What The Heck Is That!?!
What do you think it is? It’s certainly not my usual literal image of a landscape or cityscape. This image is an abstract.
According to the dictionary, one definition of abstract is “Having an intellectual and affective artistic content that depends solely on intrinsic form rather than on narrative content or pictorial representation: abstract painting and sculpture.”
Abstract images don’t create an immediate association with our physical world. They transform the world we see into an unexpected, often unrecognizable, image.
I fail more often than I succeed at capturing grand landscapes under colorful skies. There just aren’t that many moments when all the required elements come together.
On the other hand, we’re always surrounded by possible abstract images. But you need to train your eye to disregard the literal and pre-visualize the potential of intrinsic forms and shapes.
Creating abstract photographic images requires using perspective, close-ups, aerial shots, camera movement, and post-processing techniques to create interesting patterns, colors, light, and textures.
The Shot
So again, what is it?
I’ll start with a hint. It’s an aerial photograph taken from a doors-off helicopter in Alaska. Here’s a photograph of fellow photographer Chris VenHaus and me getting ready for the flight at the end of July near Petersburg, Alaska.
Yes, it’s July and we’re bundled up! It’s cold with the doors open.
Here’s hint number two. It’s low tide and we’re above the Stikine River. The skies were overcast with the normally majestic mountains obscured by low clouds.
Here’s the answer. Today’s Friday Photo was taken at the western end of the Stikine River where it empties into the sea. The estuary contains interesting ribbons of water and land. With a little creative post-processing in Photoshop, I think it makes an interesting abstract.
Thanks for looking,
Chuck Derus