Abstraction
What is abstraction ?
-Abstraction means many different things, but if your wondering what it means to use abstruction in an image then here is a short explanation, it is a process by which concepts are derived from the usage and classification of literal ("real" or "concrete") concepts, first principles, or other methods.
-Abstraction means many different things, but if your wondering what it means to use abstruction in an image then here is a short explanation, it is a process by which concepts are derived from the usage and classification of literal ("real" or "concrete") concepts, first principles, or other methods.
Here is an Image I looked at earlier and asked myself some open questions that i'm wondering the questions to.
- Why did they use an egg for the object in the picture? - How was this photo taken? - Why did they choose the Eiffel tower as the location for the background of the image? - Why did they choose to make the image slanted? - When was the photo taken? (if recent why in black and white) - What was the thought when the image was taken/Where did they get their inspiration from? Here are some links to some Abstract photography pages... National Geographic Abstract Images Page Animal Abstraction Abstract Photos |
My own pinterest, it's working progress but heres first look !!!!!
Formal Elements
Photographers are usually aware of the ways in which they can create interest in their images beyond the simple fact of the subject. This is what separates good pictures and bad pictures of the same thing. The following list describes some of the abstract elements in any photograph. This list below is just some examples of the formal elements which you can use when thinking about making your abstract photographs:
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?
Photographers are usually aware of the ways in which they can create interest in their images beyond the simple fact of the subject. This is what separates good pictures and bad pictures of the same thing. The following list describes some of the abstract elements in any photograph. This list below is just some examples of the formal elements which you can use when thinking about making your abstract photographs:
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?
This is just a little something I made on popplet to show the different kinds of abstraction that this world offers e.g. architecture, nature etc.
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Having a go at some of my own abstract photography
What are Chemigrams ?
Invented in 1956 by Pierre Cordier, the chemigram combines the physics of painting (varnish, wax, oil) and the chemistry of photography (photosensitive emulsion, developer, fixer) ; without a camera, without an enlarger and in full light. The chemigram procedure is at the intersection of both painting and photography, and lies within the general domain of experimentation in the visual arts. It requires the use of materials from silver-halide based photography (light-sensitive paper, developer and fixer), but even so it is not a photograph. Like the photogram, the chemigram is made without a camera, yet it is created in full light instead of in the darkness of the darkroom. For this reason it is not – literally – ‘light that writes’ (‘photo graphein’ in the Greek) but ‘chemistry that writes’. Hence the name: chemigram.
Steps for your own chemigrams:
What you need:
Setting up
As you’re not making an actual replica of a picture it doesn’t matter if your paper gets exposed to light, just be sure not to exposure the whole box. You will need three trays, one for each chemical. Set them up as recommended by the brand for paper development, not film. For ease of reference, label each tray. Okay, you’re ready to go!
How to create positive images
Select your chosen object; usually more absorbent objects work best such as flowers, leaves and plants. You can also create hand prints if you’re sure to wash your hand extremely well straight after. Dip your object into the developer. This is just a dip, shake off any excess liquid. Carefully place onto your light sensitive paper cover with a paper towel. Evenly press down and hold for 40-60 seconds.
Remove, and magic! A black detailed print of your chosen object! Now to keep it there place the paper into the stop for 30 seconds then remove and place into the fixer for 5-10 minutes with regular agitation. Wash off in another clean water tray of a sink for 5 minutes to rid it of any chemicals. Done!
Some Chemigrams:
Steps for your own chemigrams:
What you need:
- Light sensitive paper.
- Three trays.
- Developer, Stop and Fixer chemicals.
- No darkroom needed.
- Paper towels / kitchen towels would be handy.
Setting up
As you’re not making an actual replica of a picture it doesn’t matter if your paper gets exposed to light, just be sure not to exposure the whole box. You will need three trays, one for each chemical. Set them up as recommended by the brand for paper development, not film. For ease of reference, label each tray. Okay, you’re ready to go!
How to create positive images
Select your chosen object; usually more absorbent objects work best such as flowers, leaves and plants. You can also create hand prints if you’re sure to wash your hand extremely well straight after. Dip your object into the developer. This is just a dip, shake off any excess liquid. Carefully place onto your light sensitive paper cover with a paper towel. Evenly press down and hold for 40-60 seconds.
Remove, and magic! A black detailed print of your chosen object! Now to keep it there place the paper into the stop for 30 seconds then remove and place into the fixer for 5-10 minutes with regular agitation. Wash off in another clean water tray of a sink for 5 minutes to rid it of any chemicals. Done!
Some Chemigrams:
Chemigram Photographers
A combined photograph and chemigram.
The photograph was developed first by brushing on the developer to process this area, and then the marks on the outside have been created by painting various strength developers onto the paper which was fully exposed to light. Since 1983 Lloyd Godman has engaged in an extensive series of photographic works centred on environmental issues and exhibited widely throughout New Zealand, Australia and internationally with more than 40 solo exhibitions and over 200 group exhibitions. Norman Sarachek CAMERA-LESS CHEMIGRAM IMAGES Using light, chemicals, and a resist on photographic paper I create abstractions which may at times appear photographic but which are made without camera, film or negative. I fuse the materials of photography with the techniques of painting and printmaking to create art in a way that may be completely new to you. Regina Valkenborgh Photography need be not reliant on the camera and the lens, the light and chemistry of the photographic materials and process can become the drawing tool. |
A piece of work by Lloyd Godman.
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Interests & Targets
- I am interested in creating a series of images out of focus and possibly in different colours.
- I'm researching the work of Lloyd Godman and his use of mixing chemigrams with abstract photography and Tom Friedmans use of pattern in his photography.
- Over half term I plan to create a series of abstract photos and put them on my weebly as a gallery for others to view.
- I am interested in creating a series of images out of focus and possibly in different colours.
- I'm researching the work of Lloyd Godman and his use of mixing chemigrams with abstract photography and Tom Friedmans use of pattern in his photography.
- Over half term I plan to create a series of abstract photos and put them on my weebly as a gallery for others to view.
Own attempts of work based on Tom Friedman and the formal element pattern.
This is a pathway in my school which links all the buildings together. This is a piece of my work based on the formal element pattern. I chose this because it already had a pattern which i could extent to make a bigger pattern.
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This is one part of a leaf stretched out a lot and as you can see it clearly has one of the formal elements which is pattern. I chose this because the leaf contains small details of pattern and colour which could have been made better.
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This is a car engine spread out and its based on the formal element that is pattern. I chose this because a car engine already has its own pattern in the engine so I thought it would be pretty cool to have a ind of pattern in a pattern element.
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This is a rubix cube spread out based on the formal element that is pattern. I chose this because of the different colours based on the object so i knew it would have colour in it's pattern, colour adds extra detail and is more appealing to the eye.
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Ernst Haas
Ernst Haas (March 2, 1921 – September 12, 1986) was a photojournalist and a pioneering colour photographer During his 40-year career, the Austrian-born artist bridged the gap between photojournalism and the use of photography as a medium for expression and creativity. In addition to his prolific coverage of events around the globe after World War II, Haas was an early innovator in colour photography. His images were widely disseminated by magazines like Life and Vogue and, in 1962, were the subject of the first single-artist exhibition of colour photography at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. He served as president of the cooperativeMagnum Photos, and his book The Creation (1971) was one of the most successful photography books ever, selling 350,000 copies.
Sutcliffe Trip - My Photography
My favourite photo I took, but why?
I like this photo because it is an abstraction on reflection but with a twist. I simply threw a rock into the pond and let the ripples of water disturb the reflection of the plants, I also made sure some solids were also in the photo, so it included Reflection, Ripples of water, Disturbed reflection and solids. This all works really well together to make a really nice photo containing a lot of different aspects of abstraction, thats why its my favourite photo. If I was to improve it in any way I would try to make the lens more of a blur so the abstraction of the reflection on the water was distorted to add another effect to the image.
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Photo I don't think worked to well, but why?
I didn't like this image because although it has abstraction of reflection it seems quite plain and boring. The water makes a beautiful reflection but I think the shape of the plant and space of the water in the photo is not used to its full effect to make it better. If I was to retake this photo I would do it of another plant which would cover more of the water to make a bigger reflection that would stand out more and maybe introduce different colours to make it more bold and interesting and maybe include more solids within the image so its a mixture of solids and reflection.
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Further abstract experiments (reflections)
This is an interesting photography site based around reflections of water, I like this site because I want to base some of my abstract photos around reflection of stuff, I want to experiment with reflections as a whole in abstraction not just on water but maybe even through objects such as mirrors to make reflection. I find this kind of abstraction in photography very interesting and will hopefully upload some of my own experiments with abstract reflection soon on this site.
Click on image for link to the site |
Ron Bigelow is an abstract photographer who has based some of his recent work on reflections of abstraction, he has mainly based his reflections on water which i do really like but while searching through google I found something. There are hardly any photographers maybe even none that have thought about using reflections in a mirror they only use reflections of water. I would like to try experiment with these forms of reflection throughout my new experiments of abstract reflections.
Click on image for link to the site |
My own attempts of reflection
Attempts of editing
Before |
After |
Research on aperture lenses
In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. The aperture determines how collimated the admitted rays are, which is of great importance for the appearance at the image plane. If an aperture is narrow, then highly collimated rays are admitted, resulting in a sharp focus at the image plane. If an aperture is wide, then uncollimated rays are admitted, resulting in a sharp focus only for rays with a certain focal length. This means that a wide aperture results in an image that is sharp around what the lens is focusing on and blurred otherwise. The aperture also determines how many of the incoming rays are actually admitted and thus how much light reaches the image plane (the narrower the aperture, the darker the image for a given exposure time). In the human eye, the pupil is the aperture.
I want to carry out some experiments with an aperture lens if possible so the background seems more blurred and so your eye focus's more on the actual reflection of the image, this brings more interest into the foreground of the image.
I want to carry out some experiments with an aperture lens if possible so the background seems more blurred and so your eye focus's more on the actual reflection of the image, this brings more interest into the foreground of the image.
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After |
As you can clearly see the first image is very nice but needs something more to make it stand out, at that point the photographer decided to use a aperture lens which can blur the background to make the foreground the main point of interest. In the second image the background is blurred and makes you realise the photographer wanted us to realise the main perspective of the photo is the flower, by using an aperture lens he has clearly shown this and your eyes are drawn to the flower.
I want to experiment with this kind of lens and see what i can do with my main photos based on abstract reflections. I want to try use water on other objects to create dropping water reflections on an abstract object, for example a flower with water dropping off it so you will be able to see the solid in the image which is the flower and the reflection of background image on the dripping water.
Someone has tried this with a flower and water which creates a beautiful reflection LOOK BELOW.
I want to experiment with this kind of lens and see what i can do with my main photos based on abstract reflections. I want to try use water on other objects to create dropping water reflections on an abstract object, for example a flower with water dropping off it so you will be able to see the solid in the image which is the flower and the reflection of background image on the dripping water.
Someone has tried this with a flower and water which creates a beautiful reflection LOOK BELOW.
Some of my own attempts on mirror reflections
Before Editing |
After Editing |
Some of my own work soon to be assessed and evaluated and ready to be presented as one of these photos will be in my final piece for this project.
Successful photos
I like this photo because the reflection as from a little bit of water on the side of the link which made me captured the reflection of the building in an amazing way. The building in the reflection also seems to link to the actual building making it look like an upside down building and if you look to close you may confuse yourself with how to get into the building if there is no ground floor ?
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I like this image because it shows the other side of reflection instead of the reflection being in water it is shown through a simple idea like the mirror. I held this mirror in front of my face and captured my friend taking the image of what seems to be himself in the mirror. I believe it is quite creative and shows little things really can make something spectacular.
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Not so successful photos
An Edited piece of work by me including 6 of my photos
Final Abstraction Piece
This is my final piece for the whole of the abstraction personal project, I am very pleased with this piece of work as it has a combination of 3 different photos i took but in different layers so it gives of the weird shapes in the final piece. The part I most like about this piece is the fact that the work is always the right way so when you look at it there is no way to tell what is up and what is down, one way the link (metal walkway) is the right way up but the tree branches are facing down or you could have it as the tree branches facing the right way up but the link upside down giving confusion when you look at this. Don't look to hard :)
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