Modern photography is the result of various influences and this affects how the work is taken and presented. Pop art photography is influenced by the work of pop art pioneers, most notably the works of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Richard Hamilton, to name a few. Today, modern photographers are putting their individual stamp on this field of photography to create a unique and interesting art form.

Pop Art Photography: How to Spot It

It is fairly easy to spot a photographic body of work that has pop art influences. Photos with this aesthetic tend to have bright, bold colours and subjects that blend fashion and portraiture with still life. Pop art influences in photography can be seen in colourful images that often portray sweet and sexy subjects, objects that are easy on the eyes, and unique takes on often commonplace and mainstream objects like Brillo pads and crushed cans of beer in front of colourful polka dot backgrounds.

Pop art photography is not limited to photographers who focus on still life, product or high fashion photography. Landscape and street photographers can showcase their pop art influences in the colorful images of buildings, architecture and the use of vibrant and bright colours when taking photos of ordinary streetlife.

What Makes Pop Art Photography Interesting

Pop art photography is an interesting field of photography because it allows for greater creative versatility. Subjects can be anything, unlike portrait or landscape photography where subjects are limited to people and landscapes, for example. Pop art also allows photographers to mix photography with other mediums such as painting, printing, and mixed media work. This allows for greater creative exploration and expression that can make the work more relatable even to people who have no primary interest in photography.

Making a Living with Pop Art Photography

Like most areas of photography, creativity and a unique take on pop art subjects can help photographers create a consistent body of work that can attract a general audience and the attention of galleries and collectors. Pop art is still extremely popular and artists and photographers who use this style can easily gain a significant following on social media, especially in graphics-heavy sites like Instagram and Pinterest, where the bright and fun colors of pop photography tend to shine best. Photographers can print their works on canvas or directly onto various merchandise and sell these directly off Instagram, where buyers from all over the world can bid and buy without the intervention of middlemen. With enough skill, creativity and good branding, pop art photographers can make a decent income from this medium alone.