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Anyone Can Take Interesting Abstract Photos on Their Smartphone: Here's How
Smartphone cameras are capable of shooting across all photographic genres these days, and that includes abstract photography. Once you grasp what abstract photography is, learn how to shoot abstract photos, and edit your existing shots to turn them into abstract photos, you'll have a new genre to explore.
What Is Abstract Photography Anyway?
Abstract photography is, in a nutshell, any photos that are removed from reality in some way. They're photos that aren't immediately recognizable as belonging to the physical world we inhabit. Abstract photographers use light, textures, perspective, movement, extreme close-ups, and more to create photos that are both satisfying and otherworldly.
All photography can be art (and it is possible to get your photos displayed in an art gallery), but abstract photography straddles the line between photography and art like no other genre. It's for this reason—the feeling that this is too highbrow for ordinary folk—that many people don't even venture into trying it, but also why more people should.
The best abstract photos in the world can be extremely compelling to look at, and contain meaning ascribed by the artist/photographer. However, there's no pressure to treat them as art if you don't want to.
Abstract photography is a fascinating genre of photography that, when done right, should be able to scratch anyone's creative itch. However, it can feel rather overwhelming at first, so, as with so many creative ventures, the trick is to just give it a try and see what happens. We're here to help with some guidance on how to get started shooting and editing abstract photos on your smartphone.
What to Look for When Shooting Abstract Photos
If there's one word that sums up what you need to look for when shooting abstract photos, it's "opportunities". Photographers are (or should be) constantly looking around for photo opportunities. And abstract photography is no different from any other genre in that regard. You should always be on the lookout for interesting shapes, patterns, textures, reflections, light sources, and angles.
However, unlike other genres of photography, you need to have abstract photography in mind when looking for these opportunities. You can also either take advantage of opportunities that reveal themselves organically, or engineer your own opportunities by utilizing different objects, angles, and light sources around you.
Organic opportunities are those you spot and can shoot without changing anything. The bark of a tree, when shot in a certain light, will cease to look like the bark of a tree. A textured material that, when shot close up, reveals its fibers and creates something that, without context, looks otherworldly. This picture is of a tree, but could equally be a lizard's eye.
Engineered opportunities are those that need your input to exist. This can mean anything from shining a light source on an object to change the way it looks, to arranging a series of objects in a certain way to get the look you're after. As long as the results are abstract to the viewer, it doesn't matter how the photo was set up. This picture is of the inside of a washing machine, with a blue object added to provide a splash of color.
How to Shoot Great Abstract Photos on Your Phone
There's no real difference between shooting abstract photos on your smartphone and shooting them on other equipment. The one exception is when you're using extreme close-ups to create abstract images. While many smartphones have decent zooms on them, they quickly lose focus compared to a dedicated DSLR with a macro lens attached.
However, this doesn't need to be a handicap. You can, if you want to, purchase a clip-on macro lens for your smartphone. These differ in price and quality, but if you can find a decent one, it will enable you to get closer to a subject without your smartphone's camera losing focus. And good macro photography can form the basis for great abstract photography.
It isn't the only way to capture beautiful abstract photos that will fasciate viewers though. Experiment with angles, different light conditions, and objects that wouldn't normally make good subjects to photograph. When shooting abstract photography, you are the architect, bending and shaping the world around you to find otherworldly qualities.
I start by pointing my camera at something I think has the potential to be morphed into something abstract. If it doesn't, I move on, but if it does, I'll zoom in on the most interesting part, change the angle to subvert expectations, or turn the flash on (even in bright conditions) to make something ordinary look extraordinary.
Experimentation is the key.
In writing this article, I shot and edited over 20 abstract photos; some of which I have uploaded. Some turned out better than expected, while others just didn't work at all. Some were perfect as shot, while others needed heavy editing before they lost touch with the natural world. And if anything, editing is the most important part of the process.
How to Edit Your Photos to Make Them More Abstract
Editing is absolutely crucial in creating satisfying and memorable abstract photos. To the point that it would be rare to leave a smartphone shot as it is without at least touching it up in post slightly to create the abstract effect you're looking for. There are certain edits I apply to all photos, but you have to delve deeper to create compelling abstract photos.
Thanks to editing, any photo you have ever shot on your smartphone could be turned into an abstract photograph. By cropping a photo down, rotating it, adding a filter, and changing various other elements, you can turn the ordinary into an abstract work of art. And once you get a taste of it, I guarantee you'll be hooked.
Just like shooting, editing a photo to make it more abstract requires experimentation. Even if you have a clear end result in mind, once you start editing, you may find yourself heading in a different direction. Let your creativity take charge, and edit the photo in whatever way feels right. That way, the results may even surprise you.
Start by cropping the image down to the exact part you want in the frame, even if this means focusing on a tiny part of a larger photo. Then try rotating the image, and adding a filter. Once those initial edits are in place, you can adjust individual specific elements such as the contrast, shadows, warmth, tint, and sharpness to create the exact effect you're looking for.
The image above is actually my hand holding a drink, with the TV in the background, and a purple light illuminating the room. Now that I've pointed out what it is, you can probably see it (especially if you tilt your head to the left). But thanks to some extreme editing, the individual elements have ceased to make sense without context.
I personally recommend Google Photos or Snapseed (Android and iOS) for editing smartphone photos, as both boast an array of tools that can be used to make a photo abstract. And, unlike conventional photography, it's virtually impossible to over-edit an abstract photo, as the more extreme edits you make, the less in touch with reality it becomes.
To sum up, abstract photography can feel too arty and even pretentious for ordinary people to get into. But it really isn't. Instead, it's a compelling way to explore your creativity, and one that you'll probably enjoy more than you think. Look for opportunities to shoot abstract photos, and then spend some time editing them. And if you're not happy with the results, there is an endless array of objects and textures to try working with.
