Tired of photographing the same old same old......? Are you stuck in a rut and lack motivation to go out and make some images? Are you looking for ways to add variety to your portfolio? Do you want to add some pop to your images? If you answered YES to any of these questions, read on. If you answered NO, but are interested in focusing your attention on something new, read on. If you’ve gotten this far, regardless of your answers, read on......  Try your hand at making abstracts to instill new life into your photography.

Abstract images are most notably characterized by line, shape, form, texture, and pattern. Quite often they are random pieces of a whole that are barely recognizable. They challenge you to comprehend the source from where they came. They allow your creativity to flow as far as the mind will allow. The beauty of abstract photography is fantastic images can be made from every day objects and don’t require specialized equipment. While a macro lens allows you to explore any subject more closely, it’s not a necessity.

Shape / Color / Form / Texture: This image was made in the slot canyons of Arizona. It’s a small section of a long narrow sandstone canyon carved by water erosion. The particular section shown here is commonly photographed but it’s most often shot with a wide angle lens. I chose to go in closer to add variety to what I’ve captured in the past. Herein lies the beauty of abstract photography. The way the walls of the canyon fall, I originally composed the image as a horizontal. In editing my images, I played with the orientation and decided I like the vertical much better. If you photograph abstracts, try rotating the original to see if the lines flow better.

© Russ Burden

Zero In: While leading a photo tour to Capital Reef National Park, I was showing everyone the grand scenics as this is what that park is primarily about. In walking from one photo hot spot to another, I looked down on the ground and noticed a large section of dried clay. Knowing the next destination was still about 100 yards from where we were, I stopped the group and asked them if they knew why I did. In telling them to look down, some noticed the potential while I explained it to others. To make a long story short, we all worked the dry clay bed for just about an hour. The entire bed unto itself was a nothing picture but by getting in close and finding the picture within the picture, we all made some great photos. 

© Russ Burden

Zoom It: The two preceding examples are based on capturing what nature provided and extracting the abstract from the whole. Other methods can be utilized to capture an abstract image. I was leading one of my photo tours to Arches National Park in the spring and I brought the group to one of my favorite locations where there’s lots of desert paintbrush. Being nature photographers, everyone got out their macro lenses and began making portraits of the flowers. I did the same. But having done this many times in the past, I wanted to do something different - remember the same old, same old I mentioned above. I took out my zoom, mounted the camera to a tripod, set it to a low  ISO to obtain as slow a shutter speed as  possible and zoomed the lens during the exposure. While it may not be the type of image a calendar company would buy, it provided me with more diverse photos of the subject.

© Russ Burden

Look for Reflections: Reflections of subjects onto any shiny surface have the potential to  make a great abstract. As a nature photographer, I often look for reflections in still or slightly moving water. As a lover of other types of photography, the spectrum widens. Glass buildings, polished metallic finishes, and even barn windows reflect what shines upon them. Move in close to use the rippled glass or the bend in the metal to show the distortion of the subject. A polarizer can make or break the image. Depending upon its orientation, the reflection will be enhanced or totally eliminated.

© Russ Burden

To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Photographic Nature Tours. Visit russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, pick up a copy of my book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.