Reductionism in Photography, as Covered by Theme

Reduction, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II Kit Lens

iso 200, f9, 1/60 sec.

 

I read an interesting post on the blog Theme, about reductionism in photography. It considers the act of boiling down everything that we see, hear, and think to a simple concept. In photography, that translates to reducing composition to the absolute minimum.

 

(Click Here) to read the post about reductionism on the Theme blog.

 

Personally, I'm not sure where the intersection is between reductionism and simplicity. Many photographic texts and teachers stress simplicity in photographic composition. I don't really work that way. I have been told that some of my images have too much clutter, are not simple to understand. In general, I don't mind this, if the image still transmits a message. I don't want my images to be so simple as to be obvious or shallow.

 

The picture above is a rare example of simplicity (or is it reductionism?) for me. I took this one in Provincetown, Massachussetts when I was there for a workshop. To me, it represents a special quality to the light that I experienced there. It also reminds me of the simple yet completely satisfactory room that I stayed in while I was there. Of course, no other viewer will have the benefit of that experience.

 

It was the light that caught my eye, not the subject. I love how the light coming through the holes in the strainer is golden; I didn't set that up in any way. It's just the way it was.

 

Anyway, I'm sure that I can benefit from considering reductionism in my photographic work. I will do that, without losing some of the complexity that I feel when I make a picture. There's something to learn from each and every person's approach to photography and art.

 

But, I still don't really know if reductionism and simplicity are the same concept.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Miho Kajioka's "Hello October" on burn.

Sometimes, I love simple images. In my own work, I tend toward more complicated compositions. In fact, I think I need to stretch and do a project of simple images.

 

Here's one by Miho Kajioka, posted on burn. magazine's site. David Alan Harvey is the curator of burn.

Hello October, by Miho Kajioka

Image Source: http://www.burnmagazine.org/burn-diary/2014/10/hello-october/

 

(Click Here) to go and see burn.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

Simplicity - "The Ultimate Sophistication"

My Nikon F

 

As you know, this blog is loosely focused on the interface of equipment and artistic approaches to photography. I for one don't believe that the "equipment doesn't matter." I do believe the standard adage that equipment should not get in one's way. Therefore, I tend to enjoy using simple cameras more than technologically complex ones.

 

This may seem limiting, and sometimes it can be. When I think of simple cameras that I love to use, most of them are film cameras, which is in itself a limitation. Leica's Barnack cameras, film M cameras, Nikon film SLRs (made before autofocus), folding medium format cameras, twin lens reflexes (e.g. Rolleiflexes or the lovely Minolta Autocord) all come to mind. In the digital realm, there are much fewer choices. My Leica M9 reigns supreme here. I think maybe a Nikon Df would suit me similarly.

 

Other times, I simply need to compromise and use a more complicated camera to help ensure that I get the shot, and that the results are technically superior. This is where the awesome, but awesomely complicated Nikon D700 DSLR comes in. I still use it a lot, and love the results.

 

I read a post on the blog Leicaphilia about the Leica IIIG. I think the author and I share a lot in how we think about cameras.

 

(Click Here) to read why the author chooses the IIIG more often than any other camera.

 

All that said, I'm packed for a quick trip to New Mexico for business. I've decided to carry only Micro 4/3 gear, in an effort to re-engage myself with that modern, more complicated gear. We'll see how it goes.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com