Divine Steps

Minimalism as Simple Geometry

Minimalist Photography By © Prakash Ghai
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Ancient steps with weathered yellow wall at Amber Fort Jaipur, Minimalist architecture photography by Prakash Ghai.

This is an area not many locals or even tourists know. It is right behind the famous Amber Fort in Jaipur. I was there with a friend of mine on a Sunday afternoon for a causal photo-walk, instead we met for a discussion over a cup of tea, the walk was just an excuse. These steps lead to a famous Step Well called as the Panna Meena Ka Kund.

I call them divine as they lead to a source of water and water sustains life. 

Few Minimalist Words on the Composition

The photo falls under Minimalism as Simple Geometry category of Minimalist Photography. I used the lines of the steps coming in diagonally from the left. This created a sense of depth in the photo. The sunlight on the upper half of the frame resulted in a gradient sort of effect.

Must Read:

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

Back to School

Minimalism as Simple Geometry

Minimalist Photography By © Prakash Ghai
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Today,   I was sitting with my nephew and he asked me to show him some of my photos. He knows how much I am into photography. I took out my cellphone and showed him some of my works that I had posted on Instagram. My Instagram Id is @prakashghai. I showed him a photo which had both a square and a triangle in it. He was very excited and there was an instantaneous smile on his face. The reason for the big smile was that, he was studying those shapes at school.

I never knew that Minimalist photography would bring me "Back to School", back to the basic geometric shapes that I learned in childhood.

Coming back to the composition

I cut the rectangular shape on the right into a square, by moving to my left and by placing it in the top right corner.  I made sure that I included another geometric shape i.e the long rectangle below, as a supporting element, to make this photo fall comfortably under the Minimalism Category: Minimalism as Simple Geometry.

Twins from the Left

Minimalism as Less Elements

Minimalist Photography By © Prakash Ghai
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Curved Metal Hook Shadow Minimalist Photography

This curved metal hook belongs to a cargo truck. Sometimes randomness hands over a subject to you out of nowhere. I was wondering what to click on the streets of Vaishali Nagar where I thought I would be able to find some interesting Minimal Shots, but the lane that I took was probably the wrong one.

On my left I only had one large red colored wall about 100 meters long with nothing on it. I soon got tired and waited at a local Pan Shop. It was very hot and I was lucky to find a cold drink there. While I was refreshing myself with that cold sweet carbonated water, suddenly a cargo truck came and stopped right in front of me (randomness at play) to deliver goods to a nearby shop. I immediately spotted this beautiful curvy hook with the shadow.

I call it the Twins from the Left as the shadow is roughly the same size as the hook representing Twins.

More on the Minimalistic Composition

The photo falls under the Minimalist Photography Category: Minimalism as Less Elements. I placed them on top left to apply the rule of thirds. Some of you may argue that the shadow and the hook are not of exact similar size, I measured it from the side and they are equal although it doesn't look so from the front.

Other Posts that include curves:

• The Pink Curve
  
• Repeating Curves

Forgotten Love

Minimalism as Less Elements 

Minimalist Photography By © Prakash Ghai

This shot is from my garden. I spotted this as a curve to begin with. Curves are usually associated with women. And some of them are just as tender and fragile like the plant shown in the photo. When I observed carefully, I noticed how the plant was leaning against the wall, taking support from it. That gave me the title and story i.e "Forgotten Love". 

This is a story of a tender, fragile, feminine, loyal woman, who loved with all purity. But, she did not have luck by her side. He broke her heart and her world got stripped of all joys and color(hence, black and white). The heartbreak made her so weak that she couldn't even take care of herself. Therefore, she is now taking support of her friends (or the wall), represented by the plant leaning on it. 

A word on the Minimalistic Composition

This is Minimalism as Less Elements. The curved plant is the lone subject here and empty walls have been used to create negative space. The cracks on the right, adds to the drama and the monochrome nature of the photo, intensifies it.

Ten Lines

Minimalism as in Repeating Shapes

Minimalist Photography By © Prakash Ghai
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My friends were sitting at Indian Coffee house at Jawahar Kala Kendra and I was supposed to join them for a cup of coffee and some afternoon snacks. It was about 4 pm. While I was on my way I found this fantastic play of light and shadows on my right. I took about 15-20 shots and by the time I joined my friends my cup of coffee had gone cold. I would never sacrifice my coffee or the green teas that I like for anything but for Minimalist Photography.

Now lets go back to the Minimalist Composition. 

To frame this, I moved very close to the subject i.e the wall and took this photo from the side so that I had two diagonal lines running from left to right cutting right across the lines in repetition. The lines created by the shadows are eight in number total and I added to two diagonal lines to it i.e 8+2=10 and therefore I titled the post "Ten Lines".

Just like us friends, had at nice discussion over coffee that afternoon, these Ten lines too had something to argue about.