Think Abstract

© 2011 Simon Hucko

Most of the time, I encourage people to try to tell a story with their photography. However, sometimes it's fun to break things down to basic shapes and textures and look for more abstract images.

That's not to say that you can throw all the rules of composition out the window. The image above works because of the strong "rule of thirds" placement of the snow covered rock. That rock anchors the rest of the image, which is just the texture of a stream flowing by with a 2 second exposure.


© 2010 Simon Hucko

Geometric shapes make good subjects for abstract photography, too. Triangle (above) was the result of seeing a shape in a stream. I chose to focus on that shape and the texture of the stream in lieu of a more traditional subject.


© 2010 Simon Hucko

Textures on their own can make for a compelling image. The combination of the peeling paint with the slightly out of focus wood grain give the above photo a lot to hold the viewer's interest.

If you're bored of the usual subjects and are looking for a way to stretch your creative muscles, give abstracts a try. You can learn to see things in an entirely different way, and end up with some cool images that would make great wall art.

~S

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