Light Through The Box

Minimalism as Less Elements

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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OK, so what we have here is A Black and White Minimal Art Photograph of Light Passing through a Box lit via a Light Bulb at Jawahar Kala Kendra Jaipur.

This Photo is a bit Maximal in Nature aka Maximally Minimal, because of shadow spreading all over the frame.

But, in essence the Photo is Minimal because of Less Elements, i.e The Box and the Shadows created via it. No other elements are here. 

If you look at the Photograph ignoring the shadows, then you will be able to see how I composed my shot. I simply placed the Box in the frame according to rule of thirds, leaving negative space on the side. That negative space is where the shadows are. 

The EXIF Data of the Photo is as follows:

• Camera Model: Canon EOS 6D Mark II
  
  
• Lens: Canon 24-105 mm Prime Lens
  
  
• F-stop: f/4.5
  
  
• Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec.
  
  
• ISO speed: ISO-1000
  
  
• Exposure bias: 0 step
  
  
• Focal Length: 50 mm
  
  
• Metering mode: Spot
  
  
• Flash mode: No flash
  
  
• Exposure program: Manual
  
  
• White Balance: Manual

Hope you enjoyed the Light Through The Box Minimalist Photograph.

Thank you for your time. Have a Nice Day. !

Plastic Chair Shadow Minimalist Photography Series

Photo (1) - Minimalism as Less Elements

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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Photo (2) - Minimalism as Parts of the Whole

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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Photo (3) - Minimalism as Parts of the Whole

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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This is a set of 3 Black and White Minimalist Photographs.

When I am out there and the subject is in front of my eyes, this is how I shoot. I take multiple shots from different angles. Later I pick one shot and post it here on my Minimalist Photography Blog. 

But today, I decided to post all 3 shots. I guess I posted a few Photo Series earlier as well.

This one is actually a Mini Photo-Series comprising of only 3 photos. 

The Ideal number of Photos in a Photo-Series according to some is 7-10 but one can post as many photos as one may like. Its your blog and your choice after all :)

I earlier, did post a Minimalist Photography Photo-Series comprising of 30 photos in one of my earlier posts Mobile Photography Series.

OK, I must also mention that I nearly misplaced these set of photographs after I upgraded to a new camera. 

I recently upgraded my Camera from Canon EOS 600D (crop sensor)  to Canon EOS 6D Mark - II (full frame) Camera.

These photos were lying in the now abandoned 600D Camera. But well, I only abandoned them for 6 months ;)

Actually, its monsoon time and this Sunday I wanted to shoot some Water Droplets Macro Minimalism. 

I remembered I had captured some decent shots from my old 600D Camera with the 100mm Canon L Series Macro Lens mounted on it.

So, I thought lets put the 100 mm Macro Lens on both, the Crop-Sensor and the Full-Frame Camera and see the difference in images captured. 

So, I captured some raindrops on the Lotus Leaves of my garden and compared the results. 

The photo quality was nearly identical and the only difference was, that I could get closer to my subject on the 600D.

The reason was that Crop-Sensor Cameras have a Crop Factor of 1.6 and my 100 mm Lens therefore acted as a 160 mm lens.

While I was transferring the Water Droplets Macro Minimalism photos  series from the old camera to my computer, I also found my last shoot that I did with it on January 7, 2018.

I had not transferred them to my computed in 6 months. 

Wow, that's probably the longest time I have kept Minimalist Photos on a memory card without transferring them to my computer.

NOW, that I had the photos transferred, I edited one Minimalist Photograph of the Plastic Chair Shadow to begin with and I thought that would be the only one I would post today. 

That Photograph is Photo No. (2) 

But Since the Subject "Chair" is close to my heart and also "Black and White" and "Light and Shadows",  as well, I thought let me rather post a Mini-Series this time. 

More Info:

This Plastic Chair was spotted at Jawahar Kala Kendra, Fair Area ,where they have made a Village replica with Old Style Mud houses. 

There was a Craft Exhibition that day and I was there with another Photographer friend of mine. 

While he was busy shooting Street Photography, my eyes were glued to this shadow. 

As you can see in Photo No. (2) my intention was to shoot "Parts of the Whole Minimalism"

The other shots I usually take as extra shots or practice shots or shots that I can post elsewhere.

The first two shots are taken from side angles and the 3rd shot is a little top-downish.

The intent in the 2nd and the 3rd shot is to create some imagination / mystery. 

Editing these 3 shots did not take too long thankfully and I managed pretty well with the JPEG's 

As I have mentioned before I shoot RAW+JPEG

I do so as I shoot only on Sundays as that's my holiday from work and because I always Shoot in the Full Manual Camera Mode.

So, If  I mess up the Expsoure or some settings, I have the RAW file to correct that. 

I don't have the liberty to go to the same place and I Can't shoot the same stuff as well, especially when it's Light and Shadow.

Light and Shadow is natures play, once its gone its gone. Its never going to be the same again the next time. 

As far as the EXIF Data goes, the setting are pretty similar for all 3 Photographs, so I will just post the EXIF Data for Photo No. (1)

The EXIF Data for the Photo (1) is below:

• Camera Maker: Canon
  
  
• Camera Model: Canon EOS 600D
  
  
• Lens: Canon 50 mm F/1.4 Lens
• F-stop: f/9
  
  
• Exposure time: 1/250 sec.
  
  
• ISO speed: ISO-100
  
  
• Exposure bias: 0 step
  
  
• Focal Length: 50 mm
  
  
• Max aperture: 1
  
  
• Metering mode: Spot
  
  
• Flash mode: No flash
  
  
• Exposure program: Manual
  
  
• White Balance: Auto

Hope you enjoyed the Plastic Chair Shadow Minimalist Photography Series.

Thank You, Have a Good Day.

Parallel Lines Repeating Shapes Maroon Staircase

Minimalism as in Repeating Shapes

Photo By © Prakash Ghai

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Good evening everyone.

After a long time I have posted a Minimalism as in Repeating Shapes Photograph. Earlier this Label http://www.prakashghai.com/search/label/Repeating%20Shapes had only 9 Minimalist Photographs in it. Now the count rises to 10.

Soon, I would be posting more pictures in all Types of Minimal Categories under Minimalist Photography.

Ok, Lets get back to the above Minimalist Photo.

As you can see, I have used a few elements in this Parallel Lines Repeating Shapes Maroon Staircase Minimal Photograph. 

The elements being:-

a) Lines formed by the steps, 

b) Lines formed by the Maroon Color 

c) and the Repeating Pattern or curves. Everything here is in repetition 

and therefore this Image is categorized as Minimalism as in Repeating Shapes. 

PS: The Photo has been kept a touch under exposed. Sometimes too much exposure makes you lose detail in a photography. The crop is extremely tight as well. More details below:-

• Focus point was the second step from bottom. 
• Focus Mode of the Lens was Auto. 
• Focus on Camera was set to Center point. 
• Camera Mode: Full Manual

Thank you. I hope you enjoyed the Photograph.

Spiral Stairs

Minimalism as Less Elements

Photo By © Prakash Ghai

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Hello All !!

I am back with another Minimalist Photograph. I keep it easy these days and post Photographs only when I have some spare time. 

Back in 2014-15, I used to pressurize myself to do X number of blog posts / photographs a month. But, I realize that I am an artist and I should focus more on the purity of my expression and on the composition of the Photos that I click, rather than on "How to run a Blog". 

Focusing too much on the marketing aspect of the blog had started to affect my Photo Compositions. Therefore, I scaled back,  both on the number of posts and on Social Media marketing. 

PS: I do not publish all my photos here. I post Mobile Minimalism on my Instagram and some Canon DSLR(affiliate link) Photographs on my Facebook.  

A lot happened in the last few days. Donald Trump won the US elections, the Stock markets fell, Gold prices tumbled, there was a ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes in India etc etc.

Basically, a Minimalist like me ended up watching the Television for hours and got overloaded with News. 

Today,  to take a break from this, I decided to open my Photographs Folder, Edited a photo and started writing this blog post. A nice escape from all the noise.

Prior to writing this post, my Television was on. It is still on but No channel is displayed. I have pressed the TV/Av button to turn the screen Blank, Black and Silent. All that I can hear, is just the noise of the ceiling fan running. It is that peaceful, that calm. I am disconnected with the chaos of the world right now. Even my Mobile phone is a good two feet away from me for the last half an hour.

I am here, with you all and trust me it is blissful. 

"Less is more", "Silence is beautiful". are not just words. When you encounter such a state or feeling, you get immersed into it. You become a part of it.

By now it must be clear to you, that This post is my Escape from the "Noise of the world" today. And that is one of the major reasons I chose this "Spiral Stairs" photograph. It too, offers an escape.

Just look at how the stairs disappear to the top. Inviting you to climb up and Run away from the noise into open blue skies. To a place of "Peace and Calm", to a place of "Stillness".  

OK now, let back to the MINIMALIST Composition

The above photo falls under the Minimalism as Less Elements category of Minimalist Photography.

As you can see above, the Spiral Stairs are positioned Diagonally and at the same time are also in the Center of the Frame. This is a way out from the regular rule of thirds. 

If the Spiral Stairs were not tilted and were vertically placed right in the center of the frame at 90 degrees, the composition would have looked odd. Centered compositions are less appealing to the human brain. 

Therefore, to avoid Center positioning, I tilted my Canon EOS 600D DSLR Camera(affiliate link) in my hand. 

The Tilt, made the top of the staircase bend towards the right, and the bottom of the Stairs fill the space on the left. This, kind of compensated for the rule of thirds and the subject is both, placed in the center and NOT.

Well, I hope some of you would accompany me to the staircase. 

Let's "Escape Together".

Bicycle Tyre versus the Rectangle

Minimalism as Simple Geometry

Photo By © Prakash Ghai

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Good Evening People. This is the second blog post I am doing today. If you happen to miss the first one, here is the link to it: Electric Meter Surrounded by Pink

The Minimalist Photo of the Bicycle Tyre and Rectangle that you see above, falls under the Minimalism as Simple Geometry category of Minimalism in Photography.

The Simple Geometric Shapes being:

a) The Circular Tyre of the bicycles

b) Lines within the bicycle tyre

c) The Rectangle on the right.

Negative space in such a photograph is best left on the TOP. I have cropped the Tyre of the Bicycle to about 3/4th, you can also try to keep it 1/4th if you want and show it just as a small curve. 

Similarly, the Rectangle, can be cut into a square by lateral movement.

I had posted a Black and White version of this Photograph earlier in Example No. 5 of the Article: Train your eyes for Minimalist Photography (click to view)

Do let me know which version of the Minimalist Photograph did you like?

Black and White or Colored? or Both?

Feedback keeps me going :) in fact keeps all of us going and improving.

Thank you for spending a few minutes here. See you next time.

More Bicycle Photographs:

• Bicycle Bench Lines 

   

• The Tring-Tring Era 

   

• Option A versus B 

   

• The Get-together

Abandoned Car

Minimalism as Parts of the Whole

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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Abandoned Car Location: Near Jaleb Chowk, Jaipur City.

I had not clicked Parts of the Whole Minimalism in a long while. Therefore, I decided to give it a try on my Last Photography Outing. 

As you can see, I have taken the front portion of the Abandoned Car and used it to cut the frame diagonally. The blue and white textured wall adds to the Visual. The shadows, you see on the wall, as well as on the car, are coming from the metal fence on the left.

Please Note: The photo is a bit "Maximally Minimal" rather than being Minimally Minimal. But, it is still Minimal :)

Abstract Photographers might like to call this an Abstract Photograph, but we, The Minimalists call it Minimal till the time it represents real world objects (or when the real world is identifiable) and as long as it falls under one of the 8 Types of Minimalism in Photography.

5 Minimalist Photos that Depict Less is More

A Photo Series of 5 Minimalist Photos that follow and depict the core principle of Minimalism i.e "Less is more" or more being said by the use of less.

Less is more is not a design or aesthetic principle I borrowed from somewhere, rather it is something I understood through the camera slowly, over years of shooting minimalist photos in Jaipur city.

When you strip a frame down to its bare essentials, something interesting happens. You stop scanning and start seeing and noticing things you miss out on and find them to be so much more meaningful.

A shadow on a wall becomes a statement. A brass knob on a blue door tells you everything about the building behind it without showing you the building. That is the power of minimalist photography done right.

The architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe said it best. He designed some of the most iconic modernist buildings of the 20th century and lived by one rule:

“Less is more.”

These 5 photographs are my attempt at practising exactly that. Each one is built on restraint.

Last Updated: April 2026

1. Walls and shadow at JKK

Minimalist Photography By © Prakash Ghai

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This shot was taken in the afternoon at Jawahar Kala Kendra. Jawahar Kala Kendra has this quality where the architecture does half the work for you. This particular part is the corner of two adjoining walls. The top half illuminated by sunlight and the bottom half covered in shadow creative a shadow triangle. This is Minimalist Photography as Simple Geometry.

2. Street lamp and three wires

Minimalist Photography By © Prakash Ghai

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This is look-up minimalist photography. I found this shot at Haathi Gaon, Jaipur where they keep Elephants. Location is near Amber Fort.

What I liked here was the clear sky and the electric wires creating three diagonal lines. To contrast and do away the monotony, I included a straight line on the right place according to rule of thirds. 

Also the subject (the lamp) is well isolated and on the left you see negative space. This is a very typical minimalist photograph that hits nearly all the checkboxes of minimalist photography including leading lines.

3. Long shadow of metal gate

Minimalist Photography By © Prakash Ghai

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The house gate looked pretty ordinary but what interested me was its shadow. So I placed the bottom end of the gate in the top row and let shadows fall in the bottom 2 rows (I always use the 3x3 grid).

The shadow was forming a pattern by repetition and the diagonal lines were such a treat to the eyes. This also falls in the "parts of the whole" minimalism category under types of minimalism in photography.

4. Geometric lines at building

 

Minimalist Photography By © Prakash Ghai

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I pointed the camera straight up at the corner of the building.  I placed the corner on the intersection of the left column and bottom row in the 3x3 grid, applying double rule of thirds and leaving empty space on the right, to redirect eye back to the left.

The intention is clear here I wanted to show architectural lines as simple geometry with a single tone color. A hint of light and shadow for extra pop.

 5. Brass knob on blue door 

Minimalist Photography By © Prakash Ghai

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Diggi Palace has these old blue doors that you walk past without thinking. I moved in close until the frame had nothing but the knob and that specific shade of blue.

This is subject isolation at work. The texture of the door becomes the negative space here and the photograph finds itself.​​​​​​​

Closing Note

If these photographs made you pause even for a second, then that pause is the point here. 

Minimalist photography is not about what is in the frame. It is about what you chose to leave out, which in turn gives amplified attention to what's left.

I have been shooting minimalism since 2012 and teaching it since 2015. If you want to understand how to see and shoot this way yourself, have a look at my minimalist photography workshops in Jaipur.

And if one of these photographs belongs on your wall, you can buy fine art prints directly on Fine Art America.

Also check:

• Misread
• The World Doesn’t Need More Photographs. It Needs Better Ones
• 30 Minimalist Photos taken by a Smart Phone

Find out more about Minimalism in Photography:

• What is Minimalism?
• Types of Minimalism