Outdoor Photographer - USA (2019-12)

elephant!” If the questions are answered
quickly, then the viewer tends to disen-
gage sooner. I have often watched people
flip through photography books. “Ah,
lovely view of the Grand Canyon...” Flip
the page. “Wow, what great light on Half
Dome that day...” Flip the page. “Now,
what is this? Is it a rock or a tree?” If the
caption is readily visible, the reader looks
urgently for the answer. “Oh, of course,
it is rock detail!” Flip the page.
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictio-
nary defines the word abstract, related to
art, as “having only intrinsic form with
little or no attempt at pictorial repre-
sentation or narrative content.” Photo-
graphic abstractions of nature are based
in reality but composed to give no clear
reference to it. With an abstract photo-
graph, we know the subject is real. The
mind wants answers!
So, here are the answers: Photo A is
eucalyptus bark. Photo B is one of the
new ripple images taken of my waterfall
on my patio. Photo C is also newly taken
of my waterfall and is of an abalone shell

with water and bubbles flowing over it.

Does knowing the subject help with your

appreciation of the image?

I find the idea of abstract imagery an

exciting challenge and the results a signif-

icant addition to the overall portrait that

I want my photographs to make about

the landscape. I want my portrait of the

earth to be like a symphony, sounding the

many notes of the land’s diversity. How

do you want to develop your portrait of

our planet? OP

To sign up for newsletter updates and

for info about William Neill’s Better-

Photo.com online workshops, visit

WilliamNeill.com.

Photo C

Photo B