Flattening

I like the snow. Winter storms hold almost as much allure as the warm weather variety. Upon close inspection, the individual precipitation pieces are more intricate and visually appealing in the frozen rendering. The snow also puts a hush over things that I find calming.

As a visual construct, all the white that accompanies snow storms begs to be leveraged into a minimalist form. As a two dimensional art form perceived as having depth, photography relies on certain visual cues to fool the mind into ‘feeling’ like it has a third dimension. The impression of depth is implied through devices like focus, depth of field, convergences, overlaps, and so on. I like to create images from time to time that remind one of the fact that an image is a flat two dimensions.

If an overcast day follows a snow storm, the conditions are good for making those images. A longer focal length lens helps to compress some visual cues but having a bald sky and a bald foreground really cuts off visual cues that the eye (mind?) rely on to perceive depth. Imagery becomes more about shapes at times like this and I love the opportunity to create flatter images.

On Christmas day we awoke to all that white and overcast skies- like a little surprise gift. So, I took advantage and went shooting. Some new additions to the ongoing Geometry portfolio 🙂

Happy New Year!

AM