What is Abstract Photography?
Abstract photography is just like abstract art. The photographer concentrates on shape, form, colour, pattern and texture.
The viewer usually isn't able to see the whole object. The subject of the photo is often only shown in small parts. This is what
makes the photo appear abstract. The abstract tends to bring out some of the aspects. For example, patterns. textures and angles.
The viewer is supposed to enjoy the ‘feel’ of how it looks. For the viewer, abstract photography is not about knowing and
recognising the subject. It is more about emotionally connecting with it.
The viewer usually isn't able to see the whole object. The subject of the photo is often only shown in small parts. This is what
makes the photo appear abstract. The abstract tends to bring out some of the aspects. For example, patterns. textures and angles.
The viewer is supposed to enjoy the ‘feel’ of how it looks. For the viewer, abstract photography is not about knowing and
recognising the subject. It is more about emotionally connecting with it.
The word abstract suggests something that is not obvious. For example, artists tend to make images that don't look like anything in the real world. Abstract art makes the viewer think a bit harder about what they are seeing. Abstract art has been apart of the art industry for a long time as it allows artists to create unique images that no one has made before. Within this experiment I will be making my own abstract images and learning from my mistakes to improve them. I will be using different settings and objects to achieve those images.
Abstract Experiment At Home
The Formal Elements |
Here are a range of abstract photos taken within my home. I managed to take a good variety of images which all have something different about them.
My favourite image is image 4. Mainly because I like how I captured the ray of light and the reflection of the object shown. However next time I would like to try experiment using colour and not just black and white. I also like image 6 specifically because I managed to capture a variety of different shades and tones. However to improve this image next time I will try and experiment by using other objects to achieve the same image but with different tones and shadows. My least favourite is the first image. This is because I don't feel the image has a meaning to it. However next time I could use a different object or surface area but use the same angle to achieve the same image but a better version. Another image I don't specifically like is image 8. Particularly because I didn't manage to capture any light and that was part of my focus. Next time to improve this I will pick a spot that enhances light. |
Focus:
Light: Line: Repetition: Shape: Space: Texture: Value/Tone: |
Which areas appear clearest or sharpest in the photograph? Which do not?
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? 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? Are there any objects, shapes or lines which repeat and create a pattern? Do you see geometric (straight edged) or organic (curvy) shapes? Which are they? 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? 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? Is there a range of tones from dark to light? Where is the darkest value? Where is the lightest? |
This is a photograph made by Ursula Abresch.
This is one of my favourite abstract images.I like the way she has almost left a mystery behind it and hasn't made an obvious statement to what it could be. I also love the colours and how there has been an effect of rain/water. Another thing I like is how this photograph can come across as many different things to people. For instance, this could look like a flower with a stormy background. Or even look like water droplets with clouds surrounding them. Lastly I like how the artist has used the light to emphasis the larger objects. However to improve this photo the artist could have exposed the picture to more light to get more of a contrast between the different shades of colour and used more geometric shapes to make the picture more absract. |
This is a photograph made by Cheyenne Worthington.
I particularly like this image because of what she has photographed. I specifically like how she has taken the natural light as a source and used it to try and make her art work interesting and unique. It has also made the orange stand out because the contrast between the colours are very different. Another thing I like about this image is how she has used geometric shapes to make her image appeal more interesting. However to improve the artist should have made the photo less obvious that it was an umbrella and tried to make it more abstract. |
Experimenting With Photograms
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A photogram is a picture produced with photographic materials, such as light-sensitive paper, but without a camera. Many artists have been using this technique for years as it allows you to produce some really interesting photos. Not all photograms are the same. Some are black and white and some are coloured. I have previously made photograms but have used a different subject behind them. Whereas this time my focus is to base the photograms on abstraction. I will be using different ways in which to create lots of different photograms. I will do this by choosing a range of objects that look abstract to produce my final pieces and I will be figuring out which techniques within this sector work best.
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This is a famous abstract photogram made by László Moholy-Nagy. This was an artist who was famous for exploring the transformation of transparency, light and reflection through different media. I chose this image as one of my favourites as I find it very interesting because of how the objects have been layed out and because it related back to my topic, "Abstraction". I specifically like how the artist has used a range of different tones with the greys, whites and blacks. These tones make the image look as if it was transparent. I also like how he hasn't made it obvious as to what the photo could be. This then allows people to think more about it. However to improve this image the artist could have given some sort of meaning to the image so people could relate to it a bit more.
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Photograms- 1st Set
Image 1:
I like this photogram specifically because of the materials I used, including the matte, light sensitive paper. I also like the different tones I have achieved with it. Another thing I like is how the black gets darker and darker from the top corner going down to the bottom. However it isn't my favourite as it doesn't look very abstract. To improve this next time I could try adding more materials and placing them diffeently to make the image appear more abstract like. Image 2: I like this photogram because of the way I have layed out my chosen objects. I also like how I have managed to achieve a range of different tones and contrasts between the greys, whites and blacks. Another thing I noticed that appealed to me was the little shine of light at the bottom. This is one of my favourites specifically because I think it looks very abstract, and thats what I was aiming for. However to improve this image I could add more materials so that the whole sheet of paper was covered. Image 3&4: These two are my favourites specifically because of the type of film I have used for one of my materials. I think this material works really well for abstraction art as it does't appear to look obvious in photograms. I also like how the matte paper has complemented the different tones and made the type of contrasts stand out. Another thing I like has to be how I have layed out my materials on the paper, using a method where you just throw on your objects and just let them land naturally, without replacing anything. I have learned that this technique always works well and achieves really good looking photograms. One thing I would change about either one would be experimenting with shiny, light sensitive paper. However, still using the same design. |
Cut-Up Photogram Process
Step one was to make a photogram that I specificallly liked using different objects to acheive an image that looked abstract.
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Step two was then to make another photogram but using a different technique. So I decided to make a photogram but then only splash the developer over it.
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Step three was to cut the chosen photogram up into geometric shapes and then stick them back into a different order to make another image.
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Step four was then to use that cut up I made previously and make another photogram with it. However this time I chose a method called "inverse". This is where you take a photogrm you've made then flip it round facing the paper.
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Step four was to make a Duo tone. I done this by using photoshop.
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Step five was then to change the photogram to what colour I wanted. I done this by getting rid of all colour on the image. Then I changed the colour scale. I chose purple.
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Step six was then to experiment with the chosen colour, to see which I prefferred. I went with the darker purple, with the negative background.
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Step seven was to print out my final image, I chose to print it out in A3. Then finally I mounted my images onto a board to display.
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Final Outcome
Final Evaluation
Overall I feel my final piece has worked well. I specifically like how I experimeted with different techniques. I have managed to create a variety of images that aren't all the same, but still relate back to the topic "abstract". However if I was to make any changes I would have tried to make a few more cut ups so I could have chose from them rather than just having the one. I would have also allowed my final photogram to have fully dried before scanning. As if you look closley you can see the water prints.
I am happy with the materials I used, especially the old film tape because I love the print and affect it has when making photograms. However, using this material was tricky at times as it was very curled up. I had to use tape to stick it down to the paper all the time. Next time before going into the dark room I would prep all my materials. For example I would roll out all my film tape and flatten it so then it would be easier to use. I would also make sure I had a great amount of the dark film tape, rather than the white film tape. As I thought the dark one worked best because the light wasn't getting through it. Whereas with the white film, my photograms were developing quite dark, as too much light was getting through.
The colour scheme was exactly how I expected and how I wanted it to turn out. I specifically chose the dark purple because I thought it stood out more rather than the light purple and I also liked the contrast between the black, purple and white. I feel the tone really worked well for the look I was going for.
For this project I don't feel I used my time wisley because at the end I was rushing to get it all finished. In the future I will create an action plan and follow that so then I know where i'm at and know how to keep track of my time.
The techniques I used worked really well as I experimented to see which ones were better. I specifically like the inverse method as I feel you can get some really unique, interesting photograms. However, some of mine came out to white because I was exposing too much light. So I had to learn from my mistake a try make one that worked better. Eventually I managed to make one that came out well developed and had interesting tones.
Next time I would like to try using the same method but rotating it around the paper, whilst it being exposed to the light. To see what affect I would get.
I chose all my images to be different sizes as I thought it looked quite interesting. However next time I would like to try using bigger sheets of light sensitive paper and using it for a cut up to see what I could achieve. I would also like to try cutting up my final pieces into different shapes to make the images look more interesting.
I asked one of my friends what they thought of my final piece and they said that they particualy liked how I achieved the different tones by using different methods and she also liked how I mounted my images onto the board. Howvever she said as an even better if, I should have experimented with different shapes and she prefferred the shiny paper rather than the matte paper.
Overall I think the design I have created has worked really well. However, there are some improvements I could add to make it look more professional. For example little things like waiting for my images to completely dry and leaving my images in the developer for longer.
I am happy with the materials I used, especially the old film tape because I love the print and affect it has when making photograms. However, using this material was tricky at times as it was very curled up. I had to use tape to stick it down to the paper all the time. Next time before going into the dark room I would prep all my materials. For example I would roll out all my film tape and flatten it so then it would be easier to use. I would also make sure I had a great amount of the dark film tape, rather than the white film tape. As I thought the dark one worked best because the light wasn't getting through it. Whereas with the white film, my photograms were developing quite dark, as too much light was getting through.
The colour scheme was exactly how I expected and how I wanted it to turn out. I specifically chose the dark purple because I thought it stood out more rather than the light purple and I also liked the contrast between the black, purple and white. I feel the tone really worked well for the look I was going for.
For this project I don't feel I used my time wisley because at the end I was rushing to get it all finished. In the future I will create an action plan and follow that so then I know where i'm at and know how to keep track of my time.
The techniques I used worked really well as I experimented to see which ones were better. I specifically like the inverse method as I feel you can get some really unique, interesting photograms. However, some of mine came out to white because I was exposing too much light. So I had to learn from my mistake a try make one that worked better. Eventually I managed to make one that came out well developed and had interesting tones.
Next time I would like to try using the same method but rotating it around the paper, whilst it being exposed to the light. To see what affect I would get.
I chose all my images to be different sizes as I thought it looked quite interesting. However next time I would like to try using bigger sheets of light sensitive paper and using it for a cut up to see what I could achieve. I would also like to try cutting up my final pieces into different shapes to make the images look more interesting.
I asked one of my friends what they thought of my final piece and they said that they particualy liked how I achieved the different tones by using different methods and she also liked how I mounted my images onto the board. Howvever she said as an even better if, I should have experimented with different shapes and she prefferred the shiny paper rather than the matte paper.
Overall I think the design I have created has worked really well. However, there are some improvements I could add to make it look more professional. For example little things like waiting for my images to completely dry and leaving my images in the developer for longer.
Favourites
Ernst HaasErnst Haas was a famous photographer from Vienna. He took up photography just after the war. He is also known as a very influential artist due to his images. I like his photography as he uses real life settings but captures them in a specific way. I also like how he has a different way to display his photographs.
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Harry CallahanHarry Callahan was also a famous photographer. He specifically liked to use sheets of nudes with geometric patterns. I like his photography because I like the way he uses mostly nature to feature within his images. I also like how he concentrates on specific elements and uses bright and dark colours.
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Ralph Eugene Meatyard- Zen Twigs
In the chosen photograph, I can see dark coloured twigs with a bright, white background. I can also see that there are trees in the background that are slightly out of focus. The blurred background enhances the branch in the centre. This makes the photograph appear more abstract.
I would describe this as a naturalistic image as it has been based on nature and also appears to be different from any other naturalistic image. I think this could also be an abstract picture as the blurriness makes it hard to understand and picture what the artist has actually tried to achieve.
In this photograph I recognise that there are many different tones. For example greys, blacks and whites. I also recognise the textures of the branches. For example the branch looks rough around the edges and has spikes. Whereas the trees in the background appear to be smooth. Another thing I've noticed is that the artist has used organic, natural shapes. The artist has also included the branches shadows. This emphasises the actual shape and layout of the image.
A technique the artist has used to make this image is choosing whether or not parts of the picture are going to be in focus or out of focus. He has also used repetition. This is shown where he chooses similar shapes and colours.
This photograph reminds me of a forest in the winter and it had been snowing. What interests me most is the way the artist has chosen to focus on one thing and not everything. I also like how he has used a bright background to make the branch stand out more.
If I could ask the artist any questions, they would be...What made you photograph that specific branch? Why did you choose to only focus on the branch? Also, what was the reason behind the picture? From this image you can discover a lot. For example the bright background with the nature up front suggests that he was in a calm, quiet place.
If I was to give this photograph a title, it would be "Distraction", specifically because the picture and surroundings look packed with different shapes and twigs.
I would describe this as a naturalistic image as it has been based on nature and also appears to be different from any other naturalistic image. I think this could also be an abstract picture as the blurriness makes it hard to understand and picture what the artist has actually tried to achieve.
In this photograph I recognise that there are many different tones. For example greys, blacks and whites. I also recognise the textures of the branches. For example the branch looks rough around the edges and has spikes. Whereas the trees in the background appear to be smooth. Another thing I've noticed is that the artist has used organic, natural shapes. The artist has also included the branches shadows. This emphasises the actual shape and layout of the image.
A technique the artist has used to make this image is choosing whether or not parts of the picture are going to be in focus or out of focus. He has also used repetition. This is shown where he chooses similar shapes and colours.
This photograph reminds me of a forest in the winter and it had been snowing. What interests me most is the way the artist has chosen to focus on one thing and not everything. I also like how he has used a bright background to make the branch stand out more.
If I could ask the artist any questions, they would be...What made you photograph that specific branch? Why did you choose to only focus on the branch? Also, what was the reason behind the picture? From this image you can discover a lot. For example the bright background with the nature up front suggests that he was in a calm, quiet place.
If I was to give this photograph a title, it would be "Distraction", specifically because the picture and surroundings look packed with different shapes and twigs.
Photoshoot
Saul LeiterSaul Leiter was an American photographer who tended to keep his photography quiet. He usually photographed things from a specific angle and manages to crop most of the image out with interesting objects. He uses a mixture of in focus and out of focus. He also looks out for texture and thinks carefully about his spacing. He chooses interesting patterns and lines to capture as well as using a range of tone using light and shade. One of my favourite images made by Leiter is image 8. I like the fact that he has used water to catch the reflection of the stripes in the background to make the image appear unusual. I think the formal element Saul focused on was light. This is because without light it would have been hard to catch the reflection in the puddle/water. This is important as the reflection of the background is what made the photo surprisingly interesting. I also like how he has kept the image in colour, as I think this has gave the image life. |
Famous Quotation
- "Photography allows you to learn to look and see. You begin to see things you'd never paid attention to".
Saul Leiter
Saul Leiter
I have chosen this quotation as I feel it is inspiring as well as meaningful. By this quotation you can also learn a bit about his personality.
It could suggest that he has seen many interesting things through doing photography more than just what the human eye sees on a regular basis.
I also like how he has made a statement that could suggest that he is trying to tell people you can find out a whole lot more about things you don't usually pay attention to.
Developing An image
For this activity I decided to analyse the compositions within Saul Leiter's pictures. I drew lines using 'pages' to indicate how he divides the picture space. By these examples, you can see that Saul Leiter is the type of photographer who can divide his pictures without lines. This could be influenced by the fact that he is also a painter.
Views Through Glass
These are a set of images I took outside of school. The first two I captured by being on a bus. I thought the sky looked nice through the glass windows so I thought of an idea and captured the sun going down through the reflection. This worked well as I also included quite a detailed siolette of the trees and branches. I also like how the clouds are covering the bottom of the sun in the second one. This gives a nice effect that shows that the image was taken in the evening. However to improve these images I could have included the street at the bottom, which would have given the images more character. For the last image I used the same technique and took the image through a piece of glass. I took this because I liked how the blue shoes complemented the flooring. However to improve this image I could have included the whole body to add dimension to the photograph.
Abstract Images Taken In School
For this task I was asked to re-create some images within school. I was also specifically asked to make images in the style of Saul Leiter. By achieving this task I decided to take photos behind glass windows. I took a variety of images and thought especially about composition. For example I tried to capture images where you can see an object in the far distance as well as the reflection and a blank space. This is what Saul Leiter does to make his images appear interesting.
My favourite is image 5 purely because of how I managed to capture the image. I like how I used the light to achieve the reflection of the building in the section that is blank white. I also like how I managed to get someone directly in the middle of the image. This gives some personality to the photo.
My favourite is image 5 purely because of how I managed to capture the image. I like how I used the light to achieve the reflection of the building in the section that is blank white. I also like how I managed to get someone directly in the middle of the image. This gives some personality to the photo.
Analysing Photographs And Paintings
By looking at both pieces of art you can clearly see that there are many similarities and differences.
For example both pictures appear to be portrait and relatively abstract. Both images include shapes and objects in the centre. They both also have similar compositions and have blank space on the top and bottom, which generally draws your attention to the centre. However both images vary in colour. For example the 1st image contrasts in more dark shades of colour. Whereas the 2nd image includes bright and light shades of colour. Also in the 1st image, the photo includes human activity whereas the 2nd painting has no human life. |
My Painting
I chose this photograph because I liked how simple but yet sophisticated it was. I also like how the subject was based on the street.
I presume he was in the city during bad weather as the image appears to be quite out of focus. Which suggests that it had been
raining. Most of the image is blurry, but I like how it has a misty watercolour affect to it. I tried to re-create this blurry look by applying water all over my paper to make it damp. Then I would apply watery paint to give it that 'wet look'.
I wasn't particularly trying to copy this image. I was trying to re-create an image that showed I understood the composition and placement of the figures. I found that I had to mix a lot of colours in order to achieve a tone I was happy with. I also noticed that when I first look at the image my eyes move towards the dark sections first, then to the lighter parts.
I presume he was in the city during bad weather as the image appears to be quite out of focus. Which suggests that it had been
raining. Most of the image is blurry, but I like how it has a misty watercolour affect to it. I tried to re-create this blurry look by applying water all over my paper to make it damp. Then I would apply watery paint to give it that 'wet look'.
I wasn't particularly trying to copy this image. I was trying to re-create an image that showed I understood the composition and placement of the figures. I found that I had to mix a lot of colours in order to achieve a tone I was happy with. I also noticed that when I first look at the image my eyes move towards the dark sections first, then to the lighter parts.
Obstructed Views
During todays lesson I was asked to be creative by using coloured tape and tracing paper. I decided to cut out random geometric shapes and stick them around the circled edge. I then put this piece of paper close up to the camera and then captured any interesting themes I noticed in the school building as well as out. I don't think this idea worked that well for me as I didn't achieve many good images. However, next time I should focus on composition in order to achieve better images. Also I should use a wider range of shapes to give a different over look of the entire photograph.
My Trip To The Gallery
The maps above show our journeys from Charing Cross Station to the Photographers Gallery and then
from there to the Royal Festival Hall. Where we was asked to make images inspired by Saul Leiter.
from there to the Royal Festival Hall. Where we was asked to make images inspired by Saul Leiter.
Pictures Taken (London)
As we walked out of the train station I noticed many things that caught my eye., as London is a great location to achieve unique images.
My favourite image was image 14, which was taken quite early into the walk. I like this image due to its different textures and tones. I also like how I captured the building behind me as I got the reflection onto the other glass building. I feel this was a successful image due to its different lines and how some parts were more exposed to the sun light than others. However to improve this photo I took it into IPHOTO and cropped out the sky on either side to make the image appear more straight. I then added an underlining pink tone which shows the different amounts of sun exposure nicely. After that, I turned up the contrast just a little bit, to emphasise those important parallel lines and geometric shapes.
My favourite image was image 14, which was taken quite early into the walk. I like this image due to its different textures and tones. I also like how I captured the building behind me as I got the reflection onto the other glass building. I feel this was a successful image due to its different lines and how some parts were more exposed to the sun light than others. However to improve this photo I took it into IPHOTO and cropped out the sky on either side to make the image appear more straight. I then added an underlining pink tone which shows the different amounts of sun exposure nicely. After that, I turned up the contrast just a little bit, to emphasise those important parallel lines and geometric shapes.
My second favourite image was of the London taxi. I like this image for many reasons. specifically because of the positioning of the image and also how it has a lot of character to it. The positioning worked really well as if you look closely you can see that in-between the post lamps and traffic lights, someone is standing in-between each line. For example all lines are parallel to something. However to make this photograph more eye catching I edited it in photoshop. The first thing I did I was turn the contrast up quite high. Then I used the thresh hold adjustment which took all the greys out and just left all the blacks and whites. This made a really abstract effect as the images look very "x-ray like". For one of the images I also decided to crop both sides of the original image out.
Original
Improved
Original
Improved
Final Outcome
Final evaluation
Overall I find the design very different to my other final outcomes. If I could make changes I would definitely choose to mount all the images onto one board as it was difficult to hold all three. I would also collect a few more images to make my final outcome appear as if there was more than one theme going on. I am pleased with the materials I used, the images that I printed were in good quality. However next time I would enhance the contrast effect to make all the different colours appear bolder when directly next to each other. The colour scheme is exactly what I expected as I chose a pinky colour for all three to make them match together. However next time I would rather print more images and experiment with different shades of colour, but keeping it very neutral. My final piece didn't take too long as I already had images from my day trip that I used. However editing the images in photoshop took up some time.