Abstract Photography – Composition For Capturing Inspiring Abstract Images

Abstract images are fun to create. In addition, some of them can be quite impressive. However, some skill is required to create really impressive abstract images. Composition is one of the most important skills. Composition establishes how the form, color, and curves are positioned inside an image. There are many different ways to handle composition. This article is too short to perform a comprehensive review of composition. However, three different aspects of composition, as they relate to abstract images, will be covered.

* Rule of Thirds

* Golden Triangle

* No Rules

Rule of Thirds : One of the most common approaches to composition is the rule of thirds. This rule involves dividing an image into thirds both vertically and horizontally. The center of interest is then placed where the dividing lines cross.

Golden Triangle Another approach to composition is the golden triangle. With the golden triangle, a diagonal is drawn from one corner of an image to the opposite corner. Then, lines are drawn from the other two corners such that they intersect at right angles with the diagonal. The center of interest is located at the intersections of these lines.

No Rules: These two rules can be used to create excellent images. On the other hand, with abstract photography, you can sometimes just forget about the rules and go with anything that sparks your imagination.

Art of Subtraction

People’s reaction to abstract photography occurs primarily on an instinctual or emotional level. When it comes to creating strong abstract images, it is necessary to remove everything that doesn’t bolster the viewer’s emotional reaction. This is the art of subtraction.

So, how does one create an image that conveys an emotion? A basic three step process works well: 1) identify the emotion, 2) identify the components that reinforce the emotion and include them in the image, and 3) remove everything else from the image.

A natural response might be to ask why this is so important. The answer is that items in an image that help the image communicate its emotion strengthen the image. All other items serve only to dilute the image .In short, all things that do not strengthen the emotion of an image weaken the image.

Summary

Great compositions lead to great abstract images. Of course, there is a lot more to learn about abstract photography.

Interested in learning more about abstract photography? Check out Ron’s in-depth abstract photography article at Learning Abstract Photography. Also, check out Ron’s extensive set of photography articles at Photography Articles.