Abstract Photography And Its Selection By Sam Zaydel At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Of all the different genres of photography, Abstract must be the most interesting, and confusing at the same time. The word Abstract itself may mean a lot of things. By definition abstract photography is an aspect of photography that does not depict subject as they would appear in natural world. This is a very vague statement, and may include nearly any image which does not look like anything at all. So, how do we know which photographs we can classify as abstract and which we cannot.

A Good Photograph

Because anything at all may be called abstract photography we have to take a methodical approach to determining what is really art, and what is a photograph of nothing in particular. In most cases, with all other types of photography, whether glamor, nude, nature, architectural, portraits, we can easily determine good photographs, and differentiate them from lesser photos. We typically look for striking details, that cause parts of the photograph to stand out. Good photographs typically incorporate good design elements, such as leading lines, selective focus, striking lighting or shadows, and isolation of important details. All good photographs accentuate important features, while reducing, or completely eliminating less attractive or uninteresting features. We usually only need a few seconds to identify a good photograph, because its photographer made the necessary efforts to direct the eyes of the viewer to the most important elements, which trigger an emotional response. A good photograph will invite you to look at it, and examine some of its details.

Identifying Elements

Because we cannot be as objective about abstract photographs as we can be about photographs that clearly identify a subject, we have to apply the same process as we discussed previously, to determine whether or not the photograph triggers an emotional response when we are looking at it. A good abstract photograph will still have some striking elements, even if you cannot readily identify the main subject. Dynamic lighting, or shadows are a great example here. Most of us have seen abstract photographs where a geometric subject is complemented with strong, dynamic shadows. While we may not be able to immediately identify the subject, we can quickly see interesting, perhaps intriguing elements. Of course, this is just one such example. While an abstract image is meant to make you think about it, and wonder about what you are looking at, striking elements must be present, and the main subject, or theme needs to be identifiable. In abstract photography main subject, does not necessarily need to be identified by what it is in the natural world, but it should infer, or resemble some commonly identified elements. For example, you may have a photograph of architectural columns taken in a way, which does not clearly identify the subject; however, certain elements, whether it is grooves cut into the columns, the familiar elements in its base or its crown, quickly trigger a response in you, the viewer and provide a lead for your brain to infer the main subject. In most cases, a good abstract will remind you of something, instead of leaving you dissatisfied, and wondering about what you are really looking at. Common geometric shapes are a good subject for abstract photography. Elements such as leading lines, and controlled depth of field enhance an abstract image, just as they would a real world photograph.

Keep in mind, these are not hard rules, which every photograph needs to follow. This is more of a guideline, which should help you identify and select a good Abstract. After all, if you are looking at a photograph and you like the subject matter, regardless of whether or not it fits with this guide, to you the photograph is good, and you will likely enjoy it, if you choose to purchase, and display it. Do not expect for everyone to see an abstract photograph as you would. After all, it is an abstract.

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