Following on from the last blog , I thought I would expand on the photographic abstracts theme , apart from finding the images interesting myself , I believe that the adoption of this freestyle approach can teach photographers many lessons !
When the footfall is thin and things go a bit quiet on the streets I often resort to the creation of these visual interpretations of my surroundings , one of the most basic photographic lessons that can be illustrated here is the effect of slow shutter speeds to give a feel of movement to this static walkway graphic, a speed of 1/15th sec and deliberate movement was used here !
Proving that one photographers error is another photographers effect !
Do photographs have to be sharp ?
Focus is optional, once you throw off the shackles of conventional photography ! We all adopt the bokeh / out of focus benefits when shooting portraits etc . Could we , should we, adopt the blending of these light rays as an effect/subject worthy of pursuit in its own right ? The problem I have with most deliberate focus “errors” is that most are not bold enough, half hearted efforts can appear to be “bad” technique. If your going to break the conventions of photography break them BIG !
The blending of the light & colours here is unique to photography, celebrate these unique Rothko-esque qualities, set yourself free !
Composition is a skill that improves with practice, street photographers not only need to understand the principles but need to utilize them quickly when confronted with a unexpected moment of significance !
Shooting abstracts will help photographers underpin these skills while developing a level of framing precision, the example below also uses good hard light to make best use of the shadows & textures, Notice how this image builds its tension in the bottom right corner which is perfectly placed to exploit the “rule of thirds”, probably the most “Borrowed” compositional tool in Street photography !
These scenarios are still and going nowhere , shoot as many variations as you wish, take your time and learn as you go !
Exploiting the rule of thirds within a abstract composition .
Many of my favorite captures follow a Abstract Expressionism vibe , where the nothing (the space) is of equal importance , if not more important than the something, (the lines,subject, textures etc) . The compositions that explore structure, composition, light, shade and form are all the more interesting because they are created serendipitously within the urban environment , by the wear and tear of the day to day !
Care should be taken to ensure that the verticals and horizontal lines are exactly that ! Photographers need only identify , compose and capture these photographic gifts , I often imagine these works as 6 feet tall prints !
Its not hard to see how these Abstract aesthetics have been utilised in the picture below , for me this orange garage door composition delivers more than the sum of its parts, notice how the viewpoint flattens the perspective ensuring that the shapes and lines rather than the form dominate this composition !
Finally if you have got this far and remain unconvinced by the relevance of this blog to your Street Photography I will leave you with the view below , this capture started life as one of my abstract views, with a little patience and luck it became a bit more significant !
Try shooting a few abstract views, its great fun and a visual education, enjoy !
All of the views in this blog were shot in the last two weeks apart from this one .