A photograph can indeed be as much a work of art as a painting, a drawing or a sculpture. Art photography has little to do with the countless photos that are taken by countless people everyday. The photographer uses the camera, light and materials as artistic tools, just as the painter uses canvas, paints and brushes. He or she not only chooses the image, manipulates the composition, light, color etc., but also produces photographic works of art using countless combinations of chemicals, developing and printing techniques and devices that define the finished artwork. As in any art form, the manipulation of these tools and techniques depends on the talent and skills of the photographic artist.
Artistic photography can show as much expression and personality as other art forms.
If, for example, Monet or Picasso had never come into the public eye, his works would not be worth millions today. Photographers, like other artists, reach fame through their own brilliance and endeavour, as well as by capturing peoples imagination at a given moment. The sad truth is that many artists do not come to fame until after their death, these are known as posthumous artists. In these cases, artworks that the artist struggled to sell for next to nothing in their lifetime are suddenly discovered and become worth millions. In happier cases fame is built over a lifetime, thus art photography by recognised photographers or by emerging names of today with the promise of becoming recognised, like any other artwork, can gain value as the years pass.