The best lens for fine art photography.

Lens selection is as important as any other aspect of photography. This article looks at how lens choice affects fine art photography.

Photography is one of the most popular artistic mediums today. The visual nature of modern civilization combined with advances in photographic technology makes fine art photography the perfect medium for expressing ideas visually.

How fine art photography is unique.

Fine art photography is unique because of the intent behind the photo. A professional headshot can be a work of art, but it has a specific goal — to create an attractive and recognizable image of the individual for commercial purposes.

On the other hand, fine art photography is not motivated by any outside influence except the pure expression of an idea, concept, or feeling. For example, in 1992, award-winning photographer Sally Mann published a photo of a young girl holding a cigarette while boldly staring into the lens. No matter how the viewer reacted, this acclaimed photo succeeded simply by evoking a range of emotions.

How to choose the best lens.

Because the subject of fine art photography can be a vast landscape, a person, a macro shot of an inanimate object, or anything in between, proper lens selection is critical. For this same reason, which lens to choose depends entirely on the shot and the artist's desired effect.

To create fine art photography, learn as much as possible about how lenses work and the different special effects you can make with them. This knowledge will help you turn your artistic vision into a photograph.

To be inspired by what others have done, take a moment to discover specialized techniques and genres of photography. Then, learn more about how Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom can help you process and perfect your photo concepts.