In photograph formal elements refer to structural elements of images. Some of these elements are line, shape, pattern, texture, tone, and focus. These elements are used to highlight different compositional features and make the image interesting for the viewer. Formal elements are characteristics that make a photograph unique. They are elements which make a photograph unique.

Line:

In photography lines are common in many objects. Lines are used in objects and can show movement or energy in an image based on the type of line. There are vertical lines horizontal lines and diagonal lines. Each of these types of lines portray something different in the image.  Many of these lines are used to show a sign of movement in a photograph and draw the viewers eye to a specific point of interest in the image.

Shape:

Shapes in photography are used to highlight a specific object or structure in the image. When shapes are repeated in a specific way they can be used to show a pattern. Shapes can also act as a symbol in the image. Objects can be used to symbolize different ideas or moods in the image.

Pattern:

Patterns are created by repeating a specific element such as lines shapes or objects. Many photographs use pattern to make the image appealing and interesting with an interesting pattern of shapes or lines. Patterns in photography are also have an appealing composition and draw the human eye to the picture.

Texture:

Texture of a surface  refers to a specific effect on the human eye which makes you feel like you are touching the surface of a specific object. Texture can highlight a specific mood and convey to the audience the texture of the material on the object. For example, a close up on a tree bark or a rock surface can highlight the texture of the material in the photo.

Tone:

Tone in photography refers to the range of lighting in the photograph. Tone can highlight a specific mood and create an atmosphere of where you are. Tone usually highlights a specific part of the photograph and can create a sense of tension based on the overall lighting of the photograph.

Focus:

Focus is an element which emphasizes one specific part of the photo and can highlight a specific part of the image while blurring out the the background of the image. Focus brings out a specific part of the photo and values that specific part of the image as being important as it is in focus in the frame.

Can an image show just one element at a time? Justify your answer.

An image can show more than one element at a time because multiple elements in photography can make the image seem more interesting and adds more purpose to the image being portrayed. With more than one element the overall composition and structure of the image becomes better as it highlights different ideas and portrays different stuff based on the element chosen.  With more elements the image can create a sense of emotion or mood. Photographers usually try to incorporate more than one element because they want the image to be more interesting and have a purpose of being taken.

Definition:

Abstract Photography can be defined as using a unique perspective of an object which makes the viewer think.  Usually abstract photos are pleasing to the human eye and highlight one distinct element in the image. Abstract photos use a variation of elements and colors to portray an interesting view of an image.

Researching the starting point:

Pictorialism is a style of photography that places more emphasis on the aesthetics of the composition, tone, and subject matter than on accurately portraying reality. The Pictorialist viewpoint emerged in the late 1860s and predominated during the first decade of the twentieth century.

Between 1840 and 1860, there was a movement known as straight photography that was centered on perfecting methods and procedures for producing clear images that were as similar to the actual scene as possible and were shot directly from nature. Since straight photography refers to images that are not altered during the image-taking process or by darkroom or digital processes but accurately capture the scene or subject as the camera sees it, it has gained popularity among photographers.

Siskind was one of the first photographers to blend what was known as “straight” photography—recording the actual world as the lens “sees” it—with abstraction. He flipped the medium of photography on its head by capturing photographs of discovered things that were both true to life and abstract. He was inspired by this movement because his photos combined both real things with abstract things which led him to be inspired by the straight photography movement.

Andreas Gursky and Uta Barth photos are abstract because they both use elements and a unique perspective to make the viewer think and be intersted in the painting. Both images use different variations of colors and elements and both show exactly what they are portraying. I would say they are not straight photographers because in their images they do not only portray one thing but rather many different objects in their photos. They also use a big variation of colors and perspectives which are usually not used during straight photography.