Minimalism

Minimalism....

...is about separating something out to increase the attention paid to it. In many cases our photographs can get swamped by too much detail or colour and the reason we originally spendt time taking it gets lost.

When we look at things as a photographer it is easy to see the object you are photographing and concentrate on that. Why else so many holiday snaps where a pole sticks out of someone's head? Because we fail to consider the object as a part of the wider scene.....and that wider scene can easily distract from our intention.

There are several ways to create a minimal effect. One is to have a strong contrast of colour as in the pink flower above against the brown and khaki of the wall and tree. The khaki of the wall on the right of the picture is known as negative space. This really means that not much is happening in it but it gives the picture scale and allows our eye to be drawn to the part we would like people to see...

One is to use colour to define the difference in a space, as in the cone which looks totally out of place against the architectural stillness of the corner of this building.

A third is to use a lack of colour to emphasis the subject.  The overhead branch below encourages us to consider the branch as pretty much the only thing in the picture, apart from the clouds. We do not need the colour to explain this to us as our brain tells us that without our thinking about it. This is often used in street photography where light fills the space we want people to look at and darkness provides a contrast of emphasis.

Minimalism has a mindfulness to it which concentrates the eye on single area or object and help us to consider that without any major distractions. It is a meditation and for some the pictures may seem frivalous or bizarre. But it has its place and I like a good minimalist photograph that makes me think.