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Photography · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Abstract Photography

This course challenges students to stop documenting the world and start interpreting it. Abstract photography strips away the identity of the subject, focusing instead on form, color, line, and texture. Students will explore techniques like Intentional Camera Movement (ICM), macro refraction, and shadow play to create images that evoke emotion rather than recognition.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Develop a "Photographic Eye" for geometry, texture, and color palettes
  2. Master Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) to create painterly effects
  3. Utilize Macro lenses to find landscapes within microscopic details
  4. Experiment with Refraction and Reflection using glass, water, and oil
  5. Critique abstract work based on principles of design rather than technical sharpness
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01Defining Abstraction: From Stieglitz to Siskind
  2. 02The Elements of Design: Line, Shape, Form
  3. 03Eliminating Context: The Crop
  4. 04Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) I: Panning
  5. 05Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) II: Rotation/Zoom
  6. 06Macro Abstraction: Texture & Pattern
  7. 07Reflections: Distorting Reality
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Refraction: Shooting through Liquids & Glass
  10. 10Oil & Water Photography
  11. 11Shadows & Silhouettes: High Contrast
  12. 12Multiple Exposure Abstraction
  13. 13Defocus: The Art of Bokeh
  14. 14Post-Processing: Color Grading for Mood
  15. 15Printing Abstract Work: Paper Choice
  16. 16Final Project: The Abstract Fine Art Series

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Abstract Fine Art Series

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. The Edge of Vision: The Rise of Abstraction in Photography by Lyle Rexer
  2. Abstract Photography by Rechnitzer and Locko
  3. Learning to See Creatively by Bryan Peterson
  4. Interaction of Color by Josef Albers
  5. Why it Does Not Have to be in Focus by Jackie Higgins
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