Conceptual Photography Explained: Examples, Tips and an Idea Generator!
Has a photograph ever made you feel something deeper than its visual interpretation? If the answer is yes, then you were probably looking at ‘conceptual photography’. It's a genre of photography where creativity enables images to go beyond just looking good to convey ideas, emotions, and stories.
In this blog post, we'll dive into the captivating world of conceptual photography. We'll explore what it is, why conceptual photography is a great way to express ideas, and practical tips to help you get great-looking photographs that say something more. Plus, we’ve created a Conceptual Photography Idea Generator to help you get inspired!
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What is ‘Conceptual Photography’?
Conceptual photography is about translating an idea or feeling into a single, or series of images. Unlike documentary or landscape photography, which often focuses on capturing reality, conceptual photography thrives on imagination and symbolism. Each image is carefully constructed, posed and planned.
The most important part of conceptual photography is concept development. It all starts with an idea—a spark of inspiration that you want to communicate. Brainstorm, research, sketch, and let your imagination run wild. Once you have a solid concept, you can start planning how to bring it to life through composition, lighting, and subject matter.
Introspective Design on Pexels
Why conceptual photography?
In conceptual photography, you have control over your scene and more opportunities to show your message through various signifiers. You can use lighting, angle, props, people and other variables to orchestrate and construct the story you want to tell.
Khashayar Kouchpeydeh on Unsplash
Famous Conceptual Photographers
Every great photographer will look for inspiration from somewhere. Check out these iconic conceptual photographs to see how other photographers have brought their ideas to life:
Bloomberg and Chanarin
Bloomberg and Chanarin’s work captures the intensity of conflict in Afghanistan in 2008 when they were embedded with British Army units in Helmand Province. Instead of just snapping photos, they took things further by unrolling a roll of photographic paper and exposing it to sunlight for 20 seconds during significant events, like a death. This approach resulted in haunting, abstract images that captured the weight of those moments.
© Bloomberg and Chanarin
Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman plays with gender identity in her famous Untitled Film Stills. She uses portraits of herself as characters and caricatures typically seen in media to challenge the stereotypes and characterizations of women. By turning the lens on herself and using cinematic conventions, she subverts these tropes in a way that feels both familiar and unsettling.
© Cindy Sherman
Juno Calypso
Juno Calypso critiques the pressures placed on women through a series of surreal self-portraits. Her work sheds light on the absurdity of beauty regimes, plastic surgery, and society’s expectations of women. Despite these ideas being decades old, Calypso shows how little has changed since the 70s, highlighting how women are still pushed to alter themselves to fit society’s ideals.
© Juno Calypso
Kirsty Mitchell
Kirsty Mitchell’s Wonderland series is a deeply personal project inspired by the stories her mother told her as a child. The project began during her mother’s cancer treatment and grew into a beautiful tribute after her passing. Through its blend of fantasy, sadness, and longing, Wonderland reflects Mitchell’s emotional journey, using striking visual storytelling to explore grief and memory.
© Kirsty Mitchell
Gregory Crewdson
Gregory Crewdson’s images feel like scenes from a movie, but they’re much more than that. Meticulously staged, his photos are filled with subtle details and hidden clues that enrich the story he’s telling. From pill bottles that hint at his psychologist father’s influence to the muted colours that create a sombre mood, his work offers a deep commentary on mental health and emotional complexity.
© Gregory Crewdson
Alfred Steiglitz
Alfred Stieglitz played a pivotal role in immortalizing one of the most controversial pieces of conceptual art: Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain. The photograph Stieglitz took of Duchamp’s ready-made urinal in 1917 elevated the object from a mere bathroom fixture to a symbol of artistic rebellion. Stieglitz’s photograph gave Fountain a life beyond its physical form, turning it into a provocative commentary on what art could be. The image challenges viewers to rethink creativity and craftsmanship, questioning whether an everyday object could be considered art if recontextualized in a gallery setting.
© Alfred Steiglitz
Nicholas Bruno
Nicholas Bruno’s work taps into the eerie and unsettling world of sleep paralysis. Drawing from his own experiences, he translates these nightmares into photos using sculpture, costumes, and carefully staged sets. The result? Haunting, dreamlike images that feel as though they’ve stepped right out of a dark and twisted dream.
© Nicholas Bruno
Sujata Setia
Sujata Setia, who teaches our Fine Art Family Photography course, uses mixed media and portrait photography to explore domestic violence in the South Asian community. In her series A Thousand Cuts, she metaphorically links the Chinese torture method "lingchi" (death by a thousand cuts) to the slow, painful erosion of a person’s sense of self in abusive relationships. By physically cutting into printed portraits, she visually represents how domestic abuse wears down its victims over time.
“कितनी गिरह?” (How many more Knots?), © Sujata Setia
The Building Blocks of Conceptual Photography
While creativity is king in conceptual photography, there are a few essential elements to consider:
Composition:
The arrangement of elements within your frame plays a vital role in guiding the viewer's eye through the frame and emphasizing your message. Utilize techniques like the rule of thirds, leading lines, framing, and negative space to create visually pleasing and impactful compositions.
Maxim Kovalev on Pexels
Lighting:
Lighting sets the mood and atmosphere of your photograph. Experiment with natural and artificial light to evoke different emotions and highlight specific elements within your scene. Shadows and highlights can add depth and drama to your image.
Find out more about lighting in photography in our Beginner’s course.
Engin Akyrt on Unsplash
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Subject Matter
Probably the most important part of conceptual photography is your subject matter. This can range from people and objects to still life and abstract elements. Choose subjects that resonate with your concept and use them creatively to express your ideas.
Of course, this can be a bit overwhelming; what exactly should you try to capture? Just remember, there are no rules to this and no one can tell you you’re wrong. Just try and convey whatever story you are passionate about telling and if it doesn’t come out as you hoped, then learn from that experience and start again.
If you’re looking for some ideas to get creative, here are some umbrella topics for you to explore:
Psychology – using psychological theory or schools of thought to create a theme or basis for your image.
Social Critique – Using your conceptual photography to critique or reflect on society.
Reference – using cultural references like classical art, TV or movies to tell a story.
Humour – use humour in your conceptual photography to convey your point or story.
The main idea is to try and tell a story or convey a message through photography. This can be personal to you, a world issue or anything in between. Research into it and experiment with ways you can show the message in a visual format; sometimes this could mean mixing a few of the ideas above!
Why not use our Conceptual Photography Idea Generator as a starting point for your research? Keep generating ideas until you land on a combination that inspires you!
Aydin Sefidi on Pexels
Conceptual Photography Idea Generator
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