What is photography art meaning?

A photographic artwork is a piece of visual art that uses photography as the medium to convey a creative idea, message or emotion unique to the artist. Photography has been instrumental in many modern and contemporary art movements and was one of the earliest mediums to challenge traditional concepts of what constitutes artistic expression.

Until recently, most photographs considered to be artworks were produced with commercial intent and often included fashion or celebrity portraiture (as created for advertising campaigns or magazine editorial purposes). However, since the invention of the digital camera in the 1980s, photographic art has become increasingly popular with both private collectors and galleries.

Although the question of whether photography is considered to be a fine art is largely subjective and can be debated, it is generally agreed that if an image has been crafted with great care, skill and imagination then it should be classed as such. As with painting, photography is able to shade reality and convey a myriad of different messages through the use of shadows, light, focus and composition.

Despite this, there are still some individuals who are against the classification of photography as a form of art. For example, American photographer Joseph Pennell was against the recognition of photography as an art form as he believed that cameras were merely machines and that they took away the need for artists to put in the hard work required for the creation of true artworks. He also believed that a photograph could be taken in the same way that a drawing or painting was produced, and that it did not require any technical expertise.