Mediterranean lamp

I just love these Mediterranean lamps and so I isolated this one using my zoom lens so that it is picked out against the white walls of the surrounding buildings. A simple composition yet it has a minimalist attractiveness about it.

Stile and sky - A look at minimalism

Stile and sky, originally uploaded by foto-art.

Stile and sky near near Rode Heath, South Cheshire. Another minimalist shot. This was taken with a red filter to enhance contrast. Many of my photographs are what might be called ‘Minimalist’. This is a term that was coined in the mid 20th century to apply to a movement of abstract artists and sculptures. It is an approach that makes use of uncluttered images and formal composition of elements which may even constitute near geometric shapes in a formal, impersonal arrangement. A person in a minimalist photograph is not portrayed as a personality, but as a formal element that makes up part of the composition. It advocates a severe simplicity of style which is achieved by using a few, very simple elements to maximum effect.

Dead tree - Landscape as self-portrait of the photographer

Dead tree, originally uploaded by foto-art.

Dead tree near Rode Heath, South Cheshire, England. What does that mean? ‘A landscape as a self-portrait of the photographer’. I indicated earlier that you could save yourself hundreds of pounds or dollars by realizing that photography is not about how expensive you camera is, but rather is about a way of seeing the world: it is about perception and perspective. Ultimately, the photographer is selecting a particular aspect of reality, viewing it from a particular vantage point, framing it with the viewfinder at a particular time and in doing so is saying to others ‘Out of lots of shapes, vantage points and colours in reality, this one is worth looking at’. In making that decision to photograph this and not that, the photographer brings their own personality and perspective to the jumble of reality that is out there: they impose on reality their own perspective of it, their own ideals and preferences concerning it: they order it, frame it, look at it and arrange it in a certain way. I have already said elsewhere that I often take on a minimalist approach to my images and this says a lot about me. I hate clutter, busyness and closed in spaces preferring a sense of space, with things clearly defined and seen. I have a dislike for randomness or untidiness, preferring structure and formality: I like things ordered, structured, in harmony and balance. I do not particularly enjoy meeting people: I do not understand them very well, or trust them, so in my images, people are often reduced to impersonal formal elements in a composition. I do not take many portraits. It is in this kind of way that the photograph begins to reveal the character of the person who takes it.

This is why there may be a dilemma for the photographer who wants to earn money from his work. Lucky indeed is the person who can make a living from photographing what they like. Instead, they have to take on commissions, do portraits or weddings or work in photo-journalism or in advertising and design. As soon as I start thinking about making money from my images, I begin to think about what other people would like, what they would buy and so on, or I am doing a job for someone else, doing things they way they want them. I have to compromise my artistic integrity, even who I am, so that I have to see things the way other people want me to see them. For me, my photography is not about that. I want complete creative freedom in what I do, so that I take what I want, when I want, how I want, and if others like it, then that is a bonus. My photography is a totally selfish act; an expression of personal creative integrity, it is not about being told what to do and how to do it, it is not a job or a business, but a creative outlet and an expression of myself.

Shutlingsloe - Print size and megapixel tutorial

Shutlingsloe, originally uploaded by foto-art.

Classic Peak District National Park scenery. I don't often do this kind of shot, but the light was just right here. The sun was quite low in the sky and so the texture and curves of the hills are picked out nicely. I increased the colour saturation slightly on Photoshop using the slider in Image/Adjust/HueSaturation menu. This kind of image is of a very conventional composition to me, with the farm and path leading the eye up the hill to the trees and summit. To be seen at its best, this kind of image needs a big enlargement and high quality, so the more megapixels the better. This would need to be a 16X20 inch print at the minimum to bring out the detail and to intimate the size of such a vista. The advantage of the more minimalist shots that are more common on this blog, is that they do not require such enlargements: the shapes and elements are bold and simple.

Southport couple

Southport couple, originally uploaded by foto-art.

Opportunistic shot of this couple on the sea wall at Southport. Another minimalistic shot that just caught my eye. All the elements are important: the wall, the fence, the curve of the road, the yellow road beacon, and of course the couple. Because the man is leaning towards his wife, there is a slight sense of urgency, of action in this picture, which helps to make it for me. The main element, the couple, are placed one third in from the right and the horizon is one third up from the bottom. The yellow beacon acts as a counterpoint to the couple and stops the curve of the road from leading the eye out of the picture to the left.

Southport beach - minimalist shot

Southport beach, originally uploaded by foto-art.

Minimalist shot of Southport beach, Lancashire, England. Once again, I just love the emptiness and simplicity of these sorts of images. Notice again the principle of thirds: the horizon in one third up the frame, and the flagpole and person are each one third in from the sides. Convention is broken slightly by having the person walking out of the frame instead of into the centre of the picture. Knowing rules of composition and then breaking them slightly adds interest to the picture. Which do you think is more interesting, or looks more correct: the person walking out of the frame as they are now, or walking the other way, into the centre of the picture? Why do you have one preference over another?

Malta

malta, originally uploaded by foto-art.

Hotel balcony in Malta. Another of my favourite style of minimalist pictures. Here again I am using the principle of thirds to divide up the shot. What I like about this picture is it's near abstract geometric quality and the balance of colour with the blue sky being balanced out by the blue in the wall and the colour of the clouds being also balanced by the ivory colour of the wall. I also like the way the straight lines of the wall are counterpointed by the curves of the globe light (the main focal point) and the bowl. The only after-treatment to this shot was a little cleaning up in Photoshop using pixel cloning to remove the odd blemish on the wall and floor, and an increase of colour saturation in Image/Adjust/Hue-Saturation.