A Guide to Minimalism

A GUIDE TO MINIMALISM

Minimalist in art, architecture as well as photography can be summarized in one quote by Leonardo da Vinci: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” Then of course there is the more modern quote: “Less is more” first popularized by minimalist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Minimalism in Photography can at times be distinguished by extreme, austere simplicity. It emphasizes negative space and focuses solely on the smallest number of objects in the composition process. But keeping it simple doesn't mean keeping it boring.… But to make a minimalist photo stand out from all the rest, it will need more than mere stark simplicity. In Art and Photography, rules are meant to be broken when relevant, but there is agreement that the following seven rules are a core component, but a successful minimalism photo needs to be combined these with with other photographic strategies and techniques: 1. Incorporate spatial isolation and tell a story 2. Look for simple geometric shapes 3. Square off your lines 4. Bring in a pop of colour 5. Seek out strict repetition and lastly and of course 6. Imagine the photo in your mind.

So with this in mind the following can be best practice: a) Find an Interesting Composition: You might say this is obvious but a well-composed photo will take you a long way in minimalist photography. Since the photo itself is rather simple, a thoughtful composition is most crucial for creating powerful images. But yes rules are meant to be broken and whilst many photographers start with the “rule of thirds” when composing photos, it’s not the only technique out there and perhaps In Minimalist photography should never be the default one and perhaps even then it should be one of the last rules to think of when all else fails. b) Create a sense of scale. Scale is comparing something large to something much smaller and this often makes an impressive minimalist photograph. This technique is useful to keep in mind when taking minimalist shots of architecture, landscapes, and other large subjects. These subjects are well-suited for minimalism because they allow for a lot of empty space.

However, without a sense of scale, their impressive size won’t be obvious. They will be simplicity yes, but not grandeur and having both will make the photo instantly more powerful.

c) Work with bold colours.

Although bold colours can be visually striking in any photograph, and spot colours work well in Minimalism, they need simplicity to truly stand out. The colours catch the viewers’ eyes, and the minimalism makes the image attractive instead of overwhelming. d) Maybe select mono or black and white.

At the other end of the spectrum, you can use black and white or mono to get the same eye-catching effect as bold colours. Without the distraction of colour, viewers will see the contrast between dark and light more clearly. This contrast alone can grab their attention.

This strategy is great for subjects that are dark but lack colour, especially if they’re set against a light, colourful background such as the sky. Instead of competing with the colour, the subject will then pop out in black and white as the darkest thing in the photo. e) Experiment with texture.

Another way to create contrast is to place different textures side-by-side. For instance, you can photograph something smooth next to something rough. Though subtle, this textural contrast can make your minimalist images more intriguing.

Contrast isn’t the only way to work with texture, though. Some textures are worth photographing by themselves without any comparison. This is particularly true if you already have another type of contrast in the image. For example, if the photo is in black and white with a stark contrast between the two, a single texture is probably enough. f) Look for Patterns:

Repeating patterns are great subjects for minimalist photos despite the fact that they don’t always work well with other elements by grabbing too much attention. Used as a background, for instance, they will likely distract viewers from the main subject. And if they’re one of several elements, the image may look cluttered.

Minimalism prevents patterns from cluttering or “taking over” an image. There’s little else for viewers to look at – perhaps just a silhouette or shadow of a person. Patterns with a lot of repetition, such as stairs, windows, and columns, are all great choices for a minimalist photo. g) Look for Directional Lines Vertical, diagonal, and horizontal lines can all be considered directional lines, as they direct the viewers’ attention. Each one comes with a certain “feel” that influences the image’s atmosphere. Horizontal lines are stable and peaceful; vertical lines are strong and structured; and diagonal lines are powerful and energetic.

However as with all photography attention has to be paid to where the line begins and ends in the frame. Ideally, the lines should direct the viewers’ attention to the subject and of course, unless the subject dictates otherwise, horizontal and vertical lines should be as straight as possible. h) Keep it Interesting:

This is a course a golden rule of photography and perhaps the one that cant and should not be broken here. Interest is more critical in minimalist photography because with little else in the photo but the subject, the success of the photo will partly depend on how interesting that subject is. But more than in any form of photography than perhaps abstract, minimalism will not please every one. So be prepared for adverse criticism.

Nevertheless, minimalism works well with storytelling because there’s nothing to distract viewers from the story. Instead of cluttering the picture with details, you give viewers visual space to think about what’s happening and build a narrative

Some Examples of these techniques:

Abandoning the rule of thirds has not distracted from this photo of a shingle beach at Lydd on Sea, Kent (my home town but not my photo!!)

Simplicity yes but still interesting and her texture is also critical as without that the photo would be flat.

Here us of colour has turned a virtual abstract photo into a decent Minimalist one

Certainly a boring architectural photo but with Minimalism comes alive with bold and contrasting colours, a sense of scale, telling a story, and patterns and directional lines. So ticks all those boxes!

Here a totally different style but again gives a sense of scale (albeit different) but also tells, a story, and there are contrasting patterns and directional lines.

But here extreme simplicity but still this photo retains an interest from the bold colour and texture

As indeed does this one too but without the bold colours but a strong sense of negative space that would not work well in any other form of photography perhaps:

Aerial photography works well with some subjects and here yes simplicity in the range of colour but there is a sense of pattern

Here negative space and simplicity enhances a landscape

There might be nine Million bicycles in Beijing but more than a Still Life treatment ever would, in Minimalism this photo immediately attracts interest

Just a pair of trainers but tells a story

Two examples of standard minimalism styles and everyone has seen similar but perhaps harder to get a truly great photo because of that.

Just the added balloon gives a basic cloud photo a story

The Ultimate Minimalist style, just colours, patterns, lines and texture bring this to life.