Abstract photography is based on a primitive perception of color, form and lines rather than details. Many photographers generally tend to evaluate opportunities in photography in terms of details. Abstract photography allows us to see the world and the photo opportunities that surround us from a different perspective. Abstract photography does not present the subject in an easily comprehensible way and explains more than the detail of the image and primarily through form, color and lines. When looking at abstract images, the brain’s logical processes are less under pressure. By contrast, the viewer’s reaction is more instinctive.
Abstract photography primarily interacts with the emotions of the viewer and takes advantage of the fact that the emotional system of people is stronger than their logical system. The word abstract has many meanings, but the general trend for photography is that objects are not sourced. In other words, abstract photographs create details such as color, shape and texture that create and differentiate objects without revealing their identities fully. This means that all the objects we see in our daily life can be the subject of abstract photography, regardless of whether they are small or large, simple or complex, artificial or natural. Taking a cross-section of the objects and placing them in the center of the frame will cause people looking at the photo to wonder what they are looking at.
History of Abstract Photography
The first person to consciously create abstract photographs was Alvin Langdon Cabernet, who in her collection in 1912 (New York from the top of the squares) photographed the city from falling angles, However, the roots of abstract painting go back to the first decade of the twentieth century. This style did not exist until after World War II when its ideas spread to other areas of art.
10 Tips for Abstract Photography
- Monochrome Abstraction
You don’t need to use colors to take successful abstract photographs. Monochrome shots will give good results because they abstract the colors. When you convert the colors to black and white in high contrast frames, you will not want the gray tones to be distracting, as dark tones will give more beautiful images. You can convert the photo into monochrome shots using Photoshop and Lightroom programs. You can also get more professional images by using special plugins such as Nik Software Silver Efex Pro II.
- Color Contrast:
If you want to increase the effectiveness in abstract photography, try using colors that will create contrast in the same frame. Yellow and blue are strong colors. Using warm and cool colors such as red and green together will always give very good results. If the natural state of the colors looks lifeless, you can make adjustments from the “Vibrance” option in Adobe Camera Raw, if necessary, you can increase the density up to 100%.
- Shadow Play
Shadows add extra detail to abstract photographs and enable the objects to transform into abstract images with their natural state. The early morning hours and the afternoon, when the sunlight is more inclined, will give you long and beautiful shadows for you to take abstract photos. A column array, a spiral staircase, tables and chairs in a cafe’s garden, or the shadow of a wall are just some of the abstract photography subjects you can capture. If you zoom in and fill the frame, focusing the shadow in the center of the subject without putting the subject in the frame will make the photo appear more mysterious. In the correction phase after shooting, emphasizing the shadow and light to increase the contrast will increase the effect.
- Include The Sky
A clear sunny day and a clear blue sky will be a great background for colorful abstract shots. An abstract composition, especially with warm colors, can look very striking this way. This technique will give you good results when shooting buildings, streets, traffic signs and other colored objects at narrow angles. Using a polarizing filter when shooting will help you increase the effect. Because the polarizing filter will reveal the blueness of the sky better and revive the colors of the objects.
- Pay Attention to the Shapes of Objects
Especially if you are shooting with a zoom. If you focus on the form of your subject rather than the entire image, you’ll get beautiful abstract images. Shots that you will make by listing objects of different shapes and colors and emphasizing their geometric shapes will give interesting results. By putting the sky as the background, you can highlight the shapes of the buildings. Modern architecture will give you very good examples for this job. If the buildings are colored, you can make good abstract shots by using both the shapes of the buildings and the contrast of colors together.
- Set a Theme
Abstract photographs do not have to consist of a single object. You can view a theme formed by lines, angles and colors as a whole. It is possible to reveal interesting themes by focusing on a building or any other object. For example, you can get abstract images by giving the lines, form and colors of a building bearing the traces of modern architecture as a theme.
- Get closer
The secret to good abstract photography is to keep the composition as simple as possible. Zoom lenses will produce good results because they can highlight a part of the subject and isolate it from the rest. Tele-zoom lenses are particularly good because they magnify objects and bring out interesting details.
Capture Different Angles
The key to abstract photography is to reveal the details of objects that are not noticed at first glance. That’s exactly what you do when you capture different angles of your subject. Taking narrow-angle shots by approaching the subject with a wide-angle lens will produce good results. As you try to capture different angles, you will now see each object in a completely different way.
Nature Abstractions
Although the objects produced by humans seem to offer more resources for abstract photography, if you look a little more carefully, you will see that it is a very good resource for abstract photography. Approach a plant or flower using a macro lens, fill the frame with its details and shoot. Try shooting a leaf backlit or focus on the texture of a stone or the curves created by the sand. It doesn’t matter what you take in an abstract photo. What matters is how you reflect.
Body Abstractions
The abstract images revealed by the curves of the body are quite impressive. Rather than showing all the details of the body; Focus on only certain parts of the body, such as a line on the knee, a crease on the face, a lumbar spine and shoulder blades In the male body, you can especially put the muscles in the foreground. Remember that in the male body you need a stronger light to bring out the contrasts. You can also create softly lit abstract shots using a white background.