What is Fine Art Street Photography p-magon style?
Fine Art Street Photography p-magon style combines spontaneous, real and unstaged street scenes with an artistic visual language. Characteristic features are the precise image composition, graphic elements, deliberately placed colour accents, atmospheric storytelling and the explicit use of photographic means such as blurring or exaggeration. The aim is not only to capture a moment, but also to interpret it artistically.
Why does p-magon curate Street Photography?
At p-magon, we believe street photography to be one of the most exciting topics of contemporary photography. That's why we look for good street photography, invite ambitious photographers to show us their best original shots. From this pool we select the photographies we consider the best basis for editing to p-magon style. Our aim is to create sophisticated fine art street photography through digital post-processing from good initial street photography.
How is p-magon Fine Art Street Photography created?
Fine Art Street Photography begins with a real scene. Nothing is planned or arranged. People move freely in public space, the photographer recognizes the photographic appeal and the aesthetic potential of the scene and captures it with his original photograph.
In the further process, p-magon selects from all original photographs submitted the best to meet the aesthetic and photographic requirements of the house.
In a more or less elaborate image editing process, p-magon edits the selected images – with the aim of working out the artistic representation and developing an independent visual language.
How does Fine Art Street Photography differ from classic Street Photography?
Classic street photography mainly looks at displaying the decisive moment as shot. Later editing of the visual language is often perceived negatively as manipulation and falsification of reality. Fair point.
Yet p-magon defines street photography differently: in addition to the authentic moment, the artistic expression of the reproduction plays a central role. The final work is not only intended to show what happened, but above all to awaken joy in the aesthetic visual language, to involve the viewer, to stimulate his imagination – even if the reproduction then no longer corresponds to what the camera had seen at the moment of the recording.
The decisive difference therefore lies in the artistic interpretation of reality at the moment of recording.
How important is image composition tp p-magon?
The careful composition of the overall picture is the foundation of every work of p-magon.
Lines, angles, shapes, perspectives, surfaces and lines of sight are deliberately used to direct the viewer's gaze. The composition decides whether a picture looks calm, dynamic, exciting or balanced.
The basic features of the compositions are created at the moment of shooting, and the effect is concentrated and accentuated by subsequent image processing.
Why are graphic elements so important?
Graphic elements give a photograph structure and clarity.
Lines, surfaces, shadows, reflections, geometric shapes in any form often form the creative framework. People become part of this graphic composition and enter into a visual dialogue with their surroundings.
What is the importance of colour?
For p-magon, colour is key, we would not do Black&White. Yet it is more than a decorative element, it is a deliberately used design tool. In fact, coloring is one of the essential parameters in image processing by p-magon – usually with the aim of reducing colorfulness and emphasizing color accents.
Often, a single coloured surface, a piece of clothing or a reflection of light is enough to guide the viewer's gaze. Accentuated colours create tension, set contrasts and support the emotional effect of a picture.
Do p-magon works tell stories?
In fact, p-magon strives to stimulate the viewer's imagination facing the image, to invite him to fathom the history of the picture or even to think further. Successful Fine Art Street Photography opens up spaces for one's own thoughts, also for exchange and communication. This is intentional.
What role do mood and atmosphere play?
Mood is an essential part of p-magon intended image effect.
Light, weather, shadows, colours, movements and the right time of shooting shape the atmosphere of a photograph. The aim is not only to depict a scene, but also to make its emotional impact visible.
p-magon works have an effect – sometimes calm, sometimes thoughtful, sometimes lively, mysterious, stimulating or melancholic.
How does p-magon use blur?
For the reproduction of fleeting moments, sharpness is not mandatory, sometimes even a hindrance. Often, well used blur even enhances the impression. Blurring of movement or slight exaggeration can reinforce the impression of movement, speed or transience. Optical blur, motion blur or grain can enhance the intensity of the display.
Same is true for classic painting: the representation of a scene is always an interpretation, never an exact reflection of reality. For this we are always pleased when viewers say about p-magon works: it looks like painted.
Does Fine Art Street Photography mean strong image editing?
In almost every case, yes.
Precisely because street photography is created spontaneously and unposed, the original shot is in most cases not as expressive as it can be: the exposure may be too bright or too dark – due to random camera settings, contrasts nay be too strong or too weak, an object may be disturbing here, someone walking through the background of the picture there. There is almost always a need for correction in order to create the haunting effect that makes up the p-magon style.
At p-magon, we do not regard our subsequent corrections as a manipulation of the reality of the image. Rather, we think that any photographic shot is anyway and inevitably already a considerable manipulation and never reality – due to the nature of the medium itself and, of course, also due to the technical peculiarities of the camera used. Against this background, we allow ourselves a consistent implementation of the basic idea: the work of art is created from the combination of recording the special moment and artistic post-processing.
For digital image editing, p-magon uses Lightroom, an AI-supported tool. However, the scope of image processing is always limited to actual image content of the very original images, no possible AI-generated content is ever used.
Are the scenes still real?
Always and fundamentally: yes.
All our works show real, real situations. People shown were not directed, not positioned and not asked to pose. The authenticity of the moment is preserved.
All works by p-magon are original shots of real motifs, we never use AI-generated image content. In most cases, superfluous image content is deleted or reduced in post-processing never will any artificial image content be added.
The art of p-magon lies in developing a photographic, artistic interpretation from this real moment.
What makes the style of p-magon unmistakable?
p-magon photographs combine documentary authenticity with a clear artistic signature. Characteristic are:
- spontaneous, real and unarranged scenes
- well-thought-out graphic structures and geometric shapes
- consciously used colour accents
- images that tell stories and stimulate imagination
- a strong atmosphere and emotional impact
- deliberate use of blur, exaggeration as anartistic design tool
The result is photographs that point beyond the documented moment and invite the viewer to discover new details and meanings again and again.
What do titles of p-magon work mean?
p-magon works always come with a title and a title always consists of exactly two terms, usually in English, lowercase, short.
In the simple case, the combination of the two terms creates a reference to the content of the image, but often also a reference to an image detail that may not be recognizable at first glance or an association that opens up new vision. In some cases, the title is in itself a play on words that may stimulate further imagination.
The subtitle for each work is the place where the original photograph was taken, namely city and country.
Why is there a text for every p-magon work?
In fact, with every p-magon work comes with a text. In the simple case, this text describes the creation of the original shooting and notes on the presentation. In some cases, there are further, sometimes surprising, sometimes humorous or even critical remarks on the pictorial motifs.
At p-magon, we believe that these texts shall be an integral part of the images shown. For this, each work is accompanied by a printed version of the text. In addition, there is a small QR code on each work, which can be read with the help of a smartphone and displays the text and other information.
Why are p-magon photographs suitable as fine art prints?
p-magon Fine Art Street Photography is designed for long-term, intensive observation. With every viewing, new details, relationships between people and architecture or previously overlooked graphic structures open up to the viewer.
As a result, the works unfold their effect not only as documents of everyday life, but also as timeless art objects for living spaces, collections and exhibitions.
Why are p-magon works preferably shown and offered in large formats?
At p-magon, we think that our works work best in large formats. We therefore offer formats up to 180x120cm. Pictures of this size dominate most of the rooms in which they are hung. This further enhances their effect. In other room situations, our smaller – still generously dimensioned – formats 120x80cm and 90x60cm can be advantageous. We do not offer smaller formats, but we produce other, even larger formats on special request.
With a few exceptions, p-magon works are designed in the classic 3x2 aspect ratio.
Which executions are offered for p-magon works?
p-magon works come as fine art prints in two possible versions:
- on Hahnenmühle PhotoRagpaper with 5cm white martgin, no frame
- on Alu Dibond behind 2mm acrylic glass.
Both executions are recognizable at first glance as very high-quality works of art. They are therefore ideal for representative hangings, especially in rooms that need to be designed.
Are p-magon works originals?
p-magon works are genuinely photographs and therefore reproducible. Works by p-magon however come in limited editions, each work is individualized and therefore an original in its own right.
Individualization means:
- each work is numbered with reference to the edition and its sequential number
- each number is registered with p-magon – with all data on content, execution and first ownership
- each work is signed
- each work carries a QR code to access all related information any time via smartphone – including numbering, execution, title, text, first ownership.
With the acquisition of a p-magon work, the inclined buyer thus receives a work of art with a high, documented originality value.