Abstracts

I love the fall season for many reasons; the fresh air, the cool mornings, and in North Idaho, the rustic muted colors. Here in the Northwest we do not have the brilliant yellow of the Colorado Aspens, or the vibrant oranges and reds of the east coast's oak and maple trees. Instead we have the burnt orange of the Larch trees, the rusty red leaves of huckleberry bushes and the pale yellow the wild grasses.

A few days ago I walked around my land with the goal of documenting the colors of the season. If you're not a photographer, I'm sure you'll feel like this is a little nerdy. Nonetheless, that's what I did and below are two of the resulting photographs.

As with most of the abstract photos I've taken, the best are made with a bit of luck. This one falls into that category. Thanks to digital, I was able to take many photos and adjust settings and technique based on the instant feedback I was getting with each photo. I shot this photo at 1 second, ISO 200, and f/22 at 135mm. I pointed the camera at the leaves, and held it as stable as possible for about a quarter second, then quickly panned to the sky and added a bit of shake and vibration. The result resembles a double exposure in some ways, and for this photo created the illusion of water or reflection, almost like a clear stream of water is running over the leaves and grass on the ground.

This photograph is much more simplistic than the one above, and in a lot of ways would be easier for you to replicate if you'd be inclined to try. This photo also uses a 1 second exposure, low iso, and small aperture. As it was becoming dusk I found a tall fir tree with very few branches on the lower half of the trunk. I panned my camera up and down while holding the shutter for 1 second. With some trial and error, I was able to create the illusion of flowing water or waves, using the tree trunk to provide a solid structure in the image. The image is rotated 90 degrees obviously, as trees grow upright. :) Shot at 135mm.

I hope you enjoyed today's post! Let me know what you think about these photos, and would love to see some of the abstracts you've created.

Also, I asked the question below over on Quora, and would love if you'd hop over there and give a response if you have one. Can abstract photos evoke emotion, and if so, what are the best examples of this that you've seen?

Thank you!

Justin

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_{Purchase my photos on Stocksy United! Stocksy United - Justin Mullet
Creating authentic outdoor and landscape photography primarily in the Western United States. Featuring a beautiful portfolio of stock photos that portray some of the earth's most peaceful and quiet areas, and portraying rural life at its best!}