Conceptual photography

Photographic advertising and illustration commonly derive from stock photography, which is often produced in response to current trends in image usage as determined by the research of picture agencies like Getty Images or Corbis.

Conceptual art of the late 1960s and early 1970s often involved photography to document performances, ephemeral sculpture or actions.

The artists did not describe themselves as photographers, for example Edward Ruscha said "Photography's just a playground for me.

Although their work does not generally resemble the lo-fi aesthetic of 1960s conceptual art they may use certain methods in common such as documenting performance (Sherman), typological or serial imagery (Ruff) or the restaging of events (Demand).

This distinction has been made in the coverage of the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize.