Abstracts

As a photographer, I love finding natural patterns and textures to photograph. A walk in the woods can yield beautiful images of ferns and pine cones on the forest floor and a detailed photo of the mossy bark on a tree. I’ve found that water can be a source of great abstract photos. I look for reflections, especially near boats, and ripples on the surface as the wind changes or as a boat motors by. When I was in Iceland a few years ago, I found myself mesmerized by the ice. Chunks of the grand glaciers broke off in a process called calving which left mini icebergs floating all over the bay. Eventually, these would crash up onto the shore and break up into smaller pieces of dazzling blue ice. I kept finding interesting compositions in that incredible ice. I saw sparkling diamonds, bubbles encased in cold aquamarine glass. In some of the ice I saw images of animals: a fish, a bear on an iceberg, a lion’s head and even a scary skeleton. Abstract images are almost like a Where’s Waldo puzzle or book where the goal is to find that tiny character amidst the other details competing for your attention.  It’s only with careful observation that the eye can pick up on abstract subjects that you find attractive.