Minimalism in photography selection to watch. Less is more. Minimalism and photographs of animals, birds and insects

No art movement is as controversial among critics as minimalism. The points of view expressed are absolutely opposite. Some call this genre “the highest manifestation of creativity,” while others insist that it is nothing more than a degradation of art. But works of this genre do not leave anyone indifferent.

The genre of minimalism came to photography from painting, as did most other genres. He can be considered relatively young. In the history of painting, the 60s of the last century are considered the birth of minimalism. But such a statement is, of course, conditional. Works with all the hallmarks of minimalism existed long before this (just remember Malevich’s “Black Square”). True, at that time they did not yet have an official name.

Minimalism, like no other genre, is subjective. Everyone understands it in their own way. But still the main signs exist. Few objects, a lot of background. Moreover, the background is most often neutral, without unnecessary details. This requires careful attention to composition. Composition is one of the most important elements of minimalist photography. As mentioned above, you need to exclude all unnecessary details from the frame. But the most important thing is to arrange the elements in the frame so that they look good and are in their place. The “rule of thirds” works well here. In addition, shapes can play a big role in the composition. Shape alone can form the basis of minimalist photography. Color works well in minimalist photographs. Some photographers create their photographs based solely on color transitions. Like color, lines play a huge role in minimalism. Vertical and horizontal lines create a strong composition and make the photo more attractive.

And in general, can minimalism in photography be called a separate genre? I would (right, everything is subjective) better call it “style”. After all, minimalist photography itself can be made in different genres. A landscape, a still life, a portrait, and even a reportage can be made in the style of minimalism. The works of the photographers that I chose as examples just confirm my point of view.

Let's start with the landscapes.

Akos Major(Akos Major) - photographer from Hungary. Currently lives in Budapest. Travels around the world in search of a good shot for his collection. The main direction of his work is landscapes.

These are photographs from the "Cold World" series. White color, smooth surfaces, brightness... The photographs literally smell cold.

David Burdeni (David Burdeny), a Canadian photographer, also chose the cold to create his famous “Icebergs” series. True, unlike the previous photographer, he tints his photographs and “cools” them by adding blue.

It is clear that not everyone has the opportunity to photograph icebergs in their life. But landscapes shrouded in fog can be found everywhere. Amazing series "White Noise" by a photographer from Berlin Matthias Heidrick (Matthias Heiderich) is just confirmation of this.

American David Fokos(David Fokos), one of the masters of minimalism, calls his works “photographic haiku.” He believes that they exemplify traditional Japanese aesthetic concepts. Such as calmness, the ephemeral nature of things, subtle matter, lack of pretense, simplicity, freshness, silence.
Works done with long exposures truly exude peace and tranquility.

Kanga Koentjoro Hengki Koentjoro lives in Indonesia. Creates landscapes in black and white style. Mainly works with long exposures.

Todd Clasey(Todd Klassy) from America also photographs minimalist landscapes. But his style is completely different. The photographer works with bright, saturated colors. His task, as he says in one interview, is to show the beauty of the state of Montana, in which he was born and lived all his life.

German photographer Bernhard Lang (Bernhard Lang) shoots his minimalist landscapes from a bird's eye view. Clear graphics and pure colors make photographs of seemingly completely uninteresting and boring objects unique.

When talking about the masters of minimalist landscape, one cannot fail to mention the famous English photographer Michael Kenna (Michael Kenna).
Michael Kenna's style is primarily black and white landscape photography, which he mostly shoots at long exposures. The intimacy of his photographs is also striking - the size of the photographs is only 30 x 30 cm. This size is not accidental, because Kenna believes that each photograph should be viewed by only one person.
It was about his work that one of the photo critics said: “There are two types of photography. Of these, the first creates sound, the second is deprived of this sound. Obviously, Michael Kenn’s photography belongs to the second category. His images invite us to enter a quiet world in which the viewer is relieved from noises - sequentially, one after another, all of them with which our world is so loaded."
As an example, I chose the works of Michael Kenn, executed on the verge of merging natural and urban landscapes. Series 1999-2008, created in Russia.

Cityscape is one of the favorite genres of minimalist photographers.
Here is the German photographer I already mentioned Mathias Heidrick with the series "Colorful Berlin". It was this series that made him famous.

The German photographer works in a similar style. Klaus Leontief (Klaus Leontjew).

Photographer Nick Frank(Nick Frank) was born in 1975 in Munich, Germany. Came into photography in 2010. But he still doesn’t consider himself a professional photographer. “I still have a lot to learn,” he says.

The Metro 2012 series is dedicated to the futuristic style of the Munich metro. It seems very minimalist and even surreal without passengers inside.

It would seem that the lot of minimalist photographers is only to take pictures of individual details of the city. But Nick Frank turned that opinion around. What could be more majestic and powerful than the famous buildings of Dubai? Here are some very minimalist photographs:

Belgian Philip DeVos(Filip DeVos) also shoots the cityscape. But in his works the main thing is lines. The geometric component attracts the eye and makes you immerse yourself in the picture. In addition, including people in the composition makes the photographs almost reportage-like.

And here are the works of another master of minimalist reportage. Italian Raldeni Massimo (Raldeni Massimo). Every photograph is a whole story. With its own plot, characters and aftertaste.

Couldn't miss the amazing work of the Spanish photographer Natalie Tacariga (Natalie Tacarigua), which can also be classified as minimalism. Minimum objects and maximum movement. This is not just a frozen picture, this is life.

Still life is one of the most favorite genres of minimalist photographers. It would seem that there is nothing difficult about photographing objects in this particular style. But how different you can approach this!
Favorite color of a young Turkish photographer Anila Akkusa (Anil Akkus) is white. He is a true virtuoso of light and shadow. If not for this talent, the snow-white experiment would have been destined to fail, but this did not happen, since skillfully directed lighting creates the necessary shadows in shades of gray, and these, in turn, give the white objects in the photo volume and make them visible against the white background.

The Spaniard Jose Maria Frutos Vargas takes a different route when shooting still lifes. He prefers surrealism. An incredible, upside-down world, shot in a minimalist style.

Heidi Westum (Heidi Westum) from Norway wrote simply in the annotation to her portfolio: “I love macro.” Look at the wonderful photographs of a simple drop of water, also made in the genre of minimalism.

Everything is clear with the droplet - it is small, it was simply created for filming in the genre we are describing. Is it possible to take a photograph in this style, for example, of the largest land animal on earth? It turns out that it is possible. And this is done by a photographer from South Africa Mario Moreno (Mario Moreno). And not only the elephant, but also other animals.

For an example of a portrait made in the genre of minimalism, I took a series by the photographer Vladimir Katiev (Vladimir Katiev) entitled "Hidden Essence". Undoubtedly, the works from this series evoke different feelings, but they fully satisfy the requirements of minimalism.

And I want to finish my article about minimalism by presenting the works of one of my favorite photographers.
Gert Lovesen(Gert Lavsen) - photographer from Denmark.
I think that minimalism for a photographer is not only a way to express his vision of the world, but it is his lifestyle. No matter what genre he takes on, there is minimalism everywhere.

Minimalism is a very interesting movement in artistic photography. If you approach minimalism correctly, photographs taken in this manner will become very, very expressive. How to understand minimalism, how to make it work correctly for the photographer’s plan - we’ll talk about this today.

1. What is minimalism?

Minimalism is a style that applies not only to photography. Many artists around the world have worked and still work in minimalism. The main essence of minimalism is the use of as few components as possible in everything: in form, in lines, in color, in the texture of the surface of objects, which are also minimal in the depicted space. Minimalism is a rather subjective concept. It leaves wide scope for the viewer to perceive the work. Each viewer can put their own meaning into a photograph or other work of art.

Some people like the openness of minimalism, the idea of ​​its freedom, others do not understand its understatement, the lack of a clearly expressed meaning. But for a photographer, unlike, for example, a painter, this problem is less significant, since the photographs depict real objects from our everyday life, moments of real life. But at the same time, the photographer can apply the principles and techniques of minimalism to enhance the psychological impact of his work on the viewer.

2. Striving for simplicity

The main distinguishing feature of minimalism is the desire for simplicity. But this does not mean that photography should be boring and of no interest to anyone. Simply taking an object as a nature that attracts attention is somehow interesting in itself. This object should be the main element of your frame, even if it does not take up the bulk of it. Before you pull the shutter, you need to think about what you want to include in the frame and what you want to leave out of the frame. The space surrounding the main object should emphasize the significance of this object. Therefore, everything that distracts attention must be ruthlessly cut off.

3. Composition solutions

One of the basic principles of minimalism is strong composition. As already mentioned, you need to remove everything unnecessary from the frame area. Leaving everything unnecessary out of the frame is no less important than including the most necessary things in the frame. That is why you need to spend a lot of time working on the composition, carefully consider the main subject itself and everything that surrounds it. It’s good to apply the so-called “rule of thirds” here. It will help you compose your shot correctly. A strong compositional structure usually includes rectangular elements and lines. (more on this a little later) But, nevertheless, strong shapes and lines should be avoided, as they can distract attention from the main object. In general, you need to focus both your and the viewer’s attention on this object. This is what mainly attracts his gaze and sharply enhances the psychological impact.

4. Color

One of the most important factors influencing the viewer in minimalism is color. This “tool” is very important and very useful for creating a photo in a minimalist style. Simply put, in a minimalist photograph the object as such may be absent altogether, its role will be played by color and texture. The brighter the color, the more expressive the photo. To emphasize color in your work, you need to learn how to use light. In real life, it is difficult to find a scene in one color. Then look for scenes whose colors either complement each other or work off each other in contrast.

5. Lines in the frame

Just like color, line plays an important role in minimalism. A strong composition is created by clearly defined horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines. They seem to become the compositional basis of the photograph, giving its structure strength and stability. The technique of using line to direct the viewer's gaze in the desired direction, which works in all types of fine art, is also applicable in minimalism. Pay attention to that. Where do the lines lead in your composition - from the edge to the center or vice versa. Then you will understand whether it helps the viewer’s perception of your idea or not.

6. Realism

In minimalism, in addition to color, texture, the texture of the object being photographed, is also important. Texture, just like color, can replace the subject itself. To emphasize texture, it is important not only to choose an interesting surface, but also the right way to shoot it. Take a closer look, maybe the texture has a certain direction, and build the composition on this. It's good to use light to highlight texture. With the right lighting, you can achieve an almost physical sensation of texture - for example, the warmth of wood or the cold of a stone wall.

7. Look for inspiration around you

After you gradually immerse yourself in the study of minimalism, learn to feel it, you will notice minimalism around you, in your ordinary, everyday life. Look for open spaces, solid colors, objects that catch your eye, clear lines and geometric shapes of objects. Look around at the world around you through the eyes of a minimalist. Your observations will not be in vain. You can start shooting, for example, from walls and fences, doors, some textured geometrically correct objects... All this can be used for shooting.

8. Processing

Further computer processing of images in a minimalist manner should also be simple. Even at the shooting stage, you should know, clearly imagine what you want to achieve, and see the result of your work. The main thing is that this result is impressive. In search of surrealism, you can distort the subject beyond recognition and experiment with other processing techniques. Freedom of creativity is also possible at this stage of work. But, nevertheless, in minimalism it is customary to preserve the realism of the object and process it only with the aim of enhancing the psychological impact on the viewer.

9. Create a story

Once you have mastered the basic techniques of working in minimalism with lines, color, texture and other elements of artistic expression, you can begin to move on and improve your skills. Try, for example, using minimalism in your photography to tell a story, to reproduce a scene, using the entire arsenal of minimalist means. In order to achieve success in this, you need to learn how to work with light competently and attract the viewer’s interest to moving objects. And then, sometime in your spare time, think about whether you can sum up all the work you have done with just one photo taken in a minimalist manner. The result may surprise you.

10. Self-development and creative exploration

Well, now you have become a little acquainted with minimalism in photography, you know what principles it is based on. We learned the basic techniques of working in this genre. Now - look! Look for minimalism around you! Take simple and interesting photos. Don't be afraid to create and experiment. But do not forget that the perception of minimalism is very subjective. This means that what you create and consider a masterpiece will not always please others. Treat criticism philosophically and don’t get upset over trifles!

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In modern photography, masters highly value high-quality minimalism. This is considered a fashionable and stylish movement when there is nothing superfluous in the photo, and all attention is immediately concentrated on the main object. Creating minimalism in the frame has its own secrets and rules, about which Photosearch and wants to tell you. The very first one is that less is better than more. This statement describes the entire minimalism style as best as possible.

Understand the essence of minimalism

Minimalism characteristic of the masters of the 20th century. They always used a minimum of color, texture, lines and objects. In the artistic world, this style is considered subjective, since each viewer can interpret the meaning of the image for himself. Artists could surrender themselves to complete improvisation and openness of ideas without unnecessary subtexts.

Keep it simple

To achieve minimalism, you need to understand that a simple photograph does not have to be boring or uninteresting. You just need to find a regular background, find your subject and take a photo. Empty or moderately colorful space around the subject emphasizes its importance.

Composition

The right composition can make even the most sluggish photo perfect. The “rule of third” is perfect for creating minimalism. You must correctly arrange the main objects and find beautiful angles.

Simple colors

In minimalism, it is important not to be afraid to experiment with colors. If your subject is not bright enough, you can choose a contrasting background to highlight the assets of the subject. In this case, you need to remember that the brighter the better.

Power of lines

Clear lines can become the same bright color. Horizontal and vertical lines add drama to the frame and make the subject more organic. These lines will also create an invisible structure in the photo. Therefore, pay attention to the position of the subject so that straight lines emphasize it.

The importance of textures

In minimalism, it is important to convey texture and colors. They contribute to the viewer's passion for photography. To make the structure visible, add light or contrast. The viewer will feel with his eyes what he sees and will be able to feel the photograph.

Keep your eyes open

Minimalist objects surround us every day and every minute. When you learn to see them, then creating a new frame will not be a problem for you. Try to always look straight ahead and see as much space as possible. Look at all the objects and you will be rewarded with pleasant shots.

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There is still no exact definition minimalism in photography Is this a style of composition or a separate genre?

Minimalism in fine art arose in the 60s of the twentieth century, it is characterized by the use of a minimum number of components such as color, shape, lines and texture. And if in the world of art, minimalism leaves wide scope for interpretation and allows each viewer to put their own meaning into the image. That….

Minimalism in photography creates such images that the viewer’s attention is concentrated on one object or a group of them located nearby. Minimalist photographs have one main theme, an idea. The main subject occupies a small part of the frame, leaving “air” - empty space around it. And as a result, when looking at the picture, we concentrate our attention on the main object. In this way, minimalist photographs can be extremely simple and, at the same time, very expressive.

Minimalism in photography is a shooting style that implies simplicity, accuracy, conciseness and clarity of composition.

To understand the features of minimalist photography, we suggest looking at examples in different genres:

Minimalism in architectural photography:

Parts of buildings, a wall with window(s) or stairs are the most attractive subjects for minimalist photographers. In combination with unusual bright colors you can get a fantastic result. Bright contrasting colors attract your attention, and irregular shapes make you think. Typically, minimalist architectural photography uses two or three colors. The more colors you use, the more difficult it is to concentrate on any one object.

Minimalism in landscape photography:

Fields and oceans are ideal for minimalist photographs. Winter snowy landscapes are a real find for those who see beauty in them. For example, bare dark silhouettes of trees against a background of white snow. You can use thick fog as a background. It will give your photos a dramatic atmosphere and hide all unnecessary details that distract the viewer from the main subject. (link on how to remove fog).

Minimalism in abstract photography:

Photographers who shoot minimalist abstract photographs work with geometric shapes. After all, abstract photography does not represent the subject or object completely, as in a conventional image, but only its (their) shapes, colors and lines. The viewer needs to abstract from the usual perception of reality in order to understand such works of art. Strong contrasting lines shift the focus and make photos more impressive. Among the many genres of photography, this is perhaps the most creative, requiring both parties to be involved: both the photographer and the viewer.

Abstract minimalist photography is not always something unrecognizable. Often, this can be part of an object or place in which something that is well known to the viewer is guessed.

Minimalism and photographs of people:

Unlike photographs of landscapes, buildings and simple objects, people do not fit into the concept of minimalist photography. With their emotions and gestures, people easily violate the concept of minimalism. Therefore, photographers prefer to shoot silhouettes of people against an empty, contrasting background. People are also used to highlight the main idea of ​​a photo, making it more impactful.

Minimalism and photographs of animals, birds and insects:

It's much easier to take minimalist photographs of animals, birds and insects than people - it's easier with them. To achieve excellent results when photographing animals in a minimalist style, you need to use very contrasting backgrounds or different textures. Or you can use a shallow depth of field to greatly blur the background, focusing on the object.

Minimalism in black and white photography:

Lighting plays a major role in shooting black and white photographs. Sometimes they are easier to make than colored ones. Black and white tones in minimalist photography can create different moods. These photos can be more impressive than photos with rich, colorful backgrounds and few objects in focus.

Color minimalist photographs:

Bright colors always enrich photos and attract attention. Therefore, the brighter the background or object, the simpler the shapes and lines should be. Many professional photographers suggest experimenting with colors and not being afraid of mistakes. Numerous attempts will teach you to feel the color and choose the right combinations.

Despite their apparent visual simplicity, minimalist photography can be very powerful and impressive. Minimalism requires certain skills, vision and creativity.

And if you have several of your works, share them with us and our readers by posting them in.

Minimalism in photographic art is a special style that implies extreme simplicity and laconicism of the composition. Minimalist photography forces 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 comprehended. Many artists in the 20th century preferred this genre of painting, paying the greatest attention to lines, color and texture. The viewer was asked to evaluate the creation from his own point of view, that is, subjectively.

It turns out that minimalism in photography is a subjective concept. Each viewer will find something of their own in the photo.

Some will like the openness and brevity of this genre, while others will consider it meaningless and empty. But every art direction has followers and haters! Many novice photographers are advised to start working with minimalism. The apparent simplicity can be complicated by using special techniques and principles of the impact of photographs on human psychology. The main thing is to gain experience.

Simplicity of the genre and its compositional solutions

As is clear from what was written above, the main feature of the genre is simplicity. But this simplicity should attract and attract the eye. You need to choose a subject for shooting carefully; it should be mysterious and interesting. Even if the subject does not occupy the entire frame (which is most often the case), it should represent the center of the composition. Anything that distracts attention from the object should be cut off.

When thinking about the composition of your photo, 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 photo with them. This way you can easily direct the viewer’s eyes to where you want them to go! 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.

Look for subjects to shoot correctly. If you're not sure where to start, take a photo of an interesting wood floor pattern, cracked earth, or beach sand.

Color and lines as important tools of the genre

Minimalism tries to simplify everything... This means that the photographer is left with playing with color! And this is a very interesting activity. If you want to get a spectacular photo, learn to play with light. Increasing color saturation helps craftsmen a lot; the brighter the work, the more noticeable it is!

Playing with contrasts also plays into the hands of the photographer. Red and blue, white and black, purple and yellow shades look great in the photo.

Along with color, minimalism in photography also values ​​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 imaginative.

Is texture important?

In addition to color, the texture of the main object can also play a role in the photo. It can even completely replace that 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 is literally conveyed the warmth of wood or the cold and smoothness of stone. Learn to photograph the texture of objects so that the viewer seems to be alive and can be reached right now.

Don't forget about 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 outside? Minimalism in photography (the gallery in this article shows you excellent examples of it) allows you to effectively use a natural background. For example, the background for capturing a flower can be a clear blue sky.

Do photos need processing in a minimalist style?

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

Remember that in minimalism it is not customary to greatly distort an object using a filter; it must be recognizable.

Treatment is carried out only to enhance the psychological effect of the impact. Do not overuse graphic editors.

As your craft matures, you can even use minimalist photographs to tell entire stories to viewers.

Where to get inspiration?

Look for objects around you in everyday life. Notice areas of the same color, open spaces, clear lines and shapes. You can use many things for photography: 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 you shouldn’t forget is that this genre is very subjective. This means it could happen that you are delighted with your work, but people don’t like it. Dare, be creative and look at some failures philosophically!

Minimalism in photography of people, landscapes, architecture

People often cannot fit into the concept of minimalism, because they are very emotional. It is much easier for a master to work with landscapes and still lifes. Therefore, minimalists rarely photograph people in close-up, preferring only small silhouettes against a contrasting background. People are used here to enhance the effect of a photo - they can make any subject more impressive.

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

Animals, birds and insects are easier to photograph than people. A contrasting background is enough to get the perfect photo. If you want to highlight the creature even more, defocus the area around it.

Landscape photography is very popular among minimalists. Rivers, oceans, fields and snow are ideal objects for the master. If you want to hide unnecessary details or add drama to your photo, use fog in the background.

Photographing 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 apparent laconicism and meaninglessness, photographs in the minimalist style can be very impressive and powerful. But you have to bring your vision, skills and hard work to them to prove something to the world.