Understanding the medium of photography

Photography is all about perception. It is capturing or recording a moment in time and at a specific place, which depending on outside elements that are sometimes beyond one’s control, or the tools that you choose to use, can portray to the viewer a multitude of images that are all different but nonetheless each representative of that same moment.

Much also depends on how we perceive the final print, which is equally influenced by outside factors, such as lighting or where it is displayed, as it is by our cultural beliefs and diverging backgrounds. Indeed, this is also applicable in the work of the United Nations. As in photography, how we see others is also influenced by our perception of things.

A photograph provides a view of world known to us yet different and unfamiliar from what we experience – away from stereotypical images of our immediate settings – giving us an entirely new perspective. Fine art photography has the unique ability to capture and immortalize a passing moment, one that becomes a permanent memory only to be understood from different perspectives, contexts, and angles. The process heightens our sensitivity to the transient nature of life.

From its humble origin as a form of documentation, fine art photography has now assumed importance as a form of fine art, timeless and resonant in nature. The genre encompasses photo-images created to bring to life the unbounded creative realm of an imaginative mind, sharp focus and aesthetic vision. It is not surprising that artists better known for installations, video and performance now opt to experimenting with digital cameras.

Fine art photography has emerged as a powerful and popular medium for its remarkable ability to capture an apparently inexhaustible amount of detail and depth. Its growing acceptance as an art form is reflected in its increasing demand at leading auctions in India and internationally. Importantly, photographs are far more affordable than most art forms. They offer immense value to collectors over time apart from sheer aesthetic joy.