Less is More: Minimalism in Photography

In the modern world we are bombarded with visual stimulation. Photos and videos are everywhere… on our TVs, phones, on billboards, in brochures, even hanging on our walls. This constant onslaught of visual stimulation makes it difficult for the visual artist to have an impact on viewers. Minimalism seeks to have an impact by reducing the amount of visual stimulation in a single piece of work.

The idea here is fairly simple. The goal is to isolate the subject, quiet the visual “clutter” in an image and, hopefully, increase the impact, or impart some feeling or story to the viewer. To create these kinds of images the photographer may target color, pattern, or seek an isolated subject. For many, a minimal approach often involves black and white or a subdued clor palate. But color certainly also has a place in this artistic approach.

When seeking to compose this style of image look for plain, uncluttered background, or use a wide open aperture to blur the background (bokeh) and limit the in focus area of the photo (selective focus). Instead of including the entire subject zoom in on a part of it… perhaps an eye, hoof, or single window. In nature photos use fog, mist or rain to isolate a single subject, subdue the clutter in an image. Seek to capture repetitive patterns and recognizable geometric shapes. Basically you want to apply the K.I.S.S. concept to your photographic composition – Keep It Simple Stupid!

Below are a few samples of work I’ve produced that I feel meets the minimalist ideal. Remember, you can follow me on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/bobdeckerphotography or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/carolinafootprints. To purchase my prints of photo products check out http://www.bob-decker.pixels.com.

Thanks for stopping by and, if you enjoyed this post consider leaving a comment or dropping me a line.

A wild horse feeds atop a sand dune at sunset along the North Carolina coast.
Wild Horse on the Carolina Coast
Tern in flight
Lake Mattamuskeet in Black and White.
A sand fence .along the Carolina coast
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