Minimalist Kompozitions

  Small is beautiful or we might say that just few people can be more appreciated than a complete crowd, at least for some of us. But what the simplicity limit point in photography? Surely you need some kind of subject or a recognizable context as a reference. If not, it is only a blank white or black sheet (virtually or not). So, the challenge is to reduce the complexity of the picture subject but also to be able to leave enough visual information to the looker.

It is a bit like art painting where some great artists have created minimal canvas image presentation with just few patches of color. You can ether see in it as a scandalous way of provoking people or a new way of a very basic universe visual interpretation. We can also add that, at this point of the discussion, without any cultural references, it begins very difficult to define a specific emotion toward the work of the author. It is like symbolism without symbols.

We cannot really disregard some human tastes over our own and that can be said for the multiple photographic creativity interpretations. You just have to leave space for everybody to express themselves and we may discover at the end something new and inspiring.

Photos Daniel M: Fujifilm X-S10 / Fujinon XC50-230mm OIS II

Minimalist for the photographic lovers (and who want to have some picture creative controls)

 This is "the" never-ending quest in photography from the basic enthusiasms to the most reputable professionals and artists (although many of the last mentioned will never admit it!). At the beginning of this creative search come the digital image sensor that has been replaced the old analog film supports. Today modern image sensors are highly reconfigurable, and the final picture is fairly "editable" after the image first registration. There are pre-definite picture formulas that may fulfill your needs but also more complex functionalities for specific setting such as colors, tones, and other image definition effects (contrast, lowlight & highlight exposure bias, etc.)

Auto sensibility functionality have replaced almost completely the classic specific ISO setting, with the still available optionality to do it easily for some camera models but more uneasily for others. There is always the usual picture noise punishment associated with high ISO level use, but it seems to be less the case with the newest image sensors.

The shutter speed is also becoming less restrictive with the implantation of various stabilization system from the optical (lens), the electro-magnetic (sensor) and the electronic (in the image file treatment). Shutter speeds are more an exposure alternative to permit the use of a larger aperture or to obtain a long exposure or simply freeze (or not) a moving subject (or part of it).

The lens aperture is another story since there is a lot of lens aperture variations between all the optics available today. For example, using a compact camera model that have a small sensor have pushed the manufacturers to produce specialized lines of lenses for amateurs, enthusiasms, artists and professional photographers. In each case, some fundamental characteristics must be preserved such as specific physical dimensions and total weight, maximum aperture, lens construction in term of durability and use, etc. Deep of field, definition, video capability, bokeh and more, are among the factors that will finally influence the design of the today lenses.

All the camera manufacturers are observing each other’s and having a complete exclusive design identity for an entire line of models is now an obsolete way of doing thing. We can see that everybody is partially if not completely copying and emulating others’ ideas. This is the price to pay to get a kind of general agreement from the photo gear marketers of this Web Planet (which are not for many of them real active photographers). By standardizing the camera design, we also decrease the photographer’s differentiation in their work and theirs picture results. We are creating photographic stereotypes that prevent the original expression of the medium. Therefore, it is the outmost importance that photographers keep learning about the picture taking basics and try to understand their specific image impact.

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© Photos Daniel M: OM-D E-M5 III/ED 9-18mm; OM-D E-M5 III/ED 75-300mm II; GX85/35-100mm OIS