Macro Photography Photo Workshop

Chapter 8. ABSTRACTS

Exploring Colors

Using Selective Focus for Artistic Expression

Introducing Grain

Painting with Light

Emphasizing Obscure Details

Taking a Closer Look at Magazines

A lot of macro photography is met with the relatively predictable response of "What the heck is that?" Taking the incomprehensibility of macro photography one step further might seem to be a little bit ridiculous. Come to think of it, it probably is, but then again, in the case of abstract macro photography, "ridiculous" can look rather gorgeous.

What is an abstract macro photo, exactly? The term is actually quite difficult to define, partly because both macro and abstract mean different things to different people. Think of macro photography as an attempt to document something small. In contrast, abstract photos are not about documentation or exploration of a particular item, but rather about utilizing techniques used in macro photography to capture shapes and colors that are aesthetically pleasing, like the creative way of photographing macro photography gear utilized in 8-1.

Figure 8.1. ABOUT THIS PHOTO An extension tube lit by a tea candle placed inside the tube. Taken with a Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens on a 13mm extension tube. 1/20 sec., f/1.8 at ISO 100.

Shedding the demand of having your photos tell a story or be recognizable in any way is liberating. In a way, this chapter about abstracts is a result of all ...