What happens when minimalist landscape photographers give wildlife photography a try? I think this photo is best pictured hanging on a wall, as a large print. I originally thought I would have preferred to see that Hummingbird facing the other direction, although in some respects having all the momentum pointing off the page even makes this image more minimalist. More minimalist? I love these kinds of images and used to make them from time to time, although my birds or mammals were generally a little bit closer than this. I am beginning to see some pictures from some photographers that include a smaller wildlife subject, while I am seeing eyeball shots in from others. Wildlife photography is getting very interesting for the art minded photographer and viewer. Mathew Rubel made the picture.

This image certainly has minimal details showing in the picture frame. There are a minimal amount of conflicts that occur here. The building is not busy in the sense that the patterns within, are repeated in a consistent order. In other words those patterns are simplified by their consistency. Then all there is to the picture is blank sky. Joshua Davis made the picture.

This is minimalism at its best. Hengki Koentjoro is the artist and this foggy scene probably could only be rendered in a minimalist fashion. There is not enough detail in the actual scene to lend itself to anything but a simple, minimal image. When there is very little happening in a picture, even the simplest things such as the anchor in this picture, become important and noticeable to the viewer.

Anytime you introduce high color to minimalism, it becomes difficult to retain the simplicity of the image that makes it minimalist. Some aids in that endeavor include having only one or two colors, repeating patterns, and a primary subject which is small (minimal) within the scene. Someone or something called media mashi gets the credit for the picture.

This minimal image of my own, really fits that description only because I composed the subjects that had some fairly disruptive colors and noticeable detail, in the “most simplistic” way I could. Minimalist image making can mean any subject that through your compositional choices, has been rendered in the most minimal way possible.

Those of you have been visiting the Earth Images blog for a while know that I have broached this subject before. To me, at least viewing and studying this particular discipline of image making is important to all photographers. The ability to see the power of the “less is more” concept, carries over into composition in any picture we might make. More can be learned about retaining elegance in busy pictures, through minimalist photography, than looking at any number of busy pictures that we think are good. Minimalist images, make simplicity simpler.

I plan to continue these small, simple articles on photography, although they will certainly be accompanied soon after by more posts about other subjects. I’ve never really been able to be a one trick pony. I believe variety is a good thing.

Keep it simple,                                                                                                                                   Wayne