The question then is where to begin? To begin, you need to train your eyes to see everything in terms of shapes.
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| Minimalist Photography by © Prakash Ghai |
Last Updated: March 2026
You need to Change your "Perspective" i.e. the way you look at things. Shapes/lines/ geometry is everywhere.
They are a part of our everyday lives, but we often forget to notice them.
For example:
- What shape is a birthday cake? Isn't it mostly a square or a circle?
- Even when you cut your birthday cake with a knife, what shape do you cut out? Don't you cut out triangles ?
- Geometry is everywhere. OK, how about a wrist watch? The most common dial shapes are circular, square, or rectangular.
- How about the plates we use to eat our food in? again circular or square. (the common ones)
- How about doors and windows? Mostly all doors are rectangular (rather rectangles) and most common window shapes are improvised squares or rectangles. Rectangles, are used the most in everyday life, they are just about everywhere.
- Also, how about the electricity wires you see on the road attached to the poles. Well, those are not electricity wires, for a minimalist those are Lines.
This is the kind of perspective change you need to bring in, in order to compose Minimalist frames.
Let's take a few examples of Minimalist Photographs to better understand how a normal person views objects and how a Minimalist Photographer views them.
Minimalist Photo: 1
a) How a regular photographer views it?
Two holes in a rusty metal sheet.
b) How a minimalist photographer views it?
Two circles separated by a line.
or minimalism as simple geometry
Minimalist Photo: 2
a) How a regular photographer views it?
A yellow wall with an opening.
b) How a minimalist photographer views it?
A red rectangle within a square, which is again within a larger square.
or minimalism as simple geometry
Minimalist Photo: 3
a) How a regular photographer views it?
Snippet of a ladder.
b) How a minimalist photographer views it?
Five vertical lines cut by a diagonal one.
or minimalism as simple geometry
Minimalist Photo: 4
a) How a regular photographer views it?
Six windows.
b) How a minimalist photographer views it?
Squares in repetition, lines and curves.
or minimalism as repeating shapes
Minimalist Photo: 5
a) How a regular photographer views it?
A bicycle parked by the wall.
b) How a minimalist photographer views it?
A semi-circle, lines and a cropped rectangle.
or minimalism as parts of the whole
Minimalist Photo: 6
a) How a regular photographer views it?
A staircase.
b) How a minimalist photographer views it?
A right angled triangle on the left, A diagonal line and other straight lines.
or minimalism as simple geometry
This minimalist photograph is a good example of minimalist architecture photography where subject isolation and leading lines do all the work.
5 Practical Exercises to help you see shapes better.
(1) The Geometry Hunt
Pick any room. Now, without touching your camera find 2 rectangles, 1 circles and 1 triangle in it. Look at doors, plates, windows, light switches. Once you start counting shapes, you literally cannot stop.
(2) Lines Only
Go outside for 10 minutes. Shoot nothing but lines. Wires, railings, wall edges. No faces, no street scenes, just lines.
(3) Convert Objects Into Geometry
Pick any object near you right now. Describe it in terms of geometry not its name. A chair becomes four vertical rectangles holding up one horizontal one. Do this for three objects.
(4) Find a Shape Inside a Shape
Look at Photo 2 in this article. What is it really? A red rectangle inside a square, inside a larger square. Now look around you. A window pane is a rectangle inside a rectangle. A clock is a circle inside a circle.
(5) Find One Shape Everywhere
Pick one shape. Let's say a square. Now find it in 10 different places. A window, a floor tile or a wall switch. Shapes reside everywhere, all you have to do is notice and pay attention.
I hope the above examples help you to see objects in a terms of geometric shapes and you can capture better minimalist photos going forward.
