What does the word "abstract" mean to me? : To me the word abstract means things that do not look normal. So things that are unrecognisable to the real world.
A lot of people say that every piece of art is abstract because they represent life instead of real life.
These are the formal elements in photography;
Focus: Which areas appear clearest or sharpest in the photograph? Which do not?
Light: Which areas of the photograph are brightest? Are there any shadows? Does the photograph allow you to guess the time of day? Is the light natural or artificial? Harsh or soft? Reflected or direct?
Line: Are there objects in the photograph that act as lines? Are they straight, curvy, thin, thick? Do the lines create direction in the photograph? Do they outline? Do the lines show movement or energy?
Repetition: Are there any objects, shapes or lines which repeat and create a pattern?
Shape: Do you see geometric (straight edged) or organic (curvy) shapes? Which are they?
Space: Is there depth to the photograph or does it seem shallow? What creates this appearance? Are there important negative (empty) spaces in addition to positive (solid) spaces? Is there depth created by spatial illusions i.e. perspective?
Texture: If you could touch the surface of the photograph how would it feel? How do the objects in the picture look like they would feel?
Value/tone:Is there a range of tones from dark to light? Where is the darkest value? Where is the lightest?
Focus: Which areas appear clearest or sharpest in the photograph? Which do not?
Light: Which areas of the photograph are brightest? Are there any shadows? Does the photograph allow you to guess the time of day? Is the light natural or artificial? Harsh or soft? Reflected or direct?
Line: Are there objects in the photograph that act as lines? Are they straight, curvy, thin, thick? Do the lines create direction in the photograph? Do they outline? Do the lines show movement or energy?
Repetition: Are there any objects, shapes or lines which repeat and create a pattern?
Shape: Do you see geometric (straight edged) or organic (curvy) shapes? Which are they?
Space: Is there depth to the photograph or does it seem shallow? What creates this appearance? Are there important negative (empty) spaces in addition to positive (solid) spaces? Is there depth created by spatial illusions i.e. perspective?
Texture: If you could touch the surface of the photograph how would it feel? How do the objects in the picture look like they would feel?
Value/tone:Is there a range of tones from dark to light? Where is the darkest value? Where is the lightest?
In photography, abstraction is sometimes called non-objective, experimental, conceptual or concrete photography. This is a way of relaying an image that doesn't have an immediate association with the object that was photographed.
ABSTRACT PHOTOGRAPHERS.
Ola Kolehmainen.
Ola Kolehmainen is a Finnish photographer. He uses buildings as a starting point and also for his main source of inspiration.
ABSTRACT PHOTOGRAPHERS.
Ola Kolehmainen.
Ola Kolehmainen is a Finnish photographer. He uses buildings as a starting point and also for his main source of inspiration.
Harry Callahan
Callahan was an American photographer. He was born October 22 1912 and died March 15 1999. He created 8 books. He created quite simple landscapes from normal points of view, but he still includes human elements.
For this activity, we went around the school and took pictures that looked remotely abstract.
The Formal Elements.
FOCUS: Which areas appear clearest or sharpest in the picture.
LIGHT: Which areas of the photograph are brightest? Are there any shadows? Does the photograph allow you to guess the time of day? Is the light natural or artificial? Harsh or soft? Reflected or direct?
LINE: Are there objects in the photograph that act as lines? Are they straight, curvy, thin, thick? Do the lines create direction in the photograph? Do they outline? Do the lines show movement or energy?
REPETITION: Are there any objects, shapes or lines which repeat and create a pattern?
SHAPE Do you see geometric (straight edged) or organic (curvy) shapes? Which are they?
SPACE: Is there depth to the photograph or does it seem shallow? What creates this appearance? Are there important negative (empty) spaces in addition to positive (solid) spaces? Is there depth created by spatial illusions i.e. perspective?
TEXTURE: If you could touch the surface of the photograph how would it feel? How do the objects in the picture look like they would feel?
VALUE/TONE: Is there a range of tones from dark to light? Where is the darkest value? Where is the lightest?
FOCUS: Which areas appear clearest or sharpest in the picture.
LIGHT: Which areas of the photograph are brightest? Are there any shadows? Does the photograph allow you to guess the time of day? Is the light natural or artificial? Harsh or soft? Reflected or direct?
LINE: Are there objects in the photograph that act as lines? Are they straight, curvy, thin, thick? Do the lines create direction in the photograph? Do they outline? Do the lines show movement or energy?
REPETITION: Are there any objects, shapes or lines which repeat and create a pattern?
SHAPE Do you see geometric (straight edged) or organic (curvy) shapes? Which are they?
SPACE: Is there depth to the photograph or does it seem shallow? What creates this appearance? Are there important negative (empty) spaces in addition to positive (solid) spaces? Is there depth created by spatial illusions i.e. perspective?
TEXTURE: If you could touch the surface of the photograph how would it feel? How do the objects in the picture look like they would feel?
VALUE/TONE: Is there a range of tones from dark to light? Where is the darkest value? Where is the lightest?
For the above activity, I had to create a duo-tone of two of my images on Photoshop. I decided to use an image that I had already created, then add another picture I'd taken on top of it. At first, I kept the image of the sea straight, then I thought that it looked too plain. That's when I started to play about with the angle it was sitting at, and I liked it being sort of lopsided. To me, it gives the image a bit more character and it makes it more abstract. My favorite part of the picture is the color that the flower changed to, as it really pops and it acts like a focal point for the image.
If I was to do this again, then I would add another image so there is two images on the top to give people more to look at. Also, that would make the image more abstract because there would be more going on, in terms of things to look at, and people would have to really focus on what they are looking at.
If I was to do this again, then I would add another image so there is two images on the top to give people more to look at. Also, that would make the image more abstract because there would be more going on, in terms of things to look at, and people would have to really focus on what they are looking at.
ASSESSMENT.
I am interested in making a group of photographs that explore pattern and repetition of those patterns. I have been inspired by the work of the American photographer "Harry Callahan". His book "Nature" in particular.The deeply contrasted images almost give us an insight into what the world would look like if it was dull, colorless and lifeless. The images were already abstract, but the high contrast makes them even more abstract. Also, the addition of the silhouette of women makes it more personal to Callahan.
Background information about Harry Callahan.
Callahan was awarded the "Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US & Canada." He studied engineering at Michigan State University and worked for Chrysler before taking up photography as a hobby in 1938. Callahan didn't begin to view photography seriously until 1941.
I am also interested in the use of color in photography and how it is used to portray an object. I have been inspired by the work of "William Eggleston", especially his books "2 1/4" and "William Eggleston". I find these books interesting because they feature colored images of the 60s & 70s. This shows us what life was like back then. Additionally, even though the colors aren't vibrant, they still "pop". This makes you want to look at them and the different colors that are on each of the images draw your eyes around the picture.
I am interested in making a group of photographs that explore pattern and repetition of those patterns. I have been inspired by the work of the American photographer "Harry Callahan". His book "Nature" in particular.The deeply contrasted images almost give us an insight into what the world would look like if it was dull, colorless and lifeless. The images were already abstract, but the high contrast makes them even more abstract. Also, the addition of the silhouette of women makes it more personal to Callahan.
Background information about Harry Callahan.
Callahan was awarded the "Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US & Canada." He studied engineering at Michigan State University and worked for Chrysler before taking up photography as a hobby in 1938. Callahan didn't begin to view photography seriously until 1941.
I am also interested in the use of color in photography and how it is used to portray an object. I have been inspired by the work of "William Eggleston", especially his books "2 1/4" and "William Eggleston". I find these books interesting because they feature colored images of the 60s & 70s. This shows us what life was like back then. Additionally, even though the colors aren't vibrant, they still "pop". This makes you want to look at them and the different colors that are on each of the images draw your eyes around the picture.
I am interested in the use of colour by William Eggleston, and how he shows what the world was like in the 60s and 70s. He really grasps how vibrant the clothes were and how "happy" the world looked.
PHOTOBOOK.
My photobook consists of images that I took at home. On every other page there is a small envelope that has an image inside. I did this because I thought that it would make the book more abstract, instead of it being plain and simple.
My photobook consists of images that I took at home. On every other page there is a small envelope that has an image inside. I did this because I thought that it would make the book more abstract, instead of it being plain and simple.
For my "Abstract" assessment, I decided to create an Abstract box. For this, I made a hollow box from wood at home, then I added some pictures that I had made. On the sides I added thick red and blue tape.
WWW: I'm pleased at how the box came out. The pictures that I used all different and don't relate to each other, however I feel like they all compliment each other. I like how when you look through the box, the two acetate images overlap slightly. Also, I think that the way the light reflects off of the acetate and makes a glare is really interesting because the glare is never in the same spot, so it is in different places.
EBI: If I were to do this again, I would angle the camera better, and make sure that I photograph the box in an area that hasn't got distractions in the background. I would make sure that next time the tape on the outside is a lot neater, because I think that it looks messy. Also, I would take the images in better lighting because in some of the images you can see my hands.
WWW: I'm pleased at how the box came out. The pictures that I used all different and don't relate to each other, however I feel like they all compliment each other. I like how when you look through the box, the two acetate images overlap slightly. Also, I think that the way the light reflects off of the acetate and makes a glare is really interesting because the glare is never in the same spot, so it is in different places.
EBI: If I were to do this again, I would angle the camera better, and make sure that I photograph the box in an area that hasn't got distractions in the background. I would make sure that next time the tape on the outside is a lot neater, because I think that it looks messy. Also, I would take the images in better lighting because in some of the images you can see my hands.
Abstraction Final Outcome.