Today it is fashionable and popular. In art, design, and photography, this trend is becoming more common, especially in visual arts, where nowadays everything is aimed to simplify as much as possible. Minimalist photography creates such images where attention is always concentrated on one subject (a group of objects located nearby). Such a photo usually has one central theme, and nothing more. In some works, other elements are added, but there are very few of them.

For many photographers, minimalism is the answer. Photography minimalist works most often have several things in common. Firstly, their color palettes are not distracting; usually, there are only one or two primary colors that attract attention. The composition is generally monochrome. In such a shot, as a rule, rather large areas of negative space are included. Secondly, the main objects are most often small. They are not always detailed or clearly defined, with sharp transitions that separate the object from the background.

In macro technique, whether you like it or not, minimalism in the final frame is indispensable. This is because many of the above elements are present in macro shooting: uniform colors, significant negative space (due to the shallow depth of field) and very clearly defined objects. Not every macro picture is minimalist, but it is a good example of style where such a concept of shooting is something completely natural.

Nevertheless, minimalism can be found in any simple photography. The main condition is the presence of negative space. If you want to take minimalist shots, the first thing you should pay attention to is empty areas that you can use as a background for your main subject. Does your final photograph contain only one or two objects on an unobtrusive background? Then you hit the right target!

1. What is minimalist photography on small screens?

People use phones to search for content more often than ever before, and many photographers have changed their style to correspond to new demands. On small screens, the minimalist style of images works well, as there is no much space for complex details. One object with a contrasting background will stand out much easier.

On the one hand, this is a little sad, because the viewer is deprived of the opportunity to view a detailed landscape in close-up. This is a unique experience. At the same time, people will always change, and it makes sense to keep up with times.

2. Create own minimalist photography definition

Think of the greatest works in history. From Beethoven's symphonies to Michelangelo's frescoes, almost all of the most famous works of mankind have a huge level of complexity.

Of course, you should not compare such masterpieces with amateur photography, but one thing is certain: simplicity only takes you away from this. Minimal photo may look good on Instagram, but its line complicates the process of conveying a much deeper thought than you “read” from the surface.

Apparent lack of information in the image in this style makes it difficult to show a more subtle and complex view of a photographer in the world. To avoid mistakes of the past, we have prepared several interesting tips to enhance the powerful contents of minimalist photography.

3. Understand the essence of minimalist portrait photography

This style was used by many artists of the twentieth century, using a minimum number of components for a portrait such as color, shape, lines, and texture. In the art world, this is considered a very subjective genre, leaving a possibility of understanding, interpretation, and perception of the portrait of the viewer. Minimalism is appreciated for the openness of idea, embracing the freedom of interpretation, where the absence of a theme is unacceptable in other genres.

4. Keep it simple in black and white minimalist photography

To achieve minimalist black and white photography, follow one simple rule, be simpler. But this does not mean that your photo should be boring or uninteresting. Try to pick up an interesting pattern and attractive object that will catch your eye. The subject should be vibrant, important and intriguing. The space around the subject will emphasize its importance and peculiarity. So look carefully to create the right composition.

5. Control composition of minimalist architecture photography

Achieving the right composition and positioning of key architecture elements in minimalist photography is the key. This is the longest preparatory moment because it depends on whether you get what you need or not. The "rule of thirds" is applied here and will help in deciding how to correctly frame the building or tower. The proper composition will ensure the success of your architecture. If you look at the best works in this genre, you can get a fully-fledged idea of ​​this.

6. Incorporate simple colors of minimalist nature photography

The use of color and minimalism in photography always go hand in hand. Those nature photos that lack the brightness of the central subject are usually compensated by the correct color scheme. In this case, the brighter the better! Try a natural combination of contrasting colors. Many pictures in this genre are based on a single tone. Do not be afraid to experiment!

7. Use the line strength of minimalist landscape photography

Similarly, using colors in a minimalist photo, the effectiveness of the line in the frame can be important for the landscape when the subject is limited. The beads and pronounced strong horizontal or vertical lines give an invisible structure of the picture. Watching what you want to emphasize, choose one or another direction in a landscape of lines in the frame.

8. Minimalist food photography textures

How much of minimalism is based solely on an emphasis of food texture and color? They capture the attention of viewers even without the taste of a dish. Try using light to increase the visibility of texture, maybe increase the contrast, and look at the picture. The viewer can feel with his eyes what he sees and even smell fresh greenery or fruit on the picture.

9. Discover minimalist fashion photography

After you carefully and thoroughly study the examples of fashion minimalism, you will see them everywhere, because they surround you every day. When you learn to keep your eyes open for spaces and color blocks, interesting objects, you will be rewarded. Amazing fashion touch is always there.

10. Process finished images

Minimalism in photography does not require very long and painstaking work. Even at the shooting stage, take care of "cleanliness" of a frame in terms of cigarette butts, bottles and other things. Image processing should be quite simple but to the point. This is not minimalism if you will do most of the work in Photoshop, crop and edit the picture.

11. Learn the history of minimalist photography

Black and white photographs in minimalism attract the eye with simple lines and contrasts. Attractive colors can be considered as an artistic expression of the author. Various styles bring a unique idea of this creative art. But can you, as an author, tell a story using such a photo? Is it possible to convey a scene or events using this genre? To achieve this, you should include people or movement in the frame whenever possible.

12. Think creatively even for an untitled image

The general idea of ​​minimalism in photography is created by the mood and eyes of a photographer. Start your journey by creating your photos in this genre. Don't be afraid to get creative. Minimalism can be very subjective. Good luck and success!