#6 - Abstractions
DUE: Tuesday, Sept. 28 - WIP - (5) Images directly out of the camera and the same (5) Images Edited. Be sure to include a strong sense of light, if possible. See some of the examples below. You must follow the following requirements in your final edits.
DUE: Tuesday, Oct. 5 - (5) Final Images.
Finals: Your (5) images must include:
- (2) Images must be in B&W with (1) of them being Split Toned
- (1) Image must be cropped to a Square
- (1) Image must have a Vignette
- (1) Image must be in color and only have (3) different colors represented in the photograph
*Do Not Combine any of the above into one photo.
1. a generalized idea or theory developed from specific concrete examples of events
2. the forming of general ideas or concepts from specific concrete examples
3. a state in which somebody is deep in thought and not concentrating on his or her surroundings
4. the philosophical process by which people develop concepts either from experience or from other concepts
5. an abstract painting or sculpture
6. the removal or theft of something, usually with some difficulty
7. the pumping of water from a river or other source for industrial use
Consider these rules when creating your own Abstraction.*
Simplicity – Determine a principal center of interest and attempt to isolate it from confusing background clutter or other possible centers of interest in the photo.
Rule of Thirds – Generally speaking, it is better to place the center of interest away from the exact center of the photo. Consider dividing the picture plane into thirds (horizontally and vertically). The intersections of these lines on the grid suggest four places where the visual center could possibly be located.
Lines – Diagonal lines are dynamic and create interest in a scene. Repetitive lines draw attention to a center of interest. A commonly used compositional tool is the use of an “S” curve to organize the picture plane.
Balance – Balance is simply the arrangements of shapes and areas of light and dark so that the photo is not “heavy” on either side. Western art is generally based on symmetrical balance. Symmetry occurs when the picture plane is divided in half, and each side is a mirror image of the other. This is a formal style, which is static. Asymmetrical balance, the style most utilized in Eastern Art, favors balance through division of the picture plane into unequally sized segments. This is an informal style and is often more dynamic.
Framing – Interest can be added to a composition by using foreground shapes like tree limbs, edges of fences, poles or other objects to create a deeper space in the photo.
Mergers – Avoid having shapes in the background merge with shapes in the foreground. Example: a telephone pole appears to come out of the top of a person’s head.
*from “The beginning of Photographic Composition.” The Eastman Kodak Co.
Assignment
Create Five final images that fulfill the idea and the visual problem of Abstraction. A good abstraction requires you to understand the idea of composition and the placement of your subject in relation to its surroundings, as well as, to see light that helps define or change the object you are photographing. Abstractions will require you to look up and down and perhaps to even crawl around on the ground, under tables or get on top of chairs. It might require you to get relatively close to an object or tilt your camera. The idea is experimentation and your willingness to see normal objects in a new light. If the viewer knows exactly what he or she is looking at right away, then the abstraction is not successful. Keep in mind that abstractions are usually successful when the object being photographed is a normal object, one that we all know, verses an abstract object. It is the way the photographer presents the object to us that is abstract.
Tips
View some work by famous photographers: Brett Weston, Edward Weston, Ralph Gibson, Andre´ Kertesz, Carl Chiarenza
Some part of the abstraction could be in the use of your digital processing.
You might want to experiment with the placement of objects over the front of your lens on the camera.
Inspiration
http://www.ryanbushphotography.com/#
http://www.bobcornelis.com/Carta_I_JB/Carta_I.htm
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