Eyes On You

Minimalism as Less Elements

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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A Minimalist Photograph of a Security Camera placed at Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

My subject here is the CCTV Camera, I used two leading lines to point to it.

The shadow of a railing coming from the top of the Security/CCTV Camera, adds to the frame.

I haven't shot purely Black and White/Monochrome Minimalist Photos from this place yet. I mean shooting in the Monochrome Mode on the spot (in-camera directly).

I plan to do so very soon. I have a shot in my mind.

I want to capture a beautiful cloud along with some geometry here.

So, wish me luck for that.

Now, lets take a look at the technical details of the Photograph. If you have any questions, send me a message on my Instagram.

The EXIF Data of the Photo is as follows:

• Camera Model: Canon EOS 600D
  
  
• Lens: Canon 50 mm Prime Lens
  
  
• F-stop: f/11
  
  
• Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec.
  
  
• ISO speed: ISO-100
  
  
• Focal Length: 50 mm
  
  
• Metering mode: Spot
  
  
• Exposure program: Manual
  
  

Hope you enjoyed the Eyes On You Minimalist Photograph.

Thank you for your time. Have a Nice Day !

The Minimalism Challenge thrown by a Friend

Image (1) - Minimalism as Less Elements

Title: Open Yellow Door

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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Image (2) - Minimalism as Simple Geometry

Title: Light Triangle on Yellow Door

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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So I was hanging out on a Sunday Afternoon at Cafe Stepout at C-Scheme, Jaipur. 

I had my camera with me and I was planning to go out for a Photo-walk after my Coffee. 

I was there with another Photographer Yatin, and soon an old shop customer cum friend joined in. 

His name was Nauushad and he is a Poet. 

He regularly visits my Stationery Shop but till that day we never knew about each others passion.

He knew me as a businessman and I knew him as a Handicraft Manufacturer and Exporter.

I was surprised to find out that he was a Poet and he actually writes really well. 

He was equally surprised to learn about my Photography Skills and my Niche aka Minimalism / Minimalist Photography. 

While we were having a discussion, I was telling him that this art form occurs naturally to me and I  can shoot Minimalism anywhere and everywhere. 

That, nature was full of thousands of frames for me to capture. 

He wanted to validate my claim, so he threw me a Challenge. 

He asked me to shoot some Minimalist Photos at the Cafe itself. 

I readily agreed and asked him about 15 minutes of time. 

He was OK with the time limit and he granted me the same.

I returned back with these two Images.

His feedback was and I quote " Thank You Prakash Ji for providing such lively pictures, Minimalism is really a tough art, and you make it look so easy that you click a frame “within a frame” at a time when every other photographer just passes by searching for one good shot."

I Later explained to him which category of Minimalist Photography each of the Photo fell under and he was happy to learn about it.

Guess what? Next week, we were out on a Photowalk together, although it was for Street Photography. For he prefers that. 

OK, now lets get back to these two Minimalist Photos. 

The 1st Image above, "Open Yellow Door" falls under the Minimalism as Less Elements Category.

Alternatively one can also categorize it under the Minimalism as Simple Geometry Category. 

I did not categorize it under Simple Geometry because, I was trying to do some dimension play, bringing the depth on the left and the right together, by shooting the corner.

I Wanted to create a unique flat looking image. I hope you understood what I was trying to execute.

Geometry was much obvious in the 2nd Image titled "Light Triangle on Yellow Door"

Therefore, its categorization under Minimalism as Simple Geometry was rather straight forward.

This shot was taken vertically and the primary intention here was only to Show and Shoot the Triangle made by Light on the door. 

I clicked this vertical or in the Portrait mode to do away with the clutter.

In the end, I was happy I completed the Challenge successfully.

After that, I ordered another round of Coffee for all 3 of us.

Hope you liked these Images. 

Please take a moment to leave your feedback in the comments.

Thank You

Have a Great Day !

Towel Drying On a Clothesline In India

Minimalism as Less Elements

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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What we have here is a Minimalist Photograph of a Towel Drying On A Clothesline in India on a Yellow Wall.

This was shot at Chandpole Bazaar Jaipur. 

I took prior permission from the Shopkeeper before clicking this.

I never showed him what I clicked by the way. And there is a good reason for it.

Well, If I would have showed him that I was shooting just the walls and not photos of his hardware shop (which he presumed would be published in the next day's newspaper, as I look like a news agency hired photographer), he would have probably not allowed me to shoot, thinking that something is wrong with me. 

I mean who takes pictures of walls? Yes, some people react this way.

Anyways, Talks aside, I kept it very simple yet again.

I left ample negative space to the left of the frame. 

The Yellow Wall is the Highlight here of course.

Also Note: The Colorful Towels contrasts so nicely with the single colored wall. 

Hope you liked the shot.

Thank You.

Colorful Lookup Minimalism - 3 Photographs

Minimalism as Few Distinctive Colors

  Photograph (1)

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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  Photograph (2)

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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  Photograph (3)

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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• All of the above Colorful Lookup Minimalism Photographs, fall under the "Minimalism as Few Distinctive Colors" category.

These shots were taken at Cafe Lazy Mojo in Jaipur. I was there for an Art Meet organized by Kala Kartavyaa. 

The Art meet was actually on Fashion and the theme was Lifestyle. 

Fashion Bloggers/ Models and Photographers were invited to the meet. 

I dint have much to do there. 

I got a few tips on Fashion and soon I was done listening. 

I was getting itchy to click, so I moved outside with my Camera. 

I had my Canon 100 mm Prime Macro L Series Lens mounted on my Canon 600D Camera that day. 

So I thought why not take some Look-up Minimal Shots. 

Cafe, Lazy Mojo has this Pete Mondrian Style designed roof front. 

I thought it would be a nice Idea to click some "Minimalism as Few Distinctive Colors" shots.

This category of Minimalist shots are always hard to find. 

While, I was editing, I decided to post a series of 3 shots this time, unlike my style of posting only 1 best shot from the shoot. 

Since, it was about colors, therefore I chose 3.

The composition of the Shots is pretty simple  and self-explanatory. 

Nothing much to say here. The major part is to find the Subject/Building with multiple colors and more than half of the job is done for you.

Apply a few basic rules of Photography like the Rule of Thirds etc and you are good to go.

Hope, that you enjoyed the shot.

Show me yours :) 

Good Day !

Rectangle Versus Square Cut Versus Uncut

Minimalism as Simple Geometry

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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This Minimalist Photograph was taken right outside Hawa Mahal, Jaipur. 

(I) What prompted me to to take this shot was:

A) Two Simple Geometric Shapes aka the Windows. One being a Rectangle and the Other one being a Square.

B) The second element was Texture and the Patches on the wall.

C) Finally, the 3rd element was the Lines. 

(II) Why I named it Rectangle Versus Square, Cut Versus Uncut?  

Because, If you observe closely, you will find that one Line is cutting the Rectangular Window on the left as it runs through it While the Other Line does not cut across the Square on the right.

This creates the ART here and therefore it is the Key Highlight of the Photograph.

(III) Other Details:

Equipment Used: Canon 600 D with Canon 100mm Prime Macro L Series Lens.

Minimalism Type: Simple Geometry, with 3 key Simple Geometric Shapes, namely, Rectangle, Square and Lines


Hope you enjoyed the Shot. Have a Nice Day !

Old Staircase at Amber Fort, Jaipur

Minimalism as Simple Geometry

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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What we have here is a Staircase, a Side Rail and a Small Rusty Metal Door on the Bottom Right.

But, I titled Old Staircase at Amber Fort, Jaipur it to keep it simple :)

Although the Photograph falls under the Minimalism as Simple Geometry Category, there is also the Parts of the Whole Minimalism visible here in a way. 

I say so because, whats visible is a part of each element, namely the Side Rail, Staircase and The Rusty Metal Door.

The Wall Texture and Decay lifts the Artistic Appeal of the shot. 

I found this setting at the very famous Amber Fort, Jaipur. I took many shots that day and this one comes from one of my old folders. This image is about 2 years old. 

Its interesting, that at that point of time i.e 2 years back, the level of my enthusiasm was pretty high and I used to go to far-off places to shoot. 

Revisiting old photos also help you to see as to how you have evolved as a photographer. 

I guess my editing style has improved now and also the range of the shots that I take. 

With those thoughts, let me close this post.

I have my Hot Tea at my side table that I need to finish and pop a multi-vitamin tablet and head straight to work.

See you all

Have a great day !

Arc Vs Steps

Minimalism as Simple Geometry

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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• Subject: Part of an Astronomical Instrument
  

• Style: Shooting from the Side
  

• Color Tone: Yellow / Brown
  

• Shot Location: Jantar Mantar Jaipur 

   

• Minimalism Type: Simple Geometry

   
  

• Geometric Shapes: Arc, Lines(steps)

   
  

• Aesthetic Elements: 

   

  a) Texture

   

  b) Light and Shadow

   

  c) Juxtaposition between the Arc and Steps

  
  

  d) Tight Vertical / Landscape composition

   
  

• Camera Used: Canon 600D

   
  

• Lens Used: Canon 55-250 mm Zoom Telephoto Kit Lens

Colorful Squares

Minimalism as in Repeating Shapes

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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This photo was taken on Sunday 23.04.2017. I quoted the date because I had been going out in the hunt for Minimalist Photos from the past 5 Sundays and I found a few Minimalist Shots only Last Sunday i.e the 23rd of April 2017. This never happened with me before, in the 4 years of Photography career. For 4 Sundays in a row, I dint find anything worthwhile. I spent 1 hour roaming around on my bike every single time, only to return empty handed. 

If I do some Number Crunching or some Numerology sort of Calculation, the only logic that comes to my mind is this. If I add up all the numbers in the date 23.04.2017  the total comes to Number 19 or 2+3+4+2+1+7 = 19 And guess what, 19 is my birth number, I was born on 19th June. Aha. Well I can only wonder what just happened. 

Anyways lets get back to the Photo :)

I went to a new Place this Sunday. Its a place where there are a few Shopping Malls very close to each other. Its called Gaurav Towers or GT in short. I found nothing around to main complex, but right behind it I found this beautiful textured wall with Colorful Squares in Repetition. 

This is a Lookup Minimal Shot, as I was looking up and pointing my camera at the Subject. The Lens I used was the 100mm prime Macro Lens by Canon. I had to crop this photo from the top and the bottom as well to balance the aesthetics. In the photo above, you can see 8 Squares. 4 Red ones and 4 Yellow ones. Actually, there were many more of them but to de-clutter the shot, I chose this Set of 8 and moved closer to the subject, till they fitted nicely till the side edges of the frame. 

Also note the Small little flying bird on the Bottom right Corner. I posted this Photo under the Minimalism as in Repeating Shapes category of Minimalist Photography because the Squares are in repetition.

You can also Post this under Minimalism as in Small Objects, claiming that the Flying bird on the bottom right as your main subject, if that you did intentionally. 

But wait, don't wonder and say that it is impossible to time the bird. It is possible, as usually you would find a lot of birds sitting on high rise buildings with these box or square kind of openings in them. To get a bird in your frame, you can simply compose your frame, press half shutter button and take your eyes off the camera and look directly at the movement of the birds. The moment you see one of the birds fly across, press the shutter down completely. And there you have it.

Today, I dint expect to write such a long post, but I hope you liked the long explanation. :)

Thank you for your time here.  

Related Post: 

• Colorful Rectangles

Colorful Rectangles

Minimalism as Simple Geometry

 

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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What we have here is a Lookup Minimal Shot of Colorful Rectangles

This is a colorful building of a Kindergarten School I spotted in Bani Park, Jaipur. This is probably one of the best Kindergarten Schools in terms of its exterior wall paint, design and aesthetics. I took about 7-8 shots of this place. More of which I shall post in my future updates. 

Remember: for a Minimalist Photographer, a Kindergarten School is a Great Great Subject. Go find them !

 

- More On the Minimalist Composition

I actually stopped by this school, to shoot "Minimalism as Few Distinctive Colors", but here there are way too many colors to classify this image under that category. This is a bit Maximal.

So this one goes under the Minimalism as Simple Geometry Category , because of the symmetry and geometrical alignment in the composition and the sheer presence of Simple Geometric Shapes.

The Simple Geometry being:

a) Lines

b) Colorful Rectangles.

Hope you enjoyed the shot. I am eager to post the other shots I have from this outing. 

See you next time. !


Related Posts:

• Colorful Squares

• Dark Violet Green And Blues

• Red Orange Wall With Simple Geometric Shapes

Balance of Nature

Minimalism as Few Distinctive Colors

Minimalist Photography By © Prakash Ghai
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Black is the color of death and negative news. Yellow is the color of the sun and represents vitality and strengthens the nerves and the mind. This photo perfectly depicts the balances built within nature.

One extreme is offset by the other. Days are followed by nights and bad times by the good. Everything is brought to a point of balance. The artist who painted this sub-consciously knew about this fine balance. I just loved the beauty of it.

When shooting Minimalism as few Distinctive Colors make sure you capture the intersection point or the point where most colors meet. Later, apply a few rules of photography. Lines act as a bonus here. I got lucky on this one and I wish the same for you.

Must Read:

• Types of Minimalism
  
  
• What is Minimalist Photography?
  
  
• 5 Minimalist Photos that Depict Less is More
  
  
• Exhibitions

Even Circles are Non-perfect

Minimalism as Simple Geometry

Minimalist Photography By © Prakash Ghai
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When Even circles are non-perfect, how can one expect life to be flawless?

Circles are generally impeccable when it comes to their design. But here is one, which I found on my neighbors roof that does away with this perception. Of course, I am only talking of the symbolic message here (circles can be perfect of course, if you do not look at the ones that I post.)

All that I want to say is, that it is a futile exercise trying to make or even dream of a Perfect Life. Life is messy and you cannot change that. "No you can't". All that you can do to live peacefully and accept what comes your way without asking any questions.

The Composition

To compose. I placed the circle on the left and used the edge of the building on the right to create a vertical rectangle. This helped me to show juxtaposition between two simple geometric forms.

a) The Circle
b) The Rectangle

and because of the Simple Geometric shapes and the use of Less Elements, this photo falls under the Minimalism as Simple Geometry category.

Blue Saree

Minimalism as Parts of the Whole

Minimalist Photography By © Prakash Ghai
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Minimalist Photography of a Woman in Blue Saree Against a Yellow Wall at Amber Fort Jaipur

I was trying to shoot this nice textured yellow wall, but then I noticed this woman sitting right next to it ...in a striking "Blue Saree"

I loved the contrast of yellow and blue so I decided to make a Minimalist Shot of it. At first I was confused as I had never shot a Minimal before using such a large image of a person, rather I generally shoot objects. This is where the domain knowledge of Minimalism helped me.

I quickly realized I could click only a part of the woman, thereby eliminating the human structure and fit it under the Minimalism as parts of the whole category of Minimalism Photography. Composition was tricky to begin with but once I knew that I only have to clip the woman, I got it right in three shots.

Must Read:

• Types of Minimalism
  
  
• What is Minimalist Photography?
  
  
• 5 Minimalist Photos that Depict Less is More
  
  
• Exhibitions

Fill in the Blanks

Minimalism as Less Elements

Minimalist Photography By © Prakash Ghai
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Albert Einstein had said "Imagination is more important than knowledge"

Here is a Minimalist Photo that will make you do exactly that, i.e Imagine. Such Images immediately involve the brain and it tries to make it guess the complete structure or to simply put it, Fill in the Blanks.

Well, we are just programmed in such a way. This theory of filling the gaps based on guess work and was once telecasted on the Discovery channel I remember. I always keep note of such interesting stuff and whenever I get a chance I just pounce on it.

More on the Minimalistic Composition

To shoot this, you don't have to work much for the composition, rather just leave regular negative space. The majority of the hard work here involves of being extremely observant. You never know where and when you would spot such a subject. I was on a photo-walk with my friends to Jantar Matar Jaipur, and we had planned to clicked architecture that day. I spotted this right after our brief huddle. In editing I did try to pop the dull yellow wall and I guess it looks decent now. 

Circle Square Waves

Minimalism as Simple Geometry 

Minimalist Photography by © Prakash Ghai
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Looking for geometry on the walls is one of the best ways to shoot Minimal, but make sure your are out there in the Sun. Shoot between 4-6 pm and you will find the best of shadows and the games they play. As you can see here I have left negative space on the right and placed my subject in the top left corner. I could have clipped or evened out the Waves using more height for the shot or through a software but those are kept on purpose as that repetition adds beautifully to the simple geometric shapes here i.e the Circle and the Square.

and there you have it. A Minimalist photo including Circle Square Waves !

Other Minimalist Photos that also contain a Square:

- Lines Vs Square

- Right Angled Triangle Vs The Square

- 10 Squares

Bathing in the Sun

Minimalism as Less Elements

Here you have simple geometry bathing in the afternoon sunlight. The composition comprises of one rectangle on the left hand and one rectangle on the right, with empty space/distance between them. The little curved line, formed by the metal pipe under the two geometric part-rectangles, acts as the supporting element which balances off the composition. The advantage of shooting in bright sunlight is that the walls are well lit and you can use shadows to your advantage. Shadows always give your photos an artistic feel.

Photo by © Prakash Ghai - Buy Now

Parallel Rectangles

Minimalism as Simple Geometry

Photo by © Prakash Ghai
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A colorful lookup Minimalist Photo comprising of parallel rectangles, yellow walls and blue sky.

This Minimalist Photograph was captured at Jantar Mantar, Jaipur. I wanted to show the contrasting colors yellow and blue here, along with simple geometrical shapes i.e. Lines and the two Rectangles.

I placed one rectangle on the top left (rule of thirds quadrant) and one on the bottom right (rule of thirds quadrant). So the result was two vertical parallel rectangles being joined by one line entering the frame from the left running over to the rectangle on the right. Editing the blue sky took me a lot of time. Showing sky the way it looked to the naked eye or showing the blue as blue, takes a lot, believe it.

It is basically a look-up Minimalist shot, where you basic look up towards the sky and try and capture something. It takes a bit of practice capturing Minimalist Photographs the look-up way. At first, you would feel as if you are not able to spot anything worthwhile. The trick is to keep hitting the shutter button and reviewing what you clicked. This will give you a fair idea as to what to click and what to let go.

Hope you enjoyed the Photo. Stay tuned for more.

School Bus

 Minimalism as Less Elements

Minimal Art Photography using the back-light of a School Bus as a subject. This is a close-up shot and hence it eliminates the extra elements from the frame and there is clear emphasis on the geometry of the back-light. Next time, when you are out on a photo-walk, try to locate a stationery school bus for a similar shot. It depends what colors you find on it. School buses are usually full of vibrant colors and one could compose a lot of minimalist frame from it. But please make sure that the bus isn't parked on the main road with traffic on it. What happens is, that you would look back once for traffic and then get immersed in the shot. And therefore you may end up taking unnecessary risk. As a photographer I believe, that safety always comes first. Life (howsoever it may be good or bad for someone) is still, very precious. Always exercise caution while shooting. Good luck.

Photo By © Prakash Ghai - Buy Now

Unkempt Indian Wall

Minimalism as Few Distinctive Colors

Contrasting colors on an old textured unkempt Indian wall in Jaipur. Walls are one of my favorites to click. India is full of such multicolored unkempt textured walls. You can find them almost anywhere. The highlight of the composition is the placement of the blue rectangle on the top left corner. It lifts the entire image single handed. That nail in the center wanted to grab some attention as well but, he is probably having a bad day. This shot falls under the minimalism category of "Few Distinctive Colors", the colors being, blue, yellow and orange. 

Photo by © Prakash Ghai - Buy Now

Stagnant Life

Minimalism Type: Zeroism

Minimalist Photography by © Prakash Ghai
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Zeroism Using Water Reflections, at Jal Dhara, Jaipur

This photograph was taken at Jal Dhara, a water recreation park in Jaipur. I went there with the intention to only capture water reflections minimalism.

What are you actually looking at?

The yellow on the left is the reflection of a building. The blue running through the centre is the sky above. The green on the right comes from algae in the water. At first glance most people have no idea that this is water and that is exactly the point in Zeroism. Since I told you in the beginning that I went to Jal Dhara you guess it that yes this is a water reflection, otherwise mostly like you were 50-50 on this

When a photograph refuses to reveal its subject immediately, and the viewer has to do the work to figure the subject out it falls under Zeroism with the caveat that there is a minimalist structure underneath.

Why this is Zeroism and not Minimalism as in Low Detail which is another Type of Minimalism?

If you could look at this photograph and immediately connect it to a real world reference, it would fall under Minimalism as Low Detail. Low Detail shows you something recognisable, just stripped back.

Zeroism withholds the subject entirely. This photograph does the latter. The elements are controlled. The composition has logic but the subject does not announce itself. 

How I read this photograph

A life that was once colorful and full of movement has come to a standstill. The colors are still there but they are no longer flowing. They are just sitting still on the surface, going nowhere. Deep thought, I know, relateable?

Frequently Asked Questions about Zeroism

Q. What makes a water reflection photograph fall under Zeroism?

A. When the viewer cannot immediately identify the subject as water reflection, or any real world object, and the composition still follows minimalist principles, it qualifies as Zeroism.

Q. Can reflections be used frequently in minimalist photography?

A. Yes. Reflections work well in minimalism because they naturally strip away context and reduce a scene to colour, light, and pattern.

Q. Is Zeroism the hardest type of minimalism to capture?

A. It is the hardest to shoot with intent. it is a bit confusing to begin with but it comes with practice. Anyone can take an unidentifiable photograph. The challenge in Zeroism is making sure the composition still has structure and a minimalist logic underneath the ambiguity.

Q. Do I need special equipments to shoot Zeroism?

A. No. A phone camera works. What matters is your angle, your timing, and your ability to isolate.

This photograph was taken in a few minutes at an ordinary water park in Jaipur on an ordinary day. The only thing that made it worth stopping for was looking at the water long enough to see it as something else entirely.

Must Read:

• Types of Minimalism
• What is Minimalist Photography?
• 10 Reasons Why you should be Buying Wall Art during COVID-19 Pandemic
• Notable NFT Collectors

Interplay of Colors and Geometry

Minimalism as Parts of the Whole

The Interplay of Colors and Geometry captured by clipping out the corner of a door adding mystery to the frame. This was shot at the famous, well not so famous "Badal Mahal" or the Cloud Palace, as entry here is restricted to invitees only and I was very lucky to have got an invite to visit the place. I loved the colors and the contrasts among the doors and walls. This is Minimalism as parts of the whole, where only a part of the door and wall is shown, leaving the rest to the imagination of the viewer. 

Photo by © Prakash Ghai - Buy Now