Two Window Panes

Minimalism as Less Elements

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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A Black and White Minimal Art Photograph of Light Coming through Two Window Panes at a Staircase of a Shopping Mall.

This shot took a long time to get here. I mean I tried to edit this shot at 5 other occasions, but I only got the Black and White editing right, this time.

I had to make the staircase darker and some other parts dark as well, so that I could bring down the excess detail in the shot.

Sometimes, I do this during editing at other times I try to be careful on field. What happens is that, while you are on field, you tend to take a lot of shots and sometimes you get carried away in the flow. Here, I did end up capturing more details than required.

To Compose this, my starting point was the Two Window Panes. I placed them on the extreme right and top hand side of the frame and let rest of the subjects fit in.

I shot this in color and therefore that made it even more difficult to imagine this as a Minimal shot for starters. I have written about it before, but I will explain it again:-

"Sometimes you need to take the color off the photograph, to do away with the clutter caused as a result of it."

The EXIF Data of the Photo is as follows:

• Camera Model: Canon EOS 6D Mark II
  
  
• Lens: Canon 50 mm Prime Lens
  
  
• F-stop: f/8
  
  
• Shutter Speed: 1/15 sec.
  
  
• ISO speed: ISO-400
  
  
• Focal Length: 50 mm
  
  
• Metering mode: Spot
  
  
• Exposure program: Manual
  
  

Hope you enjoyed the Two Window Panes  Minimalist Photograph.

Thank you for your time. Have a Nice Day !

Related Posts:

• The Missing Window Pane
• Broken Window Pane

Twisted Coffee Glass Straw - Colored Version

Minimalism as Parts of the Whole

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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Good Evening.

Its been a while since I posted.

I was busy with some regular un-boring but in reality very boring stuff called Life.

Since I got bored of getting bored, I decided top open my Minimalist Photography Folder and post a Minimalist Photograph.

I felt it would be a good idea to bore my blog readers, by posting a Colored Verizon of a Black and White Minimalist Photograph that I had posted earlier. 

Or Maybe Not :)

The Above Minimalist Photograph Titled Twisted Coffee Glass Straw - Colored Version, is the Colored Version of  Twisted Coffee Glass Straw (click on the link to view).

Have a Look at Both the Versions and tell me which Version of the Photograph do you like more.

• A) Colored Version

• B) Black and White Version

Leave your choice in the Comments Below.

Thank you :) Have a Nice Day...

Oh wait, I just reminded you of Coffee ;)

The Missing Window Pane

Minimalism as in Repeating Shapes

Photo  By © Prakash Ghai

Though I have titled this photo as The Missing Window Pane, I also have another interpretation of it.

I looked for a meaning for this photograph within my Sub-conscious mind. When I did, I realized this relates to my real life story. 

I had a girl friend back in 2003, with whom I were to get married. But since she was elder to me by a couple of years and was already working, things did not work out the way I had thought. Her parents wanted her to get married asap but I had plan to fly to Bangalore for my MBA Degree. 

I was left with a tough choice, whether to fly to Bangalore for higher education or Simply Marry her. I chose to get a Degree, based on the assumption that its true love and she would happily wait. 

But, since I moved to a far off location from my city, our relationship turned into a long distance one. 

Soon, there were misunderstandings and many a times I flew back home to clarify. But one day it all ended abruptly. We had a big misunderstanding, which I could not sort out. Along with that, her ego got hurt. I kept asking her to give me One Last Chance to Clarify and Explain, but She refused. 

The Missing Window Pane above is that Missing Last Chance, she never gave me. If she had, life would have been different.  

That said, I would like to thank her as well, as This art i.e. Minimalist Photography, that I do today, is because of her.

OK, Long emotional story ! NO 

I have long forgotten her for good :) I have learned to move-on. 

Move-on, just reminded me to move-on quickly to the Composition.

Composition Highlights 

The Shot above Falls under the Minimalism as in Repeating Shapes Category of Minimalist Photography. What made me click this shot, was the one Missing Window Pane. 

It broke the repetition very beautifully.

Also the Reflections in the window creates nice visual abstraction. It somewhat sparks a feeling of nostalgia. 

Another way to look at the picture is In Terms of Shapes. These are 4 Vertical Rectangles in Repetition.

The One Curve made my the Electrical Wire coming out from the 3rd Missing Window Pane, also breaks nicely the visual symmetry.

So, Those were the Photo Highlights. Hope that you enjoyed the Shot. 

See you around next time ! Comments and Feedback Welcomed !

PS: ...by the way this photograph deserves a poem (well..more than a haiku).  If I was a poet, I would have written one.

Related Posts:

• Broken Window Pane
• Two Window Panes

Distant Brown Chair

Minimalism as in Small Objects

Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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I met a blogger at an Instameet recently and we discussed a few blogging basics that day. While on my way back from that technical meeting, I stopped at Cafe Coffee Day - Civil Lines, Jaipur, which is very near to my house. 

I thought it would be a good Idea to have a chilled glass of my favorite Tropical Iceberg Coffee.

So I ordered one for me, along with a Chicken Sandwich. To sit, I chose the window seat right next to the  billing counter. 

While I was waiting for my order to arrive, I noticed some reflections in the big wall to wall glass window adjacent to my seat. 

I thought maybe, there was a Minimalist Shot in those reflections. After composing a few frames roughly through my eyes, I decided to stop trying as the clutter was way too much. 

Meanwhile, my order arrived. 

The famous tagline of Cafe Coffee Day goes "A lot can happen over Coffee". 

Well, it played out quite well for me.

After, about 4-5 gulps of Tropical Iceberg Coffee, I noticed this Distant Brown Chair, through the glass window next to me. The Chair was placed inside the small room of the Security guard of the building.

Although it was night and the light wasn't much, thankfully the security guard's room had this bright white illuminating light falling on the Distant Brown Chair. This presented me with a great opportunity to capture a decent Minimalist Photograph.

I was on my 100mm Canon f2.8 Macro Lens (affiliate link). I set the lens to "Manual Focus" and punched in the following settings to take the shot:

Camera Settings: 

 

• ISO speed: ISO-400

• Exposure time: 1/20 sec

• F-stop: f/2.8

Well, in the end I was satisfied with the composition and now I can safely say that at least for me "A lot did happen over Coffee".

More on the Minimalist Composition

a) Minimalism Category: Minimalism as in Small Objects, the small object being the Distant Brown Chair

b) The Rule of thirds* is not applied here. The brown chair is placed almost in the center. 

I broke the rule. :)

*I always mention that one should never place subjects in the center of the frame. But here, I did place the subject in the center and the reason is: the Vertical White Rectangular box, within which the Distant Brown Chair is placed, makes the chair appear Off-Center visually. I hope you understand what I mean with "appear off-center visually, despite being in the center.

Also, both ends of the frame, i.e left and right are dark and blurred, that further justifying the lack of rule of third requirement rule.

With that "Off-center and Rule of Thirds MESS", its a wrap for the day !

I send you all warm greetings from India once again, its really cold thanks to unexpected winter rain :)