Is this Abstract? 1 for C&C

BekahAura · Feb 21, 2011

I'm sure many of you will be able to figure out what this is... so my question is can the image still be considered abstract if the subject is recognizable?

Please feel free to offer any kind of criticism, any thoughts are appreciated.

Trever1t · Feb 21, 2011

yes, although I don't know what it is!

BekahAura · Feb 21, 2011

Trever1t said:
yes, although I don't know what it is!

It's a bunch of tail feathers from my bird =). Maybe the subject is more elusive than I thought.

Bitter Jeweler · Feb 21, 2011

To me this falls into the gray area. It was immediately recognizable as feathers. I tend to be a purist with regards to abstraction. But what I said doesn't mean it's bad or wrong. Your image is still relying heavily on color, shape, line and composition much more than having a clear subject, and that's what it is about.

Robin Usagani · Feb 22, 2011

I think so!

suOmyOne · Feb 22, 2011

I like it! It looks abstract in my amateur eyes! =)

Olympus E300 · Feb 22, 2011

Bitter Jeweler said:
To me this falls into the gray area. It was immediately recognizable as feathers. I tend to be a purist with regards to abstraction. But what I said doesn't mean it's bad or wrong. Your image is still relying heavily on color, shape, line and composition much more than having a clear subject, and that's what it is about.

This man knows his abstract! In my opinion, he is one of (if not THE) best abstract photographer on this wonderful site. I tend to agree with his comment above.

Bitter Jeweler · Feb 22, 2011

:blush2:

e.rose · Feb 22, 2011

Olympus E300 said:
Bitter Jeweler said:

To me this falls into the gray area. It was immediately recognizable as feathers. I tend to be a purist with regards to abstraction. But what I said doesn't mean it's bad or wrong. Your image is still relying heavily on color, shape, line and composition much more than having a clear subject, and that's what it is about.

Click to expand...

This man knows his abstract! In my opinion, he is one of (if not THE) best abstract photographer on this wonderful site. I tend to agree with his comment above.

+1

I knew it was feathers right away, but it's still cool :thumbup:

BekahAura · Feb 22, 2011

Thanks a lot for the comments guys. Now I have a better idea of what abstract photography is. At least I know I'm on the right track.

Bitter, since you seem to be recognized at the abstract king here on TPF, would you mind posting one of your photos here? I see you commenting a lot, but it's rare that you post your pictures (at least I haven't seen too much of your work).

Bitter Jeweler · Feb 22, 2011

Sure, I'll post some. I always get yelled at for posting in this forum, even though I do because of exactly what you just said. I comment a lot but you don't see images to back it up.

Give me a few minutes.

GooniesNeverSayDie11 · Feb 22, 2011

Wow, thats puckering up if I ever did see it :lol:

I agree with all that was said, however, I am not big on the darker areas. I think a little more light from above would have filled in some of those and made the image look more evenly toned. Thats just my opinion though it looks pretty good the way it is too.

Bitter Jeweler · Feb 22, 2011

I'll post a few, if thats alright. Maybe it will spur some discussion about one of my favorite genres of art.

#1 Is to me, at the purely abstract end of the spectrum.
It relies entirely on the composition of line, color, tone, shape, and balance.
This is one of my favorites. It looks great printed LARGE.

#2

#3

#4

The following image is another of my favorites, but it strays away from being purely abstract, because you can tell, basically, what it is. But it still relies solely on the composition. Once you start including things the viewer can relate to, the abstract charm is lost, and your image switches to representational story telling.
#5

#6
Here's one that is very obvious what it is, or at least what the components are. While composition is key, now the viewer may be tainted by thoughts of M.C. Escher, warm memories of erector sets and childhood, etc. So you lose some of your emotional impact from the basic elements of design and composition, and gain some from representational subject matter. Again, it's not wrong, it's not bad, it's just straying away from being purely abstract.

Bekah, if you like this genre, I suggest you check out Flickr groups for a start. Some are better than others, as some are rather strict in their definition and others aren't. Also look into abstract painting. Look at it for it's use of compositional and design elements. Read in depth into design and composition used in art, not just photography, and then look for it EVERYWHERE. Frankly I recommend everyone do this, because it will only make you better at representational photography of all sorts. :thumbup:

Discuss?

Trever1t · Feb 22, 2011

those are good....start another thread, I have a few i can contribute

BekahAura · Feb 23, 2011

Bitter: Many of your photos look more like paintings they are so clean and crisp. My favorite is the 3rd one, I love the colors. Thanks a lot for taking the time to post these! BTW, I wasn't challenging you to back up your comments LMAO, I was genuinely curious.

Goonies: Who's puckering up? Me or Bitter? Haha... Yes, I agree it is pretty dark in some parts of the photo. I was trying to use side lighting to show texture... never really considered any kind of fill light, but it definitely wouldn't hurt. Thanks for your suggestion =)

Trever: Please post away if you haven't already started another thread. I like this artsy stuff!