Creative Abstract Photography
Creative abstract photography is something new for me. I’ve been doing architectural abstracts for some time. However. these have all been straightforward detail shots of architectural details. Basically, I concentrate on the lines and texture of a particular architectural element rather than the building as a whole. In these photos it is clear what is being photographed. If you scroll to the end of this post you’ll find links to 3 posts I’ve done about these photos. I like these kind of abstracts and will continue to do them from time to time.
However, I recently saw some photos by my friend Hali Sowle . She had done an architectural abstract the likes of which I had never seen before. It was an abstract in the truest sense. You couldn’t really identify the items in the photo. However, it was a beautiful combination of shapes, lines and color that just grabbed your attention.
Hali made those photos as part of her work with multiple exposures. It involved using layers of the same photo, each edited and then blended together. Basically, it breaks the paradigm of how we normally make photos. It comes from freeing our imagination to experiment and use all the processing tools in ways we never have done before. It is recognizing that there are no rules; not just on a conceptual level but on a real, actionable level. Once you do this, it is actually liberating.
A side benefit is that it also helps us find creative ways to “think outside the box” when trying to achieve certain effects in our “normal” photography.
The Photos
All of the photos below are created from a single photo of a building’s façade. Then by using the tools of Lightroom and Photoshop I’ve creatively edited the photo to make these abstracts. There is no use of AI. Creative abstract photography is simply applying standard editing tools in ways they are not normally used.
The 609 Main building has a unique triangular section of the façade that sets it apart from other office towers. This feature is ripe for abstract treatment.
The Lyric Garage comes alive at night. The exterior façade is comprised of rectangular boxes. It is especially notable for it colorful lighting that continually changes. At night a simple parking garage becomes a wonderful light show.
The Margaret M. Alkek Building For Biomedical Research is notable for the lines in the façade the virtually scream “abstract”.
The Sheikh Zayed Building or more formally, The Sheikh Zayed Sultan Al Nayhan Building For Personalized Cancer Care, has a unique design. Architectural sun shades form a striking element.
The Houston Methodist Research Institute has a rather plain glass façade. However, it is a curved façade that creates interesting patterns.
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What do you do to expand your creativity in your photography? Please leave a comment in the comment box below.
