The art of minimalism

Prove less is more with these simplistic photographic compositions

to photograph in a minimalist way, we must first learn what it means to be minimalistic. Minimalism is defined in the Oxford Dictionary of English as: “A movement in sculpture and painting, which arose in the 1950s, characterized by the use of simple, massive forms.” Although we’re not sculpting or painting anything, we can extrapolate the conceptual values of this definition and apply them to our photography. For this shoot, we have to abide by the rule ‘less is more’, so that means taking everything that isn’t essential out of the frame.

We have the option of either physically removing it, or repositioning ourselves to frame out anything distracting. Some photographers assume that minimalism has to be shot in black and white, but that isn’t necessary. Whether colour or monochromatic, any photo with minimal distractions from those simple forms counts as a minimalist image.

In this project, we’re going to look at some simple ways of exploring minimalism with things you already have access to. We’re experimenting with an egg, a glass and some cutlery but any basic items will do.

Our camera settings will also help create the minimalist style, as we’ll be using a wide aperture to produce a shallow depth of field, providing a soft-focus look.

Whether colour or monochromatic, any photo with minimal distractions from those simple forms counts as minimalist