One of the most emotional components of photography is the study of art photography. People naturally love or despise a photograph much as they love or despise a particular painting or sculpture. Art photography has the ability to move viewers past just looking at an object or image to seeing an emotion, a passion or a concept that stirs the thoughts as well as the feelings within an individual.
What is it about art photography that moves people and invokes emotional responses? Often viewers themselves cannot determine exactly what causes this extreme response within themselves when presented with an image. Some of the most famous art photographers such as Ansel Adams, Anne Geddes or Dorthea Lange all had a specific topic or theme they photographed, often representing the images in ways that were not typical of how they would normally be viewed.
The following artists have all contributed to the development of art photography by using themes in their photography:
* Anne Geddes - famous for her many pictures of babies, this art photographer is one of the most well-known modern photographers. Her works are often featured on cards, calendars and books.
* Dorthea Lange - best known for her amazing and haunting photographs of the depression, Dorthea Lange also did some photographs capturing the internment of the Japanese-Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Due to the sensitive nature and political climate of the time, many of these photographs were not released until 1972.
* Ansel Adams - amazing and breathtaking photographs, usually in black and white, of nature at its finest. Ansel Adams used his camera to show the world the beauty of National Parks such as Yosemite.
* Galen Rowell - famous adventure photographer that has captured wildlife and nature from around the world. His photographs range from the wildlife and terrain of Africa through to the Antarctic.
* Henri Cartier-Bresson - these strikingly moving photographs of people of all ages are very thought provoking. While some of the subjects of the photographs such as Truman Capote and John Houston are well known, many of the photographs are of everyday people with no special fame or renown.
* Jim Brandenburg - this artist features very close up and detailed photographs of wolves in nature. Brandenburg often spent literally hours waiting in extreme conditions for just the right angle and shot.
All art photography is a combination of luck and technical discipline. Being able to wait for just the right light, expression or movement to capture what the photographer is trying to explore is both an art and a science. Those art photographers that have become famous for their talent and training have spent years developing techniques and styles that make their pictures truly unique. Learning art photography is a wonderful way to capture images to save for future generations.