Colourful striped fabrics
Friendly Friday,  Photographic techniques,  Themed galleries

Gallery: abstract shapes and colours

Try to forget what objects you have before you – a tree, a house, a field, or whatever. Merely think, ‘Here is a little square of blue, here an oblong of pink, here a streak of yellow,’ and paint it just as it looks to you, the exact colour and shape, until it gives you your own impression of the scene before you.

Claude Monet

I have shared photos based on geometrical themes several times in the past. Monochrome shapes in architecture; designs found in nature; wheels and circles. So looking for something a bit different for Amanda’s Friendly Friday challenge I hit upon that quotation from Monet and it got me thinking. Can we apply it to photography and reduce the objects we photograph to mere abstract shapes?

So I thought I would have a go! All the photos below were taken on various trips over the past few years and have been cropped to focus more on those abstract shapes rather than the actual subject of the photo. I have probably shared many of the full size images elsewhere in this blog!

Top of a tall pyramid shaped skyscraper

Triangle: the top of the (unfinished) Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang

Top of a tall pyramid shaped building

Triangle and circle: the Hyangsan Hotel, North Korea; this one is finished and we stayed here!

White conical roof

Wonky triangle: the roof of the tomb of Bin Ali in southern Oman

Diamond lattice over gold background

Diamonds: the dome of the Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Muscat

Colourful small woven baskets

Diamonds and zigzags: baskets for sale in the Place des Epices, Marrakesh

Stony path and white stone fence

Zigzags: a concrete fence edging the path up Mount Paektu, North Korea

Part of a copper coloured leaf

Curve: a leaf in Laos

Arched ceiling with brown and black trim

Arcs: the ceiling of the Central Post Office, HCMC

Curved yellow fence section

Curls: a fence in the Majorelle Gardens, Marrakesh

Curved pale green fence detail against a blue wall

More curls: a detail at the Chinese All-Community Assembly Hall, Hoi An

Raised elephant trunk

Curve: elephant trunk, MandaLao, Laos

Red coil against a turquoise wall

Circles: prayer coils at the Cantonese Assembly Hall, Hoi An

Pale green metal door studs and handle

Circles: door detail, Al Hamra, Oman

Carved wood circle painted blue and cream

Concentric circles: the prow of a traditional boat in Sur, Oman

Colourful striped fabrics

Stripes: fabric for sale in Marrakesh (the similar featured photo was taken in Sopchem, Laos)

Red fabric star on a white circle

Star: flag in the Armistice Signing Hall, DMZ, North Korea


And a favourite to finish with:
Oriental roof with gold decoration

Circles and lines: roof detail, Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City, Beijing

Linked also to Frank’s Beach Walk Reflections as he is partnering with the FFC team this week.

42 Comments

Do share your thoughts, I'd love to hear from you!