ABSTRACT (ab-strakt)  def 6. Having an intellectual and affective artistic content that depends solely on intrinsic form rather than on narrative content or pictorial representation. (http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/abstract)

In hopes of opening my eyes to different ways of seeing and picturing the world, I took a course in abstract photography last spring. We learned to express ourselves through the use of geometry, negative space, altered viewpoint, perspective, repetition, and reflection. It was my first time working (almost) exclusively in black and white, a medium I am not naturally drawn to. Here are some of my images from class.

The final lesson was in abstracting the human body, which was daunting but turned out to be a lot of fun, for both photographer and model. It also turned into a meditation on feet!

Man-made objects seem to lend themselves to abstraction very well. I continue to find it very difficult to create abstract images from nature. Doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying, though!

The course was challenging and very rewarding. I’m looking to continue applying these principles as I continue in my photography.

Note: This is the start of a new side Gallery, which I hope to add to from time to time.

Coming up: Hot and Bothered