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:
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