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02/10/2009 01:19:25 PM · #1
I'm a photostudent, and tomorrow I'm supposed to hand in a minimum of 5 abstract images. My problem is, I have no clue of what abstract is or what it looks like. I read about it, I have looked at many of the abstract entries here, and I ended up with this:



Is this anywhere near abstract? Or is it just plain photoshop art of an image shot with a camera?
02/10/2009 01:21:37 PM · #2
Yes, that qualifies as abstract.
02/10/2009 01:25:33 PM · #3
Originally posted by arlanbart:

Yes, that qualifies as abstract.


I knew I could count on DPC to give me a answer quickly, thank you!

If someone have the time, I would appreciate comments and tips to how I can make it better. My first attempt on abstraction.

Message edited by author 2009-02-10 13:27:07.
02/10/2009 01:27:28 PM · #4
That's certainly abstract. By definition, to "abstract" something is to reduce it to its essentials. So, for example, I used to earn some coin doing "abstracts" of books, where I'd boil the whole book down to a thousand words, and the company I was freelancing for sold these abstracts (of business titles) to businessmen who needed to be familiar with the material but were too lazy/busy to read the book.

So if you take a macro picture that shows half a button and buttonhole and the swath of fabric next to it, that's an abstraction of a shirt.

There are those who would say, in art, that if it's recognizable then it's not abstract, or "an abstraction"; for all practical purposes, any image you cannot easily identify what it is "of" is an abstraction.

R.
02/10/2009 01:28:14 PM · #5
Originally posted by arlanbart:

Yes, that qualifies as abstract.

And a very pleasant one at that! Nice.
02/10/2009 01:32:07 PM · #6
"Abstract", in the context of art, is a generic term with more defined subcategories. Yes, the image you posted is an abstract, and "yes" it looks like pain photoshop manipulation. Anything not clearly figurative can be said to be more or less abstract.

Among lay people the consensus of what an abstract is is even broader. Here, on this site, many close-ups and macros, even though they clearly depict an objective, tangible reality, are regularly classified as "abstract".
02/10/2009 01:37:07 PM · #7
Originally posted by Bear_Music:

That's certainly abstract. By definition, to "abstract" something is to reduce it to its essentials. So, for example, I used to earn some coin doing "abstracts" of books, where I'd boil the whole book down to a thousand words, and the company I was freelancing for sold these abstracts (of business titles) to businessmen who needed to be familiar with the material but were too lazy/busy to read the book.

So if you take a macro picture that shows half a button and buttonhole and the swath of fabric next to it, that's an abstraction of a shirt.

There are those who would say, in art, that if it's recognizable then it's not abstract, or "an abstraction"; for all practical purposes, any image you cannot easily identify what it is "of" is an abstraction.

R.


Thank you so much! That actually inspired me to my final photo. Don't worry, I won't steal your idea!

If took one, or two (can't remember...), "sides" of a soapbubble and rotated them and put them next to each other, etc. My teacher wanted us to explore photoshop with this assignment, so at least I got to do that.

Originally posted by glad2badad:

And a very pleasant one at that! Nice.


Thank you, that helps! Got a minimum 4 more to edit tonight.

Message edited by author 2009-02-10 13:37:51.
02/10/2009 01:40:11 PM · #8
Originally posted by BJamy:

... Got a minimum 4 more to edit tonight.

He-he, and just when was this assigment handed out? :-P
02/10/2009 01:43:30 PM · #9
Originally posted by glad2badad:

Originally posted by BJamy:

... Got a minimum 4 more to edit tonight.

He-he, and just when was this assigment handed out? :-P


A while ago, but I've had my reasons for starting late! Had a musictheory and pitch test to study for. And I only got the editing left, so now that I know a little bit more I should be fine. I'm not lazy when it comes to music and photography, just everything else. But aren't we all?
02/10/2009 01:54:21 PM · #10
:-D Sorry, just had to take a poke at that one. Sounds like you've got it covered. Have fun!
02/10/2009 01:56:20 PM · #11
I'd call it very abstract since I can't even identify what the item is. Here are some other abstracts from a member who likes to do them.


And one of my own


As you can see, your shot is definitely abstract. I think what makes for a good abstract is interesting patterns, colors, light, and textures.

Message edited by author 2009-02-10 13:59:07.
02/10/2009 02:04:58 PM · #12
Originally posted by glad2badad:

:-D Sorry, just had to take a poke at that one. Sounds like you've got it covered. Have fun!


Haha, forgot some smileys to illustrate that I was joking around :-D Do that alot... Thank you, and everyone for quick and good answers!

I think I can identify a moon. Or a ping-pong ball.

Originally posted by yospiff:

I'd call it very abstract since I can't even identify what the item is. Here are some other abstracts from a member who likes to do them.

(...)

As you can see, your shot is definitely abstract. I think what makes for a good abstract is interesting patterns, colors, light, and textures.


Interesting to explore nevertheless. Thanks a lot! =)
02/10/2009 02:10:46 PM · #13
Originally posted by BJamy:


A while ago, but I've had my reasons for starting late! Had a music theory and pitch test to study for.


Do you happen to be studying Joseph Schillinger? Jeremy Arden's workbooks on his theories? I've been editing/designing Schillinger books off and on for years now :-)

R.
02/10/2009 02:45:10 PM · #14
Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by BJamy:


A while ago, but I've had my reasons for starting late! Had a music theory and pitch test to study for.


Do you happen to be studying Joseph Schillinger? Jeremy Arden's workbooks on his theories? I've been editing/designing Schillinger books off and on for years now :-)

R.


Ufortunelately no. This was one of those "prove yourself worthy for the acadmey" tests.
02/10/2009 03:27:39 PM · #15
Originally posted by BJamy:

Ufortunelately no. This was one of those "prove yourself worthy for the acadmey" tests.


Sheesh, I hope it wasn't a spelling test... (Just poking gentle fun, I'm sure you're just typing too fast...)

R.
02/10/2009 04:13:59 PM · #16
Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by BJamy:

Ufortunelately no. This was one of those "prove yourself worthy for the acadmey" tests.


Sheesh, I hope it wasn't a spelling test... (Just poking gentle fun, I'm sure you're just typing too fast...)

R.


Haha, ups... Typing to fast, a bit stressed out, and I'm Norwegian, so... there you go...
02/10/2009 05:33:38 PM · #17


This is my shot of a straight pin stuck in a piece of black cardboard. I was doing an exercise of auto-focusing the camera on the smallest possible subject.

Abstracts are a subject that is near & dear to my heart. To me, every photo is abstracted from reality because the act of framing the shot is a process of selection. When I think of Abstract in terms of a genre of Art, then it's more like a process of selection from that selection. Like distilling. I keep taking things out until it's perfectly Abstract. I guess perfectly abstract music would be nothing but silence.

In my experience many photographers consider a macro shot to be abstract. If you google Abstract Photography, that's what you get--macro shots of a part of the subject.

Your abstract comp looks fully abstract to me, a bit mathematical & symmetrical, but Abstract.
02/10/2009 05:46:15 PM · #18
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