Final Assignment - Abstract

[jonrayner]

I'm after some advise please.....

On the final assignment 6 images are required, one of them needed is an abstract. What does abstract mean. My initial interpretation of abstract was that the image was not obvious as to what it was, or a unique view on something, but then i found on the web an article saying that abstract could be anything with pattern, colours, shapes etc and that most macro photography was abstract.

So I am a little confused and lacking inspiration on this photo.

Help please.........!

[ladyups]

Sorry, Jon, which I could answer this but I'm not real sure about abstract either. In my mind, it would be something that the viewer could interpret differently than what I would. Or with lots of patterns..such as bricks on a wall, or paint chips. Which I could help more.

[coffee]

Look at this link: http://images.google.com/images?q=Abstract+photography&rls=com.microsoft:*&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=Q0HsSd-EMc3Jtget462XBg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title
This will give you an idea.. but I think your definition in your question is a good one. I myself wouldn't say most macro is abstract, but did submit a macro for my final assignment.

[jonrayner]

Cheers Joseph, I think this is one of the hardest ones to complete as it is so open to interpretation! Oh well, best put my thinking cap on. Some of those images from the google link you sent a really good and very......... abstract!!!

[coffee]

I had one idea for you jon. You commented on my macro shots of water that I just replayed to. What about trying one of them for your abstract. I thought of a relatively easy one, but one that if done right would be very cool.

What about a bowl of milk with food coloring drops in it, and stirred real fast. Use a relatively long exposure of a second or so to get some movement. I would use your nifty because of the 1.8. This is just an idea, never tried it myself.

Also I saw somewhere where someone took a bowl of some liquid, put food coloring in it, placed it on a sub woofer, and make the water dance. How cool would that be for an abstract.

Good luck with you assignment.

[jonrayner]

I had one idea for you jon. You commented on my macro shots of water that I just replayed to. What about trying one of them for your abstract. I thought of a relatively easy one, but one that if done right would be very cool.

What about a bowl of milk with food coloring drops in it, and stirred real fast. Use a relatively long exposure of a second or so to get some movement. I would use your nifty because of the 1.8. This is just an idea, never tried it myself.

Also I saw somewhere where someone took a bowl of some liquid, put food coloring in it, placed it on a sub woofer, and make the water dance. How cool would that be for an abstract.

Good luck with you assignment.

Spot on Joseph, thank you - I will give it a try and hopefully produce some shots for the forum.

[jonrayner]

Spot on Joseph, thank you - I will give it a try and hopefully produce some shots for the forum.

Joseph, I have attempted the water shots this weekend, and it is a lot harder than it looks. I do not think I have a decent one, but will post later once i have gone through them!

By having a go at this, I certainly appreciate how good yours are.

[coffee]

You're right, it is not easy. The first 4 or 5 attempts at water drops got me nothing to speak of, but I kept at it. Giving it a try once or twice a month. I also did a lot of on line reading from others that have succeeded, and that helped. I'm still not where I want to be with it. It seems like each try is a new start with the same errors being made, but with past tries that are corrected quickly where 10 or 15 minutes into it I can start dialing some shots in. But it is a progression that has a lot of trial and error involved. Stay with it and you will start getting the keepers you have in your head. Please post a few of your early attempts. It will be fun to follow your progress.

My next try is not going to be with any other liquids but water and reflecting colors. I have an idea to use colored Christmas lights as reflectors.