This Weeks Friday Freebie iPad Wallpaper: Yosemite Abstract Friday Freebie features an image to liven up your iPad display with images from my travels… all for free.
Abstract photography, one of my favorite photographic genres, as it is a reflection of how a photographer sees versus what he literally sees. Abstracts are a great form of creative escape as well, as they often break traditional photographic rules. This particular abstract might surprise you in that it was taken in the heart of Yosemite Valley. I like to think a good abstract can be found most any where and in any weather. To see a sampling of a few of my abstract photographs view my Abstract photo gallery. Thanks for checking in and enjoy this Friday’s Freebie.
Note: This image is distributed for personal use only and all rights are reserved. If interested in using this photograph commercially please contact me.
I’ve always been fascinated by abstract photographs. There is something liberating about seeing something beyond the literal, something that challenges the basic principles of how you normally see the world. While I am incredibly fond of traditional nature and landscape photography I take great pleasure in escaping the confines of the genre to apply my creative interpretation to a scene. The process of exploring and finding an abstract that works is creatively exhilarating.
The genesis of my Color Fields work began on a hill in Utah while I was photographing lightning in the distance (see Lightning Strike – Henry Mountain). As I watched storm clouds form over the dramatic Utah landscape I began to dissect and analyze the scene and ultimately found it was the color before me that captured my imagination. While traditional nature photographic opportunities were present something lay beneath that I felt I could draw out as its own subject. With time to burn and inspired by Color Field paintings I had seen in New York several years earlier I began experimenting to bring color into the spotlight. The more I experimented, the more I realized that I wanted to extend my photos into a series highlighting color in various locations where natural light contained special qualities. This is where my Color Fields journey began.
Some time ago in a post titled Consuming Color I pondered the question, “What if color were your subject?” in contrast to black and white photography where the underlying thought is that color distracts from your subject. Over the past several years I’ve been exploring a new dimension of nature and landscape work where identifiable elements of the natural world are abstracted to bring color to the forefront. In essence making color my subject. The small collection of work I’ve compiled is titled “Color Fields” in an homage to the Color Field painting movement of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Below is a slide show of my “Color Field” portfolio.
Color has taken possession of me; no longer do I have to chase after it. I know that it has hold of me forever… Color and I are one. I am a painter. – Paul Klee
There has been much written about the merits of black and white photography. I have the deepest appreciation for B&W photographic work as it takes a special & talented eye to master. One philosophical notion of black & white I’ve always found challenging to absorb is the notion that color distracts from many subjects. Different mediums, such as B&W vs Color, bring out interesting components or enhance subjects with in photographs, but what happens when color is the subject?
Color Abstract
This is a question I’ve been exploring for a while now and soon I’ll be sharing more work from my journey of color. In the meantime ponder the question… when and how does color play a role in the images you see?
One of my favorite moments when in the field is getting to a location super early in the morning before anyone else shows up to “just be” and feel the pulse of the land. By this I mean I’ll stop what I’m doing, slow my breathing and focus my senses to take in the nature that surrounds me. First I’ll focus my eyes on beautiful features of my surrounding to take it in. Second I’ll close my eyes and take a deep breath to smell my surroundings. Third I’ll keep my eyes closed and focus my hearing to the sounds of the landscape. Lastly I’ll open my eyes and kneel to feel the earth beneath me.
Pulse of Yosemite
In this scene fall dried grasses caught my eye along the bank of an ice crusted Merced river in Yosemite Valley. The air was cold and carried an aroma of pine. In the stillness of the moment ice forming along the banks of the Merced river cracked and popped, while the woosh of a Raven’s flapping wings could be heard as it flew overhead. Shortly after opening my eyes, the call of a nearby Raven broke the silence and I kneeled to feel ice cold course sand and rock that lay at my feet.
To the untrained ear and eye it may very well seem as though nature lacks a heartbeat, but if you pause to tune in you’ll most certainly hear and see it.
The extreme environment of Death Valley National Park might make most photographers think there is nothing special to capture in this barren location. Yet Death Valley boasts numerous photogenic locations that emerge in the early and late hours of the day. While most think of well known photo locations with in the park there are numerous areas to explore when the lighting is right. Finding these new photo opportunities is merely a matter of opening ones eyes to see creatively. I’m looking forward to once again returning to Death Valley in just a couple of weeks with a small group of photographers to discuss and explore creative landscape photography in addition to taking full advantage of night photography opportunities under a new moon. If interested in attending there is still limited availability.
Early to mid-morning light created an interesting contrast across the desert landscape creating a photogenic interplay of texture and lines. A longer focal length flattened the scene enhancing the abstract quality of the landscape. One of a larger set of abstract photos that I’ll be releasing in the coming week.
