lighting isn't ideal or that some element is missing or not quite right at the moment, come back to it with an open mind. Use the spontaneous inspiration to plan a perfected image.
If the weather isn't right or the time of day isn't ideal for shooting the beautiful landscape that surrounds you, pay attention to the details instead. Perhaps you're focused on the wrong things, so you're missing something that's happening right before your eyes. Rather than creating only premeditated artwork, open your mind to let in ideas as you experience them. By doing so, you eliminate your desire to copy works that you have seen from other artists and ensure that you make something that's yours.
When photographing the tree in Figure 17-3,1 was slightly discouraged at first. It was the middle of the day and the sun was high in the sky. As a result, I figured it was an uninteresting time to photograph. (I prefer to shoot landscapes early in the morning and late in the afternoon.) Regardless, I liked the way the scene looked and couldn't stick around for the light to change, so I set up my camera for the shot. As I was shooting, the clouds rolled in to create a great, wave-like shape. Because the sun was up high in the sky and was lighting my scene, I was able to capture an image with very dark skies. All of the sudden I was extremely happy with the composition I had in front of me. Things just sort of worked out to my advantage.
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Figure 17-3: Being present where you are isthefirst step to being able to make something out of any situation.
Composing Abstract Photos
Abstract art is possibly the most challenging art form to create successfully. You really have to be able to see beyond the physical. Because your subject isn't something people can literally relate to, they rely on your compositional elements to get your message.
Because compositional elements are so vital to an effective abstract piece, in this section, I discuss those elements you need to keep in mind as you're setting up for a photo.
Keeping the effects of color in mind
People relate different emotions to different colors. A photograph that's simply of the color red gives a different feeling than one that's blue. (Refer to Chapter 6 for some ideas on which emotions are related to which colors.) Different combinations of colors in one frame also affect your message differently. As a result, you need to carefully consider these effects when you compose an abstract photograph.
For example, viewers may see a composition in which the left side of the frame is red and the right side is blue as a conflict or opposition. And if one color takes up more space than the other, the story starts to change. Likewise, two different shades of red in the frame sends a different message than the photograph of red and blue. Just two colors in one frame can create an infinite number of feelings or ideas.
Using shapes and tines to create meaning
Adding shapes and lines to your composition increases the number of ways a viewer may interpret the meaning of an abstract photograph. The thickness of a line or the size of a shape compared to another creates relationships of space and distance. Although shapes and lines in abstract works are non-representational in a literal sense, they can and do represent things in a non-literal sense. For instance, a line in the shape of a smile probably gives the sense of happiness. And a shape that's fading off to one side and followed by streaks gives a sense of motion.
Playing With tonality
Separations in
Tonality combined with size and placement is the key to three-dimensional compositions. A subject that takes up more space than another and is placed lower in the frame will appear to be closer. By making that subject lighter in tonality, you increase this effect.
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Figure 17-4: Tonality is the main element in this abstract photograph.
Compositions that range from very dark tones to very light tones are high in contrast and come across as being dramatic or tense. Having a less drastic change in tonality decreases this effect.
Putting it all together
Abstract compositions can be simple or complex, but they're successful only when they convey a message. When the unrecognizable elements in your frame come together to represent something familiar based on your composition of them, you have created a work of art. You can set out to look for abstract themes in the things that surround you, or you can simply start taking pictures that are out of focus and hope for results.
Here are some pointers to get started:
Get very close to your subjects to help eliminate their identities. A
microscopic view of a person's skin doesn't look anything like the way you see it normally. You can use macro photography techniques to achieve this effect. For more on macro photography, refer to Chapter 14.
Experiment with your camera and shoot familiar objects in unfamiliar ways. Focus on the shapes and textures of things rather than what they actually are.
Photograph the shadows created by some common subjects and think of ways to alter their shapes. The shadow of a person, for example, can become warped when it falls on the edge of a rock wall that's jagged and warped itself.
Pay attention to the colors, lines, shapes, and tones in your scene, and consider how they work together to convey a message. If something in your frame doesn't support what you're trying to say, perhaps you can eliminate it from the scene. Move your subject or change your camera angle to alter your composition until things fall into place. Refer to Chapter 5 for information on the placement of elements in a frame.
Combining Multiple Shots to Create a Single Photo
Combining multiple images into one is a great way to get more creative with your photography. It gives you
