DigaPixBlog

Abstract photographs are created in three ways; they can be found in nature, images can be manipulated and small areas of familiar object may be isolated.  The point with abstracts like all art is to convey an emotion, a story or an insight, in other words to make the viewer think with new eyes.

We used to have a fun monthly topic in photo clubs call “What Is It”, where the photographer would present an image that was so bazaar that the judge could not guess what the original subject was.  This photograph has accomplished that challenge.  I have no idea what we are looking at.   At first I thought it was colored smock but it has to defiant an edge, or perhaps a liquid with a higher viscosity than its surrounding media.  But in truth I have no idea.

I like the translucent quality of the subject and the feeling of potential movement in this still image.  The colors are strong and brilliant.  The hues are in harmony base on an analogous color scheme.  That is to say the colors consist of hues that are adjacent to each other on the secondary color wheel.

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Getting out of your comfort zone is what growth in photography is all about.  By trying new techniques and failing or succeeding expands the photographers quiver of tools and helps them to create their own style.  My advice to all photo-artists is to try something new, become familiar with all sorts of visual arts, and grow.

This image is something new for this photographer.  The image evokes the feeling of a flight through a dream or swimming in an imagined world.  The blur of the cross stocks is like a viscous material she is trying to pass through.  The cropping is interesting in the way the photographer has left so much space around the subject.  I tried re-cropping the composition but found the photographer’s original selection was the most satisfying.

The pastel tones of blue and tan with the smooth transition has a quitting feeling, completely non-threatening.  This abstract image can tell many different stories to the viewer, all of which are pleasing.

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“It’s alive, It’s alive.” 

This beauty aid from the early industrial revaluation could have inspired Mary Shelley.  Our photographer recorded this 240 volt wonder in a museum in Slovenia, yes in the same regain as Transylvania.  It’s not an instrument for extraordinary renditions or aggressive interrogations; it’s a hair dryer-curler.   As the photographer said in his e-mail “One can only guess how many women and stylists were electrocuted by this instrument.”

This is truly a quereosity photograph, its composition borders on a surrealistic painting.   It would make Mr. Dali green-eyed.   This is a fun photo.

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What makes a good composition?  The answer is the assembly of elements in and artful arrangement that guides the viewer’s eye and unifies the work.  When composing an image we need to think about what ties the elements together.  If they are not linked the photograph becomes a collection of elements not a unified illustration.

The photograph of a portion of this classic automobile (Fiat Spider?) is intended to show some of the interesting detail of the design.  The photographer has concentrated on just a portion of the head light and bumper with  a turning light as the center of our attention.  I like the way they have canted the angle of the image giving a feeling of movement to the composition.

The photographer may want to consider the elements and their relationship to each other.  There are three subjects in this image; chrome bar, orange light and head light.  They appear to be disjointed; they each stand alone without a graphic connection.  Perhaps they could be tied together by cropping tighter and using the frame as the unifying element.

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For the past eighty years many consumer products have been designed by professional industrial designers.  An industrial designer’s job is to show the manufacturer how to make their product more appealing to the consumer.  Generally these talented artists keep pushing the engineering department to constantly improve the products we used every day, it’s a battle between left and right brains.   It is said if it were up to the industrial designer there would be picture windows on airplanes and if it were up to the structural engineer there would be no windows at all.

There are many ways to interpret a consumer product subject such as an automobile; one is viewing it through the spectrum of simplicity and pure graphics, capturing the designer’s intent.  This photographer has distilled this subject down to color and line much as an industrial designer would.   He has picked out one simple styling feature and created a composition that captures the essences of the design.  The balance between red and white is very important in this image.  The proportions remind me of a national flag or banner. 

The photo-artist has pulled off something that is generally not an acceptable graphic element.  The black line terminates right at the lower corner.  I think this works because the natural flow of the layout is in that direction and the upper left hand corner is left open.  There is one very small thing I would like to suggest to the photographer.  Under the edge of the chrome there appears to be a flaw in the paint, this could just be a reflection, but a view may see it as a defect, particularly when the subject is magnified this much.  This could be cloned out with two clicks.  

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Why do some people like abstracts and others do not?  The more left brain you are, the more literal, and down to earth you are the more likely you may not care for images you can’t identify.  However the right brain person may be used to taking things at first impressions and willing to not worry about details but use their own feelings and emotions to react to an illustration.  Neither person is right nor wrong; they just have different expectations of art.  But if you are willing to accept art that is impressionist you open up a much broader spectrum of enjoyment.

The bold splash of colors in this image says  garden to me without my being able to recognize any particular flower.  Just the combination of colors says spring time to me.  I particularly like the strong reds and yellows against the pastel pinks and blues, it gives this illustration depth and a three dimensional feel.  The primary colors are in the lower left utilizing the standard composition of two thirds - one third which gives the photograph balance against the much larger pastel area. 

This is an image that could be interpreted in a number of different ways which is why I like it.  This is more than color randomly splashed on a canvas.  It also has composition and depth.  I don’t know what possessed this photo-artist to convert the original straight shot to this explosion of color but I am glad they did. 

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When does a work become art?  I’m sure an academic could answer this with ease, but how many academics do you know who are artists?  Art is a relationship between the artist and the viewer.  The artist plans, creates and presents their interpretation of the world and the viewer does or does not relate to the result.

The photo-artist has made this subject their own.  They have visualized this composition (planed), manipulated the image to meet their visualization (created) and seared this work with us (presented).  Now it is up to the viewer to react and respond.

This image leaves me breathless.  The overwhelming graphic of the red leaf dominating the composition, dividing it vertically while its base ends in the  water and is repeated in the reflection like a window into another dimension (ones of light and dark).  The illuminated edges of the plant with the subtle textures are remarkable.  This is a work I would like to have hanging on my wall.

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We have seen many images from this and other slot canyons.  The trick is to find a way of photographing the wonderful colors and light in a new way.  In a way that makes the viewer say “I’ve never seen it shot like that before”.  This is true of many often seen subjects.

An abstract image was selected as the subject of this composition.  This image is interesting in that it is pure color.  It’s almost an optical illusion.  The two shades of orange may appear to change place, which one is in front of the other?  It would even be possible to reorient the composition and still have a nice image.  I am not saying you should but you could.

There is one detail that gives me pause.  The lavender triangle in the lower left hand corner is a bit out of place to my eye.  I am certain the photo-artist intended it to be there but he may wish to consider allowing the image to just consist of the two orange hues.  Or if possible could this feature be larger and have a more prominent identity?

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I love shooting rust and weathered wood.  There is something about photographing the texture and patterns that make me want to bring out the detail and hidden graphics.

This photograph could fall into that category.  There are possibilities within this scene that must have drawn the photographer to the subject.  But in addition to the textures we need to combine them with other elements such as interesting light, patterns and graphic lines.  More often than not we need to get in close, almost macro photography, to find the intriguing detail.  If the photograph covers too much information we end up with a record shot, a photo that has lots of information but no interpretation.

I would like to recommend that this photographer returns to this same scene and tries to find five other close-up detail images within this setup.  Try shooting up close, try shooting at unusual angles and see if the lighting can be changed to a lower angle to enhance the shadows and texture.  It’s like a treasure hunt.  Sometimes you find the prize and sometimes there is not treasure.  But you won’t know unless you do some digging.

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With the advent of computer software to manipulation photos in the late 1980’s a new art form was created.  For the first time the average photographer, for a reasonable cost, could manipulate their images in ways only the expert dark room technician could achieve.  That’s not to say that all attempts at altering photos is good art but we are able to create interesting compositions.

The photograph presented here has a nice abstract feel along the lines of the early nineteenth century painters.  The filter used gives movement to the scene with its elongated swelling lines of distortion.    I like the dark path going up the center of the frame at an angle.  It helps to accent the angle of perspective of the flowers on the right while the flowers on the left are a massive anchor of color.

The original photograph, while colorful, was probably a rather ordinary image.  The computer manipulation was able to take a mundane scene and transform it into something more dramatic, if you don’t suffer from vertigo.

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I am constantly saying; get in closer, crop down, isolate your subject, which is particularly true of flowers.  Finding a new way of seeing a common object is one way the photographer can create their own vision and style.  There are times when this is taken to such an extreme that we get either a graphic abstract or an object we cannot identify.

This unusual photograph falls into the category of “What Is It?”.  It looks like a macro image, but of what?  It has good definition in the subject and a blurred two color background but what is it?  The lighting is natural and the subject is colorful but do I know what it is?

This is an interesting image but the photographer may wish to select different color combinations.  The four colors in the image are most unsettling.  There are strong graphic elements but they don’t work together harmoniously.

Should I guess what it is?  I will take a stab at it and say it is an Anther for a Lily.   Do you have any ideas what it is?

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Abstracts, you love them or you hate them.  Abstracts are a combination of shape and color used in a non-representational way.  It can consist of the clamor of forms and colors if Wassily Kandinsky to the simplicity of Branett Newman.  Your reaction to these elemental components can be as powerful as any landscape by Ansel Adams or a press photograph by Weegee.

The photograph presented here is an abstract that can be interpreted like the clouds.  The viewer can see what they want to see within the flowing patterns.  I see three fish swimming upstream, your imagination may take you other places.  I find it interesting that there are three distinct shapes and the one with the dominant color, red, is located two thirds of the way up from the bottom of the frame.  The background with its waves and swirls depicts movement and fluidity. 

You can’t say an abstract is right or wrong.  Like all art it’s in the eye of the beholder.

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Architecture is art, good or bad it is art.  Sculptures we inhabit.  The photographer has many options when capturing this form of art work in their camera; all the way from record shots in order to interest a prospective buyer to interpretations of the soul of the building.  So we must consider how the image is to be used and who is the target viewer.  In our case we are looking for the photo-artist’s interpretation.

This submission defiantly falls on the photo-artist side of the ledger.  We see the work of one who is not satisfied with just recording someone else’s artwork but wants to create art of their own.  This graphic exudes overwhelming power and strength.  The monotone colors and off kilter perspective says this is a structure to be reckoned with and not just taken for granted. 

On the whimsical side this image reminds me of the SIFI move ‘Transformers’.  You almost get the feeling that this building is coming after you.

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We sometimes take an ordinary photograph and computer filter manipulate it in an attempt to create an image with more interest and clout.  Sometimes it works and often it does not.  I feel this manipulated photo illustration has achieved what the photo-artist intended.

The photograph has been colorized and filtered to give it a more mysterious atmosphere and gives us a reason to look at it in detail.  Note one of the outstanding things that give tension and drama to the image is the extreme tilting of the horizontal lines and yet the vertical line of the window on the right is parallel to the frame.

The purple color is unexpected.  This photo-artist works to her own personal pallet.  A little reflection in the black window would have given us the feeling of glass as seen in the original image.  I don’t feel the purple framing line around the image is necessary.

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The human form has been sculpted, painted and photographed a hundred thousand ways by thousands artists. And we never tire of looking at it.  The challenge is to interpret and present the shape in new ways. This can be done from classic to abstract, full figure to small graphic details.

This photo-artist has selected the classic (almost sculptured) format.  The lighting accents the graphic curves and shape of the human body while allowing us to complete the image.  From this presentation it is difficult to determine if we are viewing a woman or a young man thus permitting us to imagine what we will.

Please note the lighting of the subject and the background.  It is what we call ‘dark to light, light to dark’.  The front of the subject is lit while the rear is in deep shadow.  The background as a counter point is dark in left of the subject while graduating to light tones on the right. 

Also note how the photo-artist used computer noise to soften the image for effect.

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When viewing the world through the lens we should step back once in a while and absorb what is going on around us.  We may wish to reflect on why we see our surroundings the way we do.  Too often we get hung up on photographing what we have see others photograph, trying to recapture a great image, such as those beautiful photos of the Taj Mahal in Agra with the reflecting pond in front.  Are there no other ways of seeing the same subject through different eyes?

This photographer has said to himself I’m tired of photographing the fall color the same was as I have always seen and done.  How can I tell the story with a new narrative?  By isolating his attention to the reflection and then rotating the image he has shown the landscape from a new perspective.  Rule #1: always show the subject right side up.  But he broke the rules and created an interpretation of an old subject in a creative way.

This rainbow of color and slight distortion tells us about the fall color and the forest through the eyes of an impressionist painter.

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This is a  creative concept.  The photographer has selected a street with a saddle so the center line could be seen for the greatest distance possible.  The use of color conversion and shallow depth of field works well.  This would not illustrate the same story if the focus was sharp throughout the image.  The dappled light adds some texture to the distance.

If you were fast on your feet and wanted to add more excitement to your photography you could have had a Mac truck bearing down on you.  But for the sake of safety I suppose that’s not such a good idea.

I do have one recommendation.  The painted line on the left has no imperfections in the foreground however the right line has some blemishes that could be removed if you wish.

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An interesting abstract, I like the two tree trunks entering the picture from the top and ending two thirds of the way into the picture.  These add a little graphic to what would have been only color and hue.  The amorphous shapes at the bottom appear to be blurred by movement but because the rest of the image is indistinct they only add texture without concern to sharpness.  I feel your square format works well with this rendering. 

I attempted to rotate the picture one hundred and eight degrees to see what it would look like with the tree trunks coming from the bottom of the image and it did not work.  The way you have it orientated works the best for this abstract rendition. 

I am assuming you have not manipulated this photograph in the computer. 

The more I look at this ilistration the more I like it.

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Cool our first abstract.   

This image was taken using the surface flow of a fast moving stream of water.  The white currents create the feeling of the action and movement.  I think your placement of the largest white current area in the upper right hand corner allows the movement to flow across the image.  By allowing the large semi-tranquil area in the bottom half you have enough color from the bed of the creek to come through for added interest, though the color is a bit muddy. 

As an abstract it works well but there is no strong graphic element other than the horizontal white current.  I wish that the faint curve of the reflection at the bottom left hand corner of the image were more prominent.  I like the photograph, but it would have been cool to have a red or gold fall leaf floating in the lower half to add a strong subject.

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