Minimalist photography

Minimalist photography is a form of photography that is distinguished by austere simplicity.[1] It emphasizes sparseness and careful composition, shying away from overabundance of color, patterns, or information.[2]

Minimalist photo

Etymology
Costa Blanca Spain by Dari Ingal
Minimalist landscape by Martin Vorel

Minimalist photography arises from the notion of minimalism in art, which is a style used by many 20th century artists. This style emphasizes the use of simple and often monochromatic compositional elements: color, objects, shapes and texture.[3] Minimalist Photography often (but not always) aims to express a concept, in order to bring forth a distinctive visual experience or elicit an emotional response from the viewer. Popular subjects for minimalist photographs are landscapes, architecture, or other scenes devoid of humans and movement.

History

Minimalist photography arose in 1960s America from the minimalist movement.[4] As the name denotes, minimalism uses a limited amount of elements to achieve a subtle and smooth end product. While minimalism may manifest in many ways in other art forms, minimalist photography usually tends to make great use of negative space, employs sparse composition, and centers a strong singular focal point.[5] Over the decades, minimalist photographers such as Michael Kenna, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Grant Hamilton, and Mark Meyer have risen to prominence in the art world and gained fame for their minimalist photography.[6][7][8][9]

Technique
Minimal Airuno

Minimalist photography focuses on simplicity & its artistic style can be encapsulated by the quote, "less is more." Minimalist photographers achieve this effect by casting aside all the unnecessary components in creating their works.[10] This principle is demonstrated in various minimalist photographs, for example, when capturing a mountain or an ocean on camera, the entirety of the scenery will be presented as one big vast space. The vacancy and bareness of the space shown enables the audience to imagine and craft their own version of interpretation and comprehension, instead of including the photographer's own inputs and insights. In order to expand and concentrate on the expansive space, it is crucial to minimize contradicting elements such as people or distracting buildings. Doing so conveys a sense of barrenness and desolation that creates a theatrical atmosphere and visual experience. Therefore, a minimalist photograph is often captured early in the morning, sunrise or dark at night. This ensures that the scene is not filled with crowds and that the overall composition appears neat and simplified.

Minimalist photography

"As an approach in photography, minimalism or minimalistic photography could be taken by the photographer in all genres. No matter your are a portrait, architecture, landscape etc. photographer, minimalist photos are always an option as long as you have a minimal look toward your surroundings" -Milad Safabakhsh, Founder of Minimalist Photography Awards.[11]

Minimalist photography often features a single subject with nature as the background, or nature itself as both background and subject. Common motifs in minimalist works include geometric or repeating patterns, contrast in lines and texture, and emphasized depth and distance. This last element is often used to express a feeling of vastness and to try and capture the feeling of being in an incredibly open space in nature, as seen in the image of a lake below.

  • Early morning at Begnas lake presented in minimalist approach
    Early morning at Begnas lake presented in minimalist approach
  • Yellow boxes
    Yellow boxes
  • Lake
    Lake

References
  1. Philippines, Digital Photography, 2010, ‘TECHNIQUE Minimalist Magic’, Minimalist Magic, 20 Oct. 2010, pp. 062–067.
  2. Kantilaftis, Helen (2014-10-27). "Minimalist Photography". Student Resources. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  3. VanEenoo, Cedric, 2011, ‘Minimalism in Art and Design: Concept, influences, implications and perspectives’, Journal of Fine and Studio Art, vol. 2(1), pp. 7-12.
  4. says, Shahana Akter (2015-04-08). "Exploring Minimalist Photography: History, Philosophy, Inspiration". www.photodoto.com. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
  5. "Minimalist Photography: A Comprehensive Guide (+ Tips)". Digital Photography School. 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
  6. www.michaelkenna.com https://www.michaelkenna.com/resume.php. Retrieved 2022-10-06. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. "Alaska Photographer Mark Meyer". www.photo-mark.com. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
  8. "About". sxseventy.com. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
  9. "Bibliography — Hiroshi Sugimoto". Hiroshi Sugimoto. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
  10. Tuck, Kirk, 2008, Minimalist Lighting, Professional Techniques for Location Photography, Amherst Media, New York.
  11. "Official website | Minimalist Photography Awards". www.minimalistphotographyawards.com.

See also
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