Concept Photography–part of Concept Art.

Ask ten artists what Concept Art encompasses, and you’ll receive ten different answers. Let’s assume that Marcel Duchamp was one of the early concept artists during the early 1900s. If that’s the case, then the only thing we can say with certainty is that the meaning of Concept Art has broadened to the point that today it encompasses a huge group of genres.

All of which creates an unsatisfying definition.

Instead, for our collective sanity, let’s focus on the word:  Concept.

Webster’s dictionary definition of the adjective version of the word means:  organized around a main idea or theme.  Turns out that their definition is helpful.

 

H. R. Giger’s Steampunk

Concept Photography Example

What would Steampunk look, feel, and sound like if the first works in the genre were established 50 years from today? From that perspective, would our version of K.W. Jeter, and all the artists influenced by his term Steampunk, still start with the elements found in the works of Jules Verne and the Victorian era–all iron, steel, and hard edges?

Or instead, would we have looked back to the era of H. R. Giger’s organic form meets organic machine? Where would our future selves decide that the genre of Steampunk should begin and why?

And once we’ve established our collective origin, the more important question: how would a Steampunk world, founded 50 years from today, diverge from the one founded in the 1980s?

Key Details–Color Selection

The key color I envisioned was purple (Fountain), with blue (Sleeping Bear Dunes), and black (Tiny Turtle) used as supporting colors.   As I described in my story about Key Color Selection, the specific shade of color is essential for everyone from costume designers, scenic designers, hair and make artists (HMUA), and prop masters.

Nature continues to inspire me for both color and mood.  Here are the photos that represent inspiration for this photoshoot.

 

Concept Photography Book

The mission of my Concept Photography book (upcoming), is to describe my process for going from concept to completed photograph. It’s also an introduction to the wonderful group of people who were an important part of the process.

While there are many ways to get from A to B, I hope you’ll find this book valuable for inspiration and as a reference. It’s intended for photographers and artists working in a variety of fields (Examples:  Music, painting, and sculpture).

For a behind-the-scenes journey of avant-garde photography, set in locations including Peter Gabriel’s studio in England (Real World), I’ll be sharing excerpts from the upcoming book here.

To learn more about my books and classes and to receive a discount, you’re invited to subscribe to my List by clicking HERE.

 

 

This story is an excerpt from my upcoming book on Concept | Photography.  To learn more about my books and classes and to receive a discount, you’re invited to subscribe to my List by clicking HERE.

 

For more information:  Click HERE.