Framed prints of Paris for a home office.

The definition of Fine art photography is: Fine Art Photography is a mode of photography where creative expression takes centre stage. Essentially, it is a photographic print created with deliberate artistic intent, meant to be displayed and appreciated for its visual content, composition and the skill, vision and craft involved in making it.

The fine art aspect of landscape black and white photography is easier to see and appreciate. It’s also easier for me to describe and explain. Since my early days learning to make black and white prints I treated my landscapes with a different, more deliberate approach. Often there was also a family snap on a roll of 36 exposure film; I would put that aside and quickly print it without thinking much about contrast, content or framing. My picture taking was different too: I always used a tripod and I’d choose the film depending on the time of day and how much grain I wanted to record. Black and white photography is so much about the art and careful choices. Colour photography is too, and the subject matter remains just as important.

This cityscape of Paris is photographed thousands of times each day by professionals and amateurs alike. I printed this one with the sky slightly burned out and the lower lights gently underexposed to create a moodier contrast. We all have our own idea of what art means, and the great thing about “fine art photography” is that it can have broad, mass appeal. We recognise the familiar subject matter in the print, yet we’re drawn to the unusual sky and the richness of the sunset. It qualifies as a fine art print because it’s the kind of image we’d be happy to see hanging on a wall.