Minimalism in photography: features, interesting ideas and recommendations from professionals

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Minimalism in photographic art is a special style, implying the utmost simplicity and conciseness of the composition. Minimalist photos force the viewer to focus on one subject. Is it difficult to master this genre in photography, read below.

What is minimalism?

First of all, minimalism is a special philosophy that needs to be understood. Many artists in the 20th century preferred this genre of painting, paying the most attention to lines, color and texture. The viewer was asked to evaluate the creation from their point of view, that is, subjectively.

It turns out that minimalism in photography is a subjective concept. Each viewer will find something different in the picture.

Someone will like the openness and conciseness of this genre, someone will find it meaningless and empty. But after all, every direction in art has followers and haters! Many beginner photographers are advised to start with minimalism. Seemingly simple can be complicatedusing special techniques and principles of the impact of photographs on human psychology. The main thing is to gain experience.

The simplicity of the genre and its compositional solutions

As you can see from the above, the main feature of the genre is simplicity. But this simplicity should attract and beckon the eye to itself. You need to choose a subject for shooting carefully, it should be mysterious, interesting. Even if the subject does not occupy the entire frame (which happens most often), it should represent the center of the composition. Anything that diverts attention from the subject should be cut off.

When composing your shot, pay attention to the rule of thirds. Minimalism in photography often involves the use of this technique. Divide the space into three vertical or horizontal lines, and correlate the elements in the picture with them. This makes it easy for you to direct the viewer's eyes where you want them to be! For example, when shooting landscapes, position the horizon along one of the lines. Simplicity and minimalism in photography in this case will produce a stunning effect.

Search for subjects to shoot correctly. If you don't know where to start, take a photo of an interesting wood floor pattern, cracked earth or sand on a beach.

Color and lines as important tools of the genre

Minimalism tries to simplify everything… So, the photographer is left to play with color! And this is a very interesting activity. If you want to get a spectacular shot, learn to play with light too. It helps the masters to increase the color saturation, the brighter the work -the more noticeable it is!

Plays into the hands of the photographer and play on contrasts. Red and blue, white and black, purple and yellow shades look great in the photo.

Along with color, minimalism in photography appreciates lines. They are its compositional basis, giving the image stability.

You can play not only with vertical and horizontal lines, but also with diagonal ones. It looks original and figurative.

Does texture matter?

In addition to color, the texture of the main object can also play on the photo. It can even completely replace this subject. If it's important for you to emphasize texture, find an interesting surface for this. Use light correctly in your work. If the light is organized at the highest level, the photographer can achieve an almost physical sensation of texture.

The viewer literally conveys the warmth of wood or the cold and smoothness of stone. Learn to photograph the texture of objects in such a way that it seems to the viewer that it is alive and can be reached right now.

Don't forget the background. It should be simple if you are photographing a subject. If you create in the studio, then you probably have a good background, but what about on the street? Minimalism in photography (the gallery of this article shows you some great examples of it) allows you to effectively use natural backgrounds. For example, a clear blue sky can become a background for imprinting a flower.

Do I need minimalist photo editing?

Of courseany master after the done "field" work goes home and processes his creations using a computer to get an impressive result. Does the genre we are discussing need processing? Yes! Minimalism in photography also involves computer processing. True, the master, even at the stage of working with the lens, must assume what should happen in the end. There may not be a second chance.

Remember that in minimalism it is not customary to strongly distort the object with a filter, it must be recognizable.

Processing is carried out only to enhance the psychological effect of exposure. Do not abuse graphic editors.

When your skill gets stronger, you can even tell entire stories to viewers with minimalist photos.

Where do you get inspiration?

Look for objects around you in everyday life. Notice areas of the same color, open spaces, clear lines and shapes. Many things can be used for shooting: benches and fences, walls and floors, sky and earth. Learn to look around through the eyes of a minimalist artist. Don't be afraid to experiment!

The main thing to keep in mind is that this genre is very subjective. This means that it can happen like this: you are delighted with your work, but people do not like it. Dare, be creative and be philosophical about some failures!

Minimalism in photography of people, landscape, architecture

People often cannot fit into the concept of minimalism, because they are very emotional. Master to work with landscapes and still lifesmuch easier. Therefore, minimalists rarely shoot people large, preferring only small silhouettes against a contrasting background. People are used here to enhance the effect of the picture - they can make any object more impressive.

Minimalism in portrait photography can be used against a variety of backgrounds. A person swimming in the sea, climbing a mountain, looking at the sky or walking along a bridge looks beautiful. All photos must be taken from afar.

Animals, birds and insects are easier to photograph than people. Enough contrasting background to get the perfect shot. If you want to make the creature stand out even more, defocus the space around it.

Landscape photography is much loved by minimalists. Rivers, oceans, fields and snows are ideal objects for the master. If you want to hide unnecessary details or add drama to the picture, use fog in the background.

Shooting architectural objects is also very interesting. They can be windows, walls, pipes and other parts of buildings. The main thing is to find an interesting color scheme, adjust the color and angle of the photo. Try not to use more than three colors in your work.

Despite the seeming brevity and meaninglessness, minimalist photography can be very impressive and powerful. But you must bring your vision, skills and hard work to them to prove something to the world.