vancouver fashion and portrait photography

I've been getting a lot of questions lately as to what constitutes a minimalist photo. I feel it only fair to state right here and now that I don't consider myself an authority on the subject at all. Truth be told I've only been exploring it as a style for a couple of months now. So, that said, this is what I've learned and a sort of definition that I follow as far as minimalism goes.

Minimalism, as a philisophy, is formed around only a few elements of life as opposed to a complete spectrum. People who follow this philosophy in life practice living with only the bare minimum of what is needed to survive. Now translate this into a photographic sense.

Minimalism as an artform is the idea of reducing something to it's most basic form including colour, shape, value, lines and texture - or lack of. Basically a reduction of form to only the essentials of geometric abstraction. Within this, no attempt is made at representation or to symbolize any other object or experience. Rather it is what it is and take it at that.

So when I'm shooting what I look for is very detail oriented though that may come through in a few different ways - either a simplification of form, monochromatic pallete or anonymity of style. I tend to shoot in such a way that the photo will lack conventional context. Basically, when someone looks at one of my minimalistic shots and says, "What is that?" I feel as though I've done what I want to do.

Orit Raff is one of my fave minimalist photographers. Check out some stuff on her and her works here:

Orit Raff

Saul Gallery