Abstract Photography - Composition Skills For Great Abstract Images
Abstract photography can be a lot of fun
Abstract photography can be a lot of fun. Furthermore, it can result in some impressive images. However, some skill is required to create great abstract images. Composition is one of the most important of those skills. Composition determines how the form, color, and curves are placed in an image. There are many ways to approach composition. Performing a systematic review of the field of composition is beyond the scope of this article. However, three aspects of composition will be covered.* Rule of Thirds
* Golden Triangle
* No Rules
Rule of Thirds : One method of composition that is very common is the rule of thirds. When using this rule, the image is divided into thirds both vertically and horizontally. The center of interest is placed where the vertical and horizontal lines cross.Golden Triangle An alternative approach is the golden triangle. When using the golden triangle, a diagonal is drawn from one corner of the image to the opposing corner. Then, lines are drawn from the other two corners such that they intersect perpendicularly with the first diagonal. The center of interest is placed near one of the intersections of these lines.
No Rules: While these two approaches to composition can create impressive images, one of the wonderful things about abstract photography is that, sometimes, the rules can be ignored. At times, you can just go wherever your imagination leads you.
Art of Subtraction
People tend to react to abstract photography on an instinctual or emotional level. Therefore, to create great abstract images, all one has to do is remove everything that does not, in some way, strengthen the viewer's emotional reaction. This is the art of subtraction.
So, how does one go about creating an image that communicates an emotion? It comes down to a three step process: 1) identify the emotion, 2) identify the elements that strengthen the emotion and add them to the image, and 3) subtracting everything else from the image.
A natural response might be to ask why this is so important. The answer is that items in an image that help the image communicate its emotion strengthen the image. All other items serve only to dilute the image .In short, all things that do not strengthen the emotion of an image weaken the image.
In Summary
Great compositions lead to great abstract images. Of course, there is a lot more to learn about abstract photography.
by: Ron Bigelow