Abstract Photography
Abstract art and photography are very popular business niches and have commercial turnaround of billions of dollars over the last century. Many art exhibitions, galleries and photography events have a section on this form of depiction.
Thousands of art and photography students all over the world take dedicated courses and try to express their thoughts and ideas in their own interpretation. Abstract photography is a direct descendant of the earlier abstract art form that was made famous by many notable artists. Almost every famous photographer at some point has tried him or herself in this type of photography. And many of them have put together a portfolio of abstract images even if they have moved over to another photography area later on.
What exactly is it and what is the connection to abstract art?
As the name “abstract” suggests it is a form of art that can be interpreted but not seen. This form of art is often debated to be complex, difficult to understand and several interpretations may accompany each abstract painting. Yet it attracts many art critics and collectors from all over the world. Abstract photography has gained the same popularity except it is done by using a camera, not an easel.
The exact definition of this art is complex as the art itself. But it is sufficient to understand that there are no strict rules for creating and it’s completely non-objective. Photography techniques are used to capture almost any event such as a drop of water splattering in a cup and looking like a crown; or fire flames taking a shape of a wild animal. The composition non-material – it is only the way a photo is captured. The interpretation of the image may come later.
How is abstract photography actually carried out?
For this type of photography it is necessary to have a professional high speed camera. Best results are obtained by shooting in a black and white mode. The following aspects have to be kept in mind:
1. A firm understanding of basic photographic principles such as shutter speed, lens focusing, aperture, light positioning and light effects.
2. Telephoto and macro lenses as well as flash equipment form a significant part of abstract effects that you may wish to create.
3. You may need to equip more specific gear such as background drops, tripod stands, remote triggers, lens filters, softboxes, flash diffusers etc.
Abstract photography is really the area for a true artist and for the one who also has a bit scientific mind. Composing a perfect image requires an “artist” and taking a shot requires a “tech guy”. Imagination knows no frontiers and best results are achieved when one uses creativity at its full capacity.
If you wish to try yourself in this form of art, we recommend researching some of the famous personalities in this area: Uta Barth, Vik Muniz, Hannah Höch, Wolfgang Tillmans, Luigi Veronesi, Masataka Takayama, Carli Hermès and Adam Fuss.