All painting, no matter what you are painting, is abstract in that it’s got to be organized. David Hockney 1 - Introduction I originally intended this essay to feature examples of abstract photographs. However, while writing the introduction I realized that I still had a number of things to say about abstraction that I did not have the opportunity to cover in the three … [Read more...]
Abstraction Part 3 Abstraction, Art and Documentation
Do not copy nature too much. Art is an abstraction. Paul Gauguin 1 - Introduction In this essay, part three of a four parts series about creating abstract photographs, I want to take a look at the different goals we can have for creating photographs. The purpose of this endeavor is to bring clarity to our motivation as photographers and to outline the differences between … [Read more...]
Abstraction Part 2- Creating Abstract Photographs
There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterwards you can remove all traces of reality. Pablo Picasso 1 - Introduction Creating an abstract photograph means removing the context in which the subject is found. Doing so leaves us with an image filled with visual information that does not give an indication as to what the original subject was. What … [Read more...]
Abstraction Part 1 What is Abstraction
1 - Introduction Today creating images that are unique and that stand out from the work of other photographers is more and more challenging. Locations that used to be little known are now easy to find through online searches and as are visited by photographers regularly. Technology, both camera gear and software, is making the creation of photographs easier and easier. … [Read more...]
About Photographic Shyness
Credibility in art is not tied to how far you depart from reality. Alain Briot In 2013 Michael Reichmann published an essay titled The Art Of Fooling Around In this essay Michael made the point that photographers are shy when it comes to expressing themselves through their photographs. In Michael’s opinion this is due to the desire to have their photographs taken seriously … [Read more...]
