Photography has often been bound by expectations — to document reality, freeze a moment in time, or present something universally ‘beautiful.’ But what happens when we abandon these constraints and allow photography to become a canvas for abstraction, expression, and mood?

Artists across disciplines have wrestled with similar questions. Cézanne began to flatten perspectives, moving away from literal representation toward something more elemental. Mondrian carried this further, distilling the world into lines and colour blocks, creating abstract forms that transcend nature. In photography, colour photography pioneers like Saul Leiter and Ernst Haas moved beyond their fashion photography credentials to re-approach the medium as a tool for exploring the poetic and the abstract, using colour, light, and reflections to create images that were as much imagined as observed.

The Freedom of Abstraction

What draws me to abstraction in photography is its ability to remain connected to the world while simultaneously reshaping it. A reflection in a puddle can become a portal. A double exposure evokes layered memories and moods. Shooting through glass or cropping an image unexpectedly transforms the familiar into something new.

Abstraction invites the viewer into a space of ambiguity and interpretation. It’s not about creating something perfect or clear-cut — it’s about opening doors to different ways of seeing and feeling. In a world that can sometimes feel like the imperative of art is to represent or comment on real-life as it is commonly perceived, abstraction can feel like an act of creative resistance, a way to explore the emotional and sensory aspects of life.

Exploring Abstraction with Your Camera

We all have a palette and brushes in our pockets already. Your camera, including the one on the phone in your pocket — can be much more than a tool for recording memories or curating a social media feed. It can become an art notebook, a place to experiment, to play, and to uncover new ways of seeing.

Here are a few ways to start thinking abstractly with this amazing machine that we so often take for granted:

- Experiment with reflections, double exposures, or unexpected angles.

- Turn images upside down or crop them in ways that reframe the world.

- Shoot through surfaces like glass, fabric, or water to create layers.

- Focus on colours, textures, and patterns instead of subjects.

These small steps can transform your approach, encouraging you to see your environment as a source of creative potential rather than just a backdrop for moments.

Abstracting the Everyday

Abstraction isn’t about rejecting reality; it’s about engaging with it. For me, it’s a way to connect with the world on a deeper level — not just as it appears, but as it feels. It’s a process of peeling back layers, of finding what lies beneath the surface, and shaping it into something personal and expressive.

When you pick up your camera, think of it as more than a device for capturing what’s in front of you. Think of it as a brush, a tool for exploring your imagination and telling stories that can’t be spoken in words.

The world doesn’t need another perfect sunset photo. It needs your perspective, your way of looking beyond the real, and your willingness to Only Create.