Photographer’s Guide to Fine Art Photography:
Process and Techniques
WITH ANNIE MARIE
What exactly is fine art portraiture? I define it as a portrait that is a step (or two) above a standard portrait. It is more artful, more soulful, and more creative. It is more than just a capture of someone looking at the camera and smiling; it carries more impact through storytelling, expression, posing, styling, post-production, and even the right photography backdrop.
I love offering fine art portraits as a complement to my main studio work. It is something that not many offer, and it allows me to stand out in that market in my area. I also love doing fine art work for my own personal growth and creative outlet. Not to mention using it toward earning awards, my master’s, and accreditations.
The Step-by-Step Process for Creating Fine Art Photography
It takes some prep work to create fine art images, but that is what makes them unique and successful. Here’s how I go about creating them:
First is coming up with your concept or theme for the portrait. The idea creation is sometimes the most difficult part of the process. You can get inspired in so many ways—art, nature, movies & music, Pinterest, people, locations... sometimes ideas just come to us randomly, and you have to be ready to write them down or expand on the idea to form your concept.
Styling is a fun part where you source all the things needed to bring your vision to life. Once I have my concept, I begin to source clothing, photography backdrops, props, and the subject. All of the elements need to be cohesive with your theme. Color is important to help tell your story. If I am working with a client, I’ll often see if they have anything sentimental to our theme to incorporate. If I’m creating for myself, the sky's the limit, and I often have several props on hand to play around with. Whether it’s a luxurious, textured backdrop or a subtle, muted tone, the right backdrop can make all the difference in achieving the look I want for each shoot. For this shoot, I went with the Rembrandt backdrop.
Rembrandt
Green Vignette Backdrop for Photography
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The session is where the magic happens. I always start out very basic and capture some images of just the subject(s) alone, classic and simple. Then I start adding in props and change up the posing. I allow the session to evolve organically, often capturing images that were not even planned, yet often some of my favorites.
The editing and retouching process is the icing on the cake. You can take the most amazing image straight out of the camera, but taking it into Photoshop (or your program of choice) to polish the image into a fine art masterpiece is a game changer.
Set Up Your Studio for a Fine Art Portrait Session
I use a large 70" parabolic umbrella to the camera left. I have the light positioned forward, feathering across the subject. This creates a Rembrandt-style lighting setup with more shadow on the opposite side of the face. The large modifier produces a soft, broad light source, yet still adds shape to the subject. I like to fill this in a bit with a v-flat. You can omit the fill or even use a black v-flat for a moody image.
I position the subject about 5-6 feet from the background. The large light source spills slightly onto the background, but since it is not pointed directly at it, the background retains a rich, deep tone.
I place a hair light to the camera right in the upper corner to highlight her hair and create separation. This is especially important if the hair and background are dark or similar in tone.
*Note: In the setups I'm showing, I use the main light to the camera left. That is just how I do it, but you can set it up from the camera right if you prefer. There is no right or wrong here. Just keep in mind that if you're using a background with shadows, you'll need to match the direction of the light to those shadows.
Is Fine Art Photography Worth It for Your Photography Business?
Fine art portraits aren’t for everyone, but I’ve found that they allow me to really tap into my creative side. Sometimes, we need to step out of our everyday session box and challenge ourselves with something more creative. It has also helped me elevate my craft and stand out among the crowd of photographers in my area who all do the same thing as everyone else. Plus, it’s fun!
If you’re looking for more fine art photography inspiration, checkout Fine Art Backdrops.
Final Images
Technical Details - Camera: Canon R6 // Lens: Canon 24-70R // Lights: Small Rig (constant light - main) // Stella 2000 (constant light - hair) // Modifier: 70in. Parabolic Umbrella w/diffuser // White V-Flat for fill