Assignment #4

Digital Photography
Assignment #4: Conceptual Photography

Conceptual: Of or relating to concepts or mental conception, ABSTRACT! Examples of concepts: love, anger, betrayal, shadows and sensuality, the perishable environment, a glass ceiling, holiday cheer, walking on pins and needles, or having the world in your hands. The possibilities are endless.

In conceptual photography you visually illustrate abstract ideas. You can create your own world of altered reality. Creating a conceptual photograph employs the special talent of intuitive vision: STARTING with the IDEA and then figuring out the photograph. There are no wrong answers- it’s YOUR take on an idea. Creating an idea FIRST and transforming it into reality is THE essential process in conceptual photography.

You should come up with several concepts that interest you and start thinking how you could visually illustrate these ideas. There are no right or wrong ways to illustrate any concept…it is how YOU interpret it!! Be creative! Consider ways to illustrate a concept using straight photography, with no Photoshop tricks…and ways in which you could use Photoshop to create surreal or warped, multi-layered images.

LIGHTING! Lighting is very important in any photograph…but especially in a conceptual image! Play around with lighting. If you want, you can borrow a flash from me or find some lights at home. Look for desk lamps, some shop lights, or good window light. Try to use all the same type of light (tungsten, florescent, white light, etc.) so that you won’t have a problem with mixed lighting.