Awesome Abstract Photography Ideas You Should Try

Gone are those days when photography was all about capturing the picture of a person sitting in front of the camera with a predefined pose. Now that a large number of genres are available, the number of purposes that photography is about to fulfil has gone up. Among all those genres, abstract photography is among the most popular ones.

This one is worth trying in case you are a beginner and want a promising career in photography. We are going to help you a lot in getting started with this unique and popular type of photography.

There will be some abstract photography ideas once we are done with the basics associated with abstract photography.

Want to earn money from your hobby?

What is abstract photography?

Abstract photography is all about expressing specific emotions or ideas through a photograph. You might think this is the case with almost all other types of photography present right now. But there is something different about abstract photography. Unlike other photography does the same without involving realistic photos of traditional fashion.

So, the idea or expression that comes out of a photo might not be from a subject as you see in traditional genres like landscape photography. Abstract photography is all about using a completely different way of representing an object in order to bring the emotion or idea out of the photo.

It all started in the 19th century when some extraordinary photographers tried to capture and portray things that were considered an unseen part of the world. This concept of photography was not known much at that time until some of the prominent artists of the 20th century popularised modern art. Picasso was the most significant person in drawing the attention of the world toward abstract art.

The core idea behind abstract photography lies in the fact that abstract photographers need not seek expression in relation to real-world objects only. A good abstract photo is said to be self-sufficient and there is no need to relate it to a real-world object in order to know what it represents.

As the world has gone through rapid development in terms of electronics over the past few decades, the world of photography has been transformed as well. With the advancements in the field of the internet, abstract photography has now gained pace.

The best thing about this genre is the fact it is among the best options for enthusiastic beginner photographers. Now that we have discussed a lot about the basics associated with abstract photography, it is time to talk about some valuable abstract photography ideas to help you further.

Using texture and pattern for abstract photography

Cool abstract photography ideas worth trying

Having some inspiration and ideas, in the beginning, is very necessary. Determined people are going to find these things anyways but when these elements are readily available, the rest of the journey is overly simplified.

Let us have a look at these easy and cool ideas in case you want to get started with it.

Get creative with shadows

There is perhaps nothing in the real world that fits the best for abstract photography as that of shadows. This is because shadows speak a bit about the subject while keeping the majority of details obscure.

It is exactly what you want in abstract photography. When you are planning to capture the image of shadows, the basket of objects that you can choose your subject from increases significantly. Hence you are open to a thousand new ideas. The world of shadows is so broad and simple to explore that it suits the needs of beginners in the best way.

You can get started by capturing the silhouette of the desired subject in case you are not getting enough ideas in the beginning.

Try defocusing on the subject

You might be thinking about motion blur when we are talking about it but there are several other things worth trying here. It is not about motion blur only, you can bring in the blur effect with almost any subject in the frame.

You might need to put a bit of extra effort into some subjects but you will be able to bring the best abstract effects when trying this trick while shooting the images of colours and lights. Talking of the different camera lenses that may play a role here, it is solely dependent on the subject you are shooting and the condition in which you are carrying on this process.

With enough money in your pocket, you can get lenses that are specifically designed for creating this effect.

This one is quite broad just like the world of shadows that we have already discussed in the earlier paragraph. There are a large number of things in the scientific world that fulfil the demands of abstract photography.

Once you get your hands on microlens, you will be able to capture a lot of microscopic things that people usually don’t see with naked eyes. With proper sets of equipment, you can easily capture the wavelength of light.

Getting an infrared camera would be the right thing to get started with it. Infrared cameras bring a completely different view of the normal world that people don’t get to see. That is exactly what people want from an abstract photo.

The other important things worth capturing for abstract photos exist in the night sky. Whether you consider nebulae, comets, meteors, etc. Though it might need a little extra money for you to afford the required gear, those gears will open a whole new window of opportunities for you.

You might need to wait a bit but a solar eclipse is one of the best times to capture something unique for abstract photography.

Try to capture the texture

The human mind works in a way that it creates a pattern out of the majority of things it sees. That is the main reason why you have to try your hands on texture. As there are no boundaries over the ways to capture the best abstract photos, you can make the magic happen with textures.

You must have some ideas about the way our mind reacts to textures. People are usually more delighted when they see fluffy and smooth textures as compared to dull textures.

And you will get plenty of things worth exploring around you when it comes to capturing unique and different textures. All you need to do here is focus on the fine details. If you feel the texture before shooting the photos, you can talk about that in the description and it would be highly appealing to the viewers.

Use lines as the subject

The line is an essential element that you can find in almost everything you see. Lines help us to distinguish different portions of an object and unite those portions together to perceive the object completely.

A lot of feelings and emotions are attached to lines e.g. horizontal lines portray balance while vertical lines symbolise strength and boldness, etc. Explore the world of lines you could find in different real-world objects. Focus on them to bring out some meaning with lines as the subject of your abstract photo.

Photographers! Earn a $200 Sign up Bonus...
Ever thought of licensing your photos? Upload your portfolio we'll give you a $200 head start in your account. Earn 30c per download and get paid when balance reaches $300. Interested? Sign-up here (more details)

Final words

We hope this article has presented enough abstract photography ideas to help you get started in case you are a beginner. You will start getting a lot of ideas after getting started in this genre of photography.

Just begin by setting your camera in the long exposure mode in a dark room and flashlight towards the lens. This simple trick will help you a lot in capturing different patterns created by the light.

About the Author

Andrew Conway is an amateur photographer and keen writer. Andrew is in his last year of his Journalism degree in University.