Abstracts anywhere . . .

There is such beauty and such simplicity in the spiral form but I think we tend to not notice it. So here are two that I did notice . . .

I was tearing waxed paper and loved how bits of it curled into elegant spirals. And through a macro lens, we can see the fuzzy edges along the torn sides. A fuzzy spiral. Who knew?

The blue spiral below was part of something I found at an architectural salvage store in Oregon. In this case, it conjures up (for me) visions of curling ocean waves making their way to shore.

Spirals. They are everywhere if we just slow down enough to notice.

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

Abstracts anywhere . . .

During an early-morning walk along the bayfront, I spotted all these bright orange chairs stacked up in front of a restaurant. I wish I'd taken a "before" photo to show you what I saw, but the chairs stacked beautifully and I spotted this little composition.

What do I like about this shot? Let me count the ways:

1. Outrageous color. Reddish-orange is an eye-catcher.

2. Repeating patterns. One curve is terrific; more curves make more of a statement. One bright chrome line is good, four make us pay more attention.

3. Movement. I like how the four chrome elements lead our eye up along a diagonal line. I like how the curving elements on the left (not unlike a cockatoo's crest) branch away from the "core" chrome lines and encourage our eye to swing upward and away. And I like how the horizontal repeating elements lead our eye off to the right and somewhat down. There's a lot of movement going on in this simple composition.

4. Contrast. Your eye probably noticed the color first and then went immediately to the four chrome elements. Why? Because they're the lightest/brightest things in the photo. And then there's the contrast between severe, straight lines and the softer curving elements in the orange sections.

If I were to prep this photo again, I might crop in from the left so that tiny bit of chrome there in the lower left didn't show. I find my eye going back there again and again, so it's a distraction, not a compositional element. My photo is all about color, line, simplicity, and movement. That little bit of chrome showing through doesn't add to my concepts of color, line, simplicity, and movement. It should go, don't you think?

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

Abstracts anywhere . . .

Bundled sails, Martha's Vineyard. For me, it's all about the lines -- lots of horizontal ones and then the two bold diagonal ones. ©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

Abstracts anywhere . . .

As I am disassembling my studio, finding things long forgotten, throwing items away, and prepping for an upcoming garage sale, I came across a red silk scarf that I used a LOT as a simple background.

Remember my online assignment I called "Office Art?" Well, this is a good example of how we can find beauty in the simplest of things, such as a pair of scissors. And the red scarf worked well to set off the clean form of the scissor handles.

But what I really like is how a nearby turquoise piece of fabric reflected in the metal, creating subtle strips of bright blue here and there.

Interesting: A bold form, a bold background, contrasting with the subtle bits of reflected blue. And then the rounded forms contrasting with the more linear or straight lines. A yin-yang sort of thing. All in a photograph of an ordinary pair of scissors.

The silk scarf, purchased in the mid-1980s and which looked particularly good with a black silk dress, was wrinkled, worn, and dirty, with lots of little holes in it. I reluctantly relegated it to the trash. And on we move.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

Abstracts anywhere . . .

Nothing like shooting at an antique car show to fill your frame with line, design, and color.

What I particularly like about this image is how there are all those horizontal lines repeating themselves in the upper section of the square.

For me, however, it's that one curving line that (a) contrasts with all the straight lines and (b) moves your eye down toward the bottom of the frame.

Without that little curve, your eye would tend to remain relatively static, flickering a bit left and right. With the curve, your eye flickers left/right and then, yee ha! Your eye swoops down the picture, only to come back up to the strong left/right elements.

Lather, rinse, repeat . . .

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

Abstracts anywhere . . .

While waiting for the elevator to reach the lobby, I spotted these two chairs. I had my cellphone in my pocket, so . . .

I moved in closer and had time to grab a few abstract images, all of which were processed with Snapseed.

I like the golden tones; I like the way the shadow forms a triangle in the second picture; and I like the graphic forms and will probably use them as collage compositions.

As standalone photos are they good? I don't think so. There's not enough depth of field in the second one and the rows of upholstery tacks, although a cool glittery gold, are kind of wonky. But as grab shots? As something to create while waiting for something mundane? Quite satisfying, thank you!

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

Abstracts anywhere . . .

Repeating horizontal lines always catch my attention, and so I offer three different abstract images, completely different, yet they all consist of repeating horizontal lines.

A hillside at a local community college caught my eye, with a stripe of matted-down grasses forming the top layer, then a bit of the road, and then more grasses in the immediate foreground. I like how the simple bit of asphalt road creates a break between the two sets of grasses, yet connects the two.

And then there's the close-up of a circuit board that I shot a couple of years ago. What initially caught my eye was the complementary color combination of blue and gold. But how to make a composition out of the mish-mash that is a circuit board? And now that I'm looking again at this composition, maybe flipping it vertically might be better . . . the solid stripes anchoring the bottom and the lighter-colored floaty silver things more appropriately at the top . . .

And then there's the photo I took through a store window in Santa Fe of detail on a jacket. Again, repeating horizontal lines. I also like how the leather fringe and the silver cones form a bit of verticality amid the basic horizontal elements.

Abstracts are everywhere. It's how you compose the photograph that makes them interesting.

And oh, yes -- hello to my new friend in the Yukon!

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

Abstracts anywhere . . .

While walking down a back alley in Tucson, Arizona, there was this glorious fence made from galvanized metal. I liked how the bits and pieces came together, some a warm rusty color and others a sunwashed blue.

Not only did I enjoy the moment, the act of creating a variety of abstract photographs, but I knew that later, when I got home, I would use these same abstract images to make a number of physical collages.

And that's my next art assignment when I return home -- create collages made from my photographic inspirations.

We are on Whidbey Island visiting friends. My only camera is the cellphone . . . yikes! We'll see how this goes . . . Scary not to have the big guns with me.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

Abstracts anywhere . . .

In my quest to show we can create unusual abstract images no matter where we are and no matter what's in front of us, I offer you this.

I was walking through a parking lot here in Waldport and I liked the way the yellow colors stood out against the dark asphalt. I purposely put the yellow "bumps" off to the right and had the long horizontal line of the marked parking spaces run along the entire width of the frame. That horizontal line ties the two yellow elements together, offset on the right (following the Rule of Thirds).

Notice the small triangle below the upper yellow element as well as the triangle to the left of the lower element. And then notice how the entire lower right corner is an even larger triangle.

Complex simplicity reigns!

©Carol Leigh

Abstracts anywhere . . .

In my quest to show we can create unusual abstract images no matter where we are and no matter what's in front of us, I offer you this.

On a ferry en route to Martha's Vineyard, I looked up to see these black funnels standing boldly against the sky. What caught my eye were their stark forms, strong black and white shapes, and a repeating pattern. I also liked the diagonal line the funnels made. I took a number of shots, the rest of them showing a plain blue sky, no clouds. But I like the clouds because there's a subconscious implication of funnels/smoke from funnels. And there you have it: a totally weird and unmarketable photograph, but one that pleases me greatly! ©Carol Leigh

Abstracts anywhere . . .

In my quest to show we can create unusual abstract images no matter where we are and no matter what's in front of us, I offer you this.

Looking like a pastel mountain range, these toothbrush handles were a perfect subject. I just lined them up, put something colorful in the background, and emphasized their translucence. Voila! Art and dental hygiene in the same day! ©Carol Leigh