Perhaps you’ve heard about a particular kind of photography called minimalism.  Perhaps not.  Either way, you’ve probably seen photos which fall under that heading.  Did you ever wonder about what minimalism photography is?  I have too.  So, today I’m going to break it down for you.  You’ll see examples from my own portfolio.  When I’m done, you’ll understand what minimalism photography is both visually and from its definition.  So, let’s get started.

What is Minimalism in Photography?

Let’s start things out with the obvious path: the definition.  Here it is.

Minimalist photography is about stripping a subject down to its most elegant essence.  [The photographer creates] photos that cut through the clutter by emphasizing the essentials, including clean lines and empty spaces.

–Adobe

While minimalism may manifest in many ways in other art forms, minimalist photography usually tends to make great use of negative space, employs sparse composition, and centers a strong singular focal point.

–Wikipedia

In summary, minimalistic photography uses negative space, sparse composition, and a single strong focal point to strip down a photograph to its essentials.  Many people often describe minimalistic photography as having a meditative quality to it thanks to the simplicity of the composition.

The Main Elements of Minimalistic Photography

Please remember that these elements are just guidelines.  Also, not every minimalistic photo will feature all of them.  Some will, but others might fudge a bit on one or more points.  Now, let’s dig a bit deeper into the main elements listed above.

Negative Space

Minimalistic photos tend to feature lots of empty space (otherwise called negative space) around the subject.  Negative space is composed of expanses of pure color or texture.  Oftentimes, both together.  Examples include a broad stretch of ocean, a snowy white field, an empty blue sky, or a grassy lawn.

Sparse Composition

Minimalistic compositions keep the subject small within the frame.  You should feel the negative space dwarfs the subject.  In such cases where the main subject isn’t small in the frame, the subject should be exceptionally simple.  An example might be a shapely cloud against an empty blue sky.

Strong Singular Focal Point

Minimalism emphasizes simplicity in composition.  Also, minimalistic photos tend to feature a main subject (exceptions exist) and lots of empty space.  The photographer won’t add anything else.  Minimalist photographers carefully and meticulously refine their compositions to eliminate distractions such as poles or telephone lines in the background.  The more clutter the photographer eliminates from a photo, the more minimalist the photo will be.

Examples of Minimalism in Photography

I did promise that I would show you some examples of minimalism in my portfolio.  The above examples are minimalistic, but so are these examples below.  These photos should give you a good idea of what minimalism looks like in photography.

Where Can I Find Minimalism in Photography?

You can find minimalism in all different genres of photography.  It’s a style you can apply everywhere, much like a composition style.  In fact, one could make the argument that minimalism is a composition style.  Still, if you look carefully using the information and examples above, you will find minimalism in photography everywhere.  Pick a genre.  You’ll find it there.

I will grant you that some genres are easier to use minimalism in than others are.  Some settings better lend themselves to minimalism too.  However, the creative eye will find ways to see minimalistic settings in all kinds of unusual places such as urban environments.

Conclusion

In conclusion, minimalistic photography is found everywhere.  It features lots of negative space, sparse composition, and a strong singular focal point.  But these features are merely strong guidelines.  These qualities in a photo give it a meditative quality and also draw the viewer in deeper.

So, now I turn things over to you.  What do you think of minimalistic photography?  Does it interest you as a viewer or even as a photographer?  Please leave your thoughts down in the comments section below.