Abstract Photographs of Fall

Some of the most beautiful photographic images I see this time of year are abstract photographs of fall. Most photographers look to take the standard photographs of autumn. Those photographs include the gorgeous landscape and colorful forests. And those photographs serve as a great way to capture the season, but another great way to photograph Gods glory revealed in autumn is to take abstract photographs of fall.

When looking through a gallery of fall photographs, often it is the abstract photographs of fall that stand out. People noticed them because they look different, and abstract photos get our attention because we wonder what the subject of the photograph may be. People also like abstract photos because they present a different way of looking at something that may be rather common.

Benefits of Taking Abstract Photographs of Fall

It is good for photographers to take abstract photographs for a variety of reasons. Looking to take abstract photographs encourages us to think differently, challenges us and expands our creativity and imagination. Abstract photos also expand the imagination of those who look at such images.

An added benefit of abstract fall photography over traditional photos is that we don’t need to photograph wide open landscapes. We can zoom in on things or get up close and personal with the landscape. Because of this we can continue to look for abstract photographs of fall after the peak colors have passed.

Here are a handful of ideas to help you take abstract photographs of fall.

• Find leaves in water. Leaves float, but when they stay in water long enough, they get waterlogged and sink. Photographing leaves that lie below the surface of shallow water can create interesting pictures.
• Look for reflections. We can see reflections of fall colors in water, in windows, or in metal objects. When you photograph leaves reflected by water, do it when the water surface is close to calm, but not completely smooth. This gives the colors the look of a watercolor painting.
• I also recommend trying and using the elements to create abstract photographs. You can take macro (close-up) photographs of snow or frost on leaves or take a landscape photograph in heavy fog.
  

  We can use elements such as snow, frost, or fog to help us take photographs that have a more abstract appearance to them.

• Windy days don’t always work best for landscape and/or plant photos, but you can use the wind to your favor by using a shutter speed of one to five seconds. The movement of the colored foliage in the long exposure will create some interesting patterns.
• I personally like to photograph leaves that have fallen. This technique is not as abstract as others, but it still has an abstract feel to it. I love seeing leaves on pathways or on the woodland floor under dappled forest light. Their simple beauty captures my attention, and I can’t resist photographing them. I usually do not rearrange them but let them lie where they fell. I often get interesting compositions that way.
• Another one of my favorite ways to take abstract photographs of fall is to take a tightly cropped shot of leaves, branches and bark.
• And here’s one last fun technique to do. Use a zoom lens and a slower shutter speed to photograph the colors. Zoom the lens in or out while you take the photo.

Christianity and the Abstract

As Christian photographers, photographing nature in an abstract manner allows us to see the beauty of God’s creation in a new way. Looking at creation in that new way helps us connect with our Creator while we experiment with our own creativity. When we show others our abstract photos, it allows them to see the wonders of God’s creation in a different way.

Although we can look and photograph things in an abstract way, our God is never abstract. God is more real and more concrete than anything else that exists. When we study the Scriptures, we see that the Bible clearly tells us who God is, what He is like and how He blesses those who believe in Him. 

Sometimes God may seem abstract to us, distant or hard to grasp, but He has assured us in His Word that He will abide in us when we abide in Him. Jesus says in John 15-4-5, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Abide in God and cling to Him. He is solid and stable and not abstract, but He has given us the gift of creativity. Through our creativity we can look at His creation and capture its beauty in abstract ways.

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