I think BrightHub defines Conceptual Photography the best: "Conceptual photography is, first and foremost, about the concept of the photo. A conceptual photographer is trying to bring some message about to the viewer, be it a political advert or a social commentary or an emotional outcry. There is some level of abstraction, thus, in a conceptual photo: the image is not an explicit example of the concept, but a general expression of the idea." (BrightHub)
So the photographer has an idea, a concept, and they wish to share it with their viewer; the viewfinder is their canvas, and they "paint" with light. You and I are the artist, attempting to convey a message to our audience. Something I couldn't quite accept about Conceptual Photography, is that the audience, the viewer, can really decipher just about anything from your work. It really is about them. There are a million things that could contribute to how the audience "sees" your work. It's about what's in their head, their reality.
I try to keep my message, my concept, in mind as I shoot. I think of my audience, but only slightly. My current audience is my classmates (mostly) so they know the message I am conveying, or at least attempting to. HA! Sometimes I don't quite get the message across, and I think heavens that we are in school and learning
So for
now I will leave you with this: the images here are of course, mine. If
you, my audience, were to think of one word as the one-word concept I
am conveying, what would it be? I will post the
answer next week, as well as carry this post further. :)
{the source for the quote in the beginning of the post}
A link to some outstanding examples of conceptual photography:
--
Hello Thursday Ambassador,
ReplyDeleteWhat a unique genre of photography! I only have a year of schooling under my belt, and have not had the opportunity to venture into this subject. I'm really trying to come up with one word, and the only thing that comes to mind is "Symbolism". The top image is real strong symbolically with the shadow overcasting the grave. The bottom image has the subject hidden in the shadows and once again we have symbolism. Very cool imagery! Life in shadows or shadows of life? Thanks for the blog and I look forward to part two of the blog next week.
-Corina