Abstract Photography

Abstract photography? Yes! I love it. About a year or so ago, I saw a youtube video about a photographer in England who did abstract photographs of beautiful landmarks and architecture. It was so exciting. I tried it a few times and enjoyed it, but other things got in the way and I forgot about it. Then, during the photoshoot with Mr. K. I made a few accidental abstract shots and they were very nifty looking. Both of us liked them so much that we did some on purpose. What fun! Then, just today, I was watching another photography video and got excited about it, again. So, I just took some deliberately abstracted photos in my living room. What do you think?

Now, I did not use photo-editing software to make any of the abstraction. I only adjusted the contrast and the saturation. To make these photos, I used motion blur. I adjusted the settings on the camera to get the light I wanted while keeping a slow shutter speed, chose a starting focus point, pushed the button and held the camera for a little bit, then moved it while the shutter was open. Such nifty things can be done that way. So much fun!

My favorite is the basket. It looks like a painting. I sat the camera on a small table, adjusted the settings, pushed the button and jerked the camera a couple of times while the shutter was open. Wow! I love it.

The last photo is actually a shot of Ron getting ready for work. I was standing in the hallway with my camera and zoom lens. I was focusing on his reflection in the mirror. I pushed the button, stood focused on him for a couple of seconds, dropped the camera down, turned around, lifted the camera, and focused out the front window of the living room. The total exposure was eight seconds. I thought it turned out very nicely. Ron heard me and shut the bathroom door and locked it. LOL! One of the hazards of living with a crazy artist…

The first and last shot of Mr. K. were of him moving while the camera was on a tripod. The two middle shots, the camera was handheld and I swung the camera around while the shutter was open.

You ought to try it…

All the planning, intuition, technical prowess, and knowledge, as well as the trust and rapport you have (or haven’t) established, will show up in the picture, frozen forever.

— Gregory Heisler