What is Photo Art? Photo Art (often called photographic art or photo manipulation art) is when a photographer intentionally alters or enhances a photograph to create a more artistic or imaginative result rather than presenting the scene exactly as it was captured. The goal is usually artistic expression, not strict realism. the final image becomes more of a creative interpretation than a documentary photograph. This makes a clear distinction from AI-generated imagery, where the scene may be created entirely by artificial intelligence rather than from a real photograph.