Blog!

I hope that you visit my website and my Blog often and find inspiration when you do.  I will be blogging periodically about my experience shooting portraits of newborns, families and special events, as well as discussing how best to prepare for a photo shoot, the different types of photography, and other interesting subjects to take you on a journey through the world of photography.

For my first blog post, I’ve decided to write about the type of photography that fits into the category of luxury and fine art, a tagline I use on my website.

So, what exactly is luxury, fine art portraiture?

I will give you my answer here, but before I present you with my views on the attributes that put a photograph in the domain of luxury/fine art, I want to mention that these views reflect my own, personal opinions.  Opinions that are based on my years of professional photography experience and my formal fine arts and digital photography education.

The term fine art portraiture— also known as “photographic art” or “artistic photography” — refers to photography that is created in accordance with the creative vision or creative message of the one taking the photo (that would be me!). Fine art portraiture is not about digitally recording a subject and simply capturing what the camera sees.  It is about capturing what the photographer sees and what the artist’s vision is for your specific shoot.

Fine art portraiture relies on the manipulation of metadata and, sometimes, the manipulation of pixels in the post-shoot phase.  Although, when it comes to portraits, the manipulation I rely on during editing is often minimal, my overall goal is to achieve as natural a look as possible.  To accomplish this goal requires spending a significant amount of my time and creative effort in the editing stage of the photography process before my clients see their images for the first time.

Everything from light, to contrast, to clarity, composition, saturation, noise, the list goes on – is a deliberate artistic choice I make to achieve a uniquely individual image of you and your loved ones.  An image that will tell your personal story and elicit an emotional reaction from the viewer each time they see it.

Another important distinction in luxury/fine art portraiture is the paper on which the images are printed.  If a photograph is going on your wall, always have it printed on fine art paper rather than standard photo paper. Yes, fine art paper is more expensive — usually 100% cotton rag (but the percentage can vary) and is acid free (neutral pH) — but the final product will stand the test of time and that makes it worth it.  In addition, fine art photography should be printed by professional art printers, as the ink used is different and they often provide a greater range of colors and blacks. Fingerprints are not as visible on fine art paper, but the paper can scratch easily, so it is best if fine art portraits are framed as soon as possible to protect them for years to come.

Regular photo paper is fine when you want to print photos in bulk.  But, it is generally resin coated, so, those images fade more quickly due to the chemicals used in the production process.

So, in summary:  is the cool, black and white picture of the Brooklyn Bridge that is hanging in my office fine art?  Yes – because of the time I spent editing it in post, and the paper on which it is printed, along with the intention I had when creating it.  Can the picture that I take of your beautiful baby, your awesome family, or your special event that you had framed and is hanging on your wall at home fit into the category of luxury, fine art photography?  Absolutely!

One last thing I do want to mention is that you don’t have to like a fine art photograph.  Liking it does not make it fine art — its content and artistic aesthetic value do.

If you know me already (or have scanned my About Me page), you know that I love provocative conversations, so please feel free to share your comments and thoughts on my Luxury, Fine Art Photography blog.

Thank you! And until next month . . .