Abstract Extract: Picking out patterns in the pixels

According to the Tate, abstract art does not depict a physical reality but instead uses shapes, colours, forms and patterns to achieve its effect. It may consist of simplified or schematic representations of familiar objects such as figures or landscapes or it could encompass the use of geometric shapes or patterns not derived from physical objects. Kandinsky, Miro, Rothko, and Pollock come to mind as groundbreaking exponents of this genre.

What about abstract photography?

Unlike painting, where artists literally start with a blank canvas and have complete control over their creation, photography records an existing real-world scene. Creating an abstract photograph, therefore, comes closer to the dictionary definition of ‘abstracting’ — that is, separating or withdrawing something from something else — in this case an image abstracted from but independent of the original image. Said another way, the abstract photographer sees a new, aesthetically pleasing image lurking within the original image they created then abstracts it through the use of photographic techniques. As their eye for such opportunities develops, they begin to envisage the future abstracted image at the point of original composition.

Is it really photography?

Well, it involves pointing a camera at a subject, composing the image, ensuring it is in focus, pressing the shutter release, and recording a photograph. That sounds like photography to me! Perhaps the answer is, to paraphrase Mr Spock, “…it’s photography Jim, but not as we know it…”. It would be fair to say that abstract photography differs from ‘representational’ photography in the degree of manipulation involved in creating the final image. For example, creating the new abstracted image might require extensive post-processing of the original through cropping, rotating, enhancing contrast or saturating colours; I think of it as repurposing the pixels of the original image. Other approaches might involve manipulation of shutter speed, focus, or camera motion.

What makes a good abstract photograph?

Beauty, as we know, is in the eye of the beholder. So, the simplest definition might be that a good abstract photograph evokes a pleasurable or thought-provoking response in a viewer, although that definition would apply equally to an abstract painting. An additional consideration may be the skill with which the photographer exploits features of the original photograph to create the abstracted image — for example, use of shapes, shadows, colours and textures to good effect. Given the importance of these factors in creating praiseworthy abstract art, photographers drawn to this niche who have access to an environment rich in bright colours, plentiful sunshine, deep shadows and interesting architecture are indeed fortunate.

Do you need specialised kit?

No. Any camera provides an entry into this world. However, a high-megapixel sensor helps preserve image quality when cropping extensively, and since subjects cannot always be photographed close up, a longer focal length lens can prove advantageous. I have found a recently purchased (pre-owned) Leica SL2, coupled with Lumix 85mm f/1.8 or Leica APO Summicron-M 50 mm f/2.0 lenses, to be an ideal setup. I process photographs in Lightroom and Photoshop to optimise the abstracted images, for example deepening shadows and saturated colours, and so access to such platforms is also helpful.

What do abstract photographs look like?

The following photographs exemplify my exploration of abstract photography over a three-month period beginning in November 2021. The photographs were taken in Palm Springs, San Diego and Coronado: sunny Californian locations with splashes of colour and deep shadows waiting to be discovered on photographic walkabouts. I have included a white frame on each photograph, as is the convention in this domain; it somehow enables the viewer to embrace the image as reminiscent of painted artwork. I have also used a square format almost exclusively, both for consistency and as a self-imposed constraint to facilitate hunting down abstractions within original photographs.

White stripes

I consider this photo an early success, encouraging me to dip my toes further into the water. The corrugated metal fascia of the building, coupled with the deep shadow of a recessed doorway, affords an array of crisscrossed striped motifs in blue. The creation of this abstract image required minimal manipulation of the original; I cropped it to align intersections of panels and shadows with the surrounding frame, but otherwise did not perturb it.

Mr Blue Sky

I incorporated a bright blue sky as a colour panel in each of these arrangements of geometric shapes. The original photographs were cropped and rotated to reposition the blue panel and align its boundaries with the frame. Inclusion of additional colours, especially when complementary, such as orange or brick red, together with the contrasting neutral blocks, yield a pleasing array of shapes and tones.

Shadow boxing

Shadows are the photographic gift that keeps on giving. Their geometric shapes and jet black depths on surfaces blocked from sunlight are a foil for the brighter colours found in everyday objects such as flower pots, building fascias, and door frames. Achieving the necessary depth of black sometimes requires my heavy use of the contrast controls in Lightroom. The resultant colour-free blocks, bounded by the white frame, add a mysterious void to the composition.

Love of geometry

The world is full of Euclidean geometry: rectangular window frames, triangular gable roofs, circular manhole covers, curved arches, and parallel lane marking on the road. Not surprisingly, a popular sub-genre of abstract photography exploits those geometrical features in the built environment around us. This can yield tasteful arrays of lines, curves, triangles and rectangles, often with deep shadow thrown in for good measure. Creators of such photographic images enjoy a dedicated following on Instagram, using hashtags such #geomometricart, #geometricphotography, and #geometricalabstraction.

Stripes

Stripes are one of the most ancient patterns imagined by human beings. A repetitive motif of alternating light and dark stripes can act as a subtle backdrop to a superimposed subject or, when more pronounced, become the subject itself. They can run vertically, horizontally or diagonally across the image, taking straight or curved paths from edge to edge. Your preference for vertical or horizontal stripes probably reveals something profound about your inner psychological makeup!

Almost natural

Despite the best efforts of photographers to uncouple the abstracted image from its progenitor, sometimes the real world makes an incursion into the neutral zone between these two states. This last gallery includes examples that occupy the border region between abstraction and representation. All four operate both at the level of recognisable objects, such as steel sheets connected with nuts and bolts, and at the level of patterns, such as light and dark, or lines and rectangles. I wonder at which point a photo is just a photo?

Channelling Jasper Johns

These final two images, breaking with the square format, were inspired by flags: the first is a homage to American abstract artist, Jasper Johns and his obsession with the Stars and Stripes; the second is a homage to the Ukrainian flag and the courageous people of that country.

Onwards and Upwards

I hope you have found this excursion into the realm of abstract photography a colourful and refreshing change of scenery. This project has broadened my perspective on photography as a creative outlet and challenged me to consider what makes for a great photograph. As the pandemic abates and international travel returns, I hope to visit countries where blue skies, colour-washed buildings and geometric patterns abound, affording further opportunities to explore this genre. Having broken the ice and dipped my toe in the water, full immersion here I come!

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