Often new photographers will write to me and ask me to have a look at their photo galleries and give them some feedback. In doing so I have noticed a recurring theme. People try to include too much in their images. They have tried to capture the grand scene, everything they see in front of them, all in one frame. It is visually confusing without one distinct subject.
One technique I have found useful is to isolate each thing in the scene that draws my attention and photograph it alone. Make each subject is own image and when you put them together they will tell a story. In essence, practice minimalism.
When I visited White Sands National Monument in New Mexico it seemed the perfect opportunity to practice minimalism in my own photography.
The Monument is great white dunes made of gypsum, the same stuff they make drywall with although it looks like sand. If you haven’t been here it might seem like minimalism is the only option, but really there are all sorts of little grasses and dead trees (or at least they were in their winter state), plants, trails marked with sticks, footprints leading everywhere and all kinds of other things to distract one’s attention.
I tried to make the images simple by focusing on one thing alone, such as the line made by the crest of a dune, without any distractions at all. I even removed the colour from this image.
Please click on any of the images to view larger versions.
Another image focussed only on shape and colour.
I have always been drawn to minimalist photographs. It is beauty in the simplicity that gives them a sense of peace.
This image included only the lines the wind carved in the dunes.
Sitting on the top of a dune waiting for sunset, it occurred to me that there is an analogy to be made with life in general. In “traditional society” people tend to fill their lives up with too much stuff. Before you know it you have a job, a car, a house, a lawn, a garden, a mortgage, a boat, tons of clothes, some pets, a family, some volunteer work, a membership at the gym and all sorts of other things. We spend all of our waking hours maintaining and taking care of all of these things and then in the blink of an eye our lives are over, each day indistinguishable from the previous one.
Perhaps, similar to photography, to have a life with meaning requires simplicity and minimalism. Own less stuff, do fewer things, but what you do you do with passion.
Great post Anne and the images are outstanding. I love the leading lines in the first and forth image and the abstract qualities of the the 2nd and 3rd.
Thank you very much Edith, it was a wonderful place to create abstract images.
Another great post, Anne. Keep it up.
Thanks Fred, much appreciated.
I couldn’t agree more, Anne! Great post and wonderful photos.
Thank you very much Laurie.
My mother, a self-trained naturalist, and father, wilderness photographer Philip Hyde, lived a similar philosophy all their lives. Dad made a choice early in his career to live simply in the mountains, rather than in the San Francisco Bay Area where he would have earned more income, but lived a much more complex and stressful life. They took joy in the simple pleasures, the shape of a leaf, the change of seasons, observing a bird’s nest with newly hatched young. They each said from time to time that the secret to happiness is to want less. I tried going in the opposite direction from them a number of times, but always have found myself much more centered and grounded when I came back to my roots and simple ways of life closer to nature.
Hi David, thank you very much for sharing your story. You must have learned so much about the environment and wilderness being brought up by a naturalist and a photographer! I think all kids rebel and try to do the opposite of their parents, but it is interesting that you came back full circle. Thanks again for leaving your comments.
Simplicity is beauty indeed.. I love the photos here. And I am very grateful and I appreciate minimalist photographers in doing their awesome job! Thanks Anne for this post!
Thank you very much Maryden I appreciate your comments!
Outstanding images Anne. Great advice too. I used to include too much, but to correct this, I now ask myself this question when composing an image. What is the subject of the image and what else is distracting from the subject in my composition?
Hi Len, excellent advice! It is too easy to think that the general landscape is the subject without focussing the viewer’s attention on one thing in particular. It doesn’t even have to be an object, it can be shape, texture or colour too. Thank you very much for your comments.
A well written post, Anne. You have illuminated an essential truth. Life can be so hectic that we end up being (to quote what may be a British saying): ‘A jack of all trades, but master of none’. In those situations we never spend enough time on any one thing to make it a success. If you have Passion for something, then that focus can make all the difference and snuff out those other unimportant distractions. An imaginative set of images too.
Hi Andy, thank you so much for your very kind comments. You are so right about life being so hectic that we spend all our time catching up and not enough time thinking about why we are doing what we are doing and whether what we are doing is really just a distraction.
Well said. I’m planning to attend a photography class after this summer and I think you just gave me a good start.
Excellent, Born, I’m glad you found it useful. Thanks for your comments and enjoy your class. There are lots of classes available online too.
These are fantastic Anne. Well done on all accounts. Love that first mono shot. What an awesome leading line!
Thank you very much Adam, I appreciate your comments.
These are awesome examples of minimalism in photos Anne – I do suffer from trying to get that all encompassing shot a lot of the time – Maybe I’ll take your advice and try and simply things the next time I get out there!
Hi John! Thank you very much for the compliment. I do the same thing, I think everyone does. I just try to work my way from wide to excluding more and more things until I have a simple composition.
This awesome Anne! and i love the lines you have captured. Thanks for sharing these stunning photos with us and i’m looking forward to see more of this.
Hi Heidi, thank you very much for your visit and comments, I really appreciate it.
Beautiful pictures, Ann.
Mike
Thank you very much Mike!
The last dune picture is So beautiful in its simplicity, colours and composition.
I love the last dune photo with tthe simplicity and the pale colours . Less is certainly more.thanks Anne