Photography Triptych Abstraction – Diego Laguda Evaluation

In Awe of Sharp Patterns:

The message of my triptych will be to appreciate and learn about patterns.  Patterns are one of the most interesting elements of photography because they incorporate other elements like lines, shape and texture. They are found everywhere in our surroundings and make objects stand out. I want the audience to feel the curiosity within them when they look at the patterns, as I hope that they feel inspired to ask where the patterns came from and why patterns are in the order they are composed in. I believe that when one observes and contemplates the detail of patterns they feel tranquility and appreciation for the order they create together instead of a random assortment of shapes/lines. I will get inspiration and develop my ideas from photographs that explore close up rich focus on patterns; maybe on the wall or through a gap between buildings. To conclude, I believe that in the process of learning about patterns, we learn that sometimes order and the simple peace of pattern repetition makes us feel calm and observant. Therefore, most of us should learn about patterns to better appreciate the nature of observing and peace.

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• Aaron Siskind might have been interested in the solitude of the window and how its dark shade and depth contrasts the white flat surface
• The porch on the left seems intentionally cut off, leaving the viewer to wonder what else lies beside the house
• The shot is composed where the details are very clear and the texture is so vivid and focused

If I was the photographer, I would give it the title of “A window with nothing” This title has two meanings to why I chose it. First, the window has nothing surrounding it that is significantly obvious or striking, which is intentional by the photographer to get you to look mostly at the window and to question its origin despite its blank state. Second, inside the window still is a dark empty space, so aside from the surroundings being empty for the most part, the interior is hollow and mysterious bringing you closer again to trying to figure out why the photo is so ambiguous and intriguing. The use of formal elements in this photo is very well placed and evident. For instance, lines are common in the surface of the wall, bringing the texture to it at the same time. Depth is most common in the angle of how we see the side of the porch and the interior of the window.  Focus and tone is used to give the window the ideal portion of the shot where it is clear enough to the viewer that it is the main subject. Focus is also used by Siskind to capture everything closely where even the scratches on the wall are visible to show the raw realism of everything in the photo.

Siskind, Aaron “Untitled (Tabernacle City)” 1932 (Photograph with gelatin silver print), Untitled (Tabernacle City) Aaron Siskind, Art Institute Chicago https://www.artic.edu/artworks/50928/untitled-tabernacle-city Accessed Sep 2 2025.

1. Still in the Abstract category, create a New blog called “Formal Elements of Photography“
2. Explain what the phrase Formal Elements means in photography.
3. Describe each of the 6 elements discussed so far (line, shape, pattern, texture, tone, focus)
4. Give an example that emphasizes each element (you can use your own image or an image from somebody else – but it must be cited!)
5. Can an image show just one element at a time? Justify your answer.

A slip into a diamond

The phrase formal elements in photography is a number of components that make up the details of photography.  The 6 elements are line, shape, pattern, texture, tone, and focus.  Lines are found everywhere and are used to create details and separation among photos. Shapes are used to form objects and subjects in the shot usually making up the surroundings and how they are distinct from one another. Pattern is used to show repetition of elements to give viewers familiarity and consistent details to create a sense of order in the shot. Texture adds the finer details that make flat surfaces and 3 dimensional surfaces have more details than just their depth. Tone is what creates different kinds of shades and colors in a shot making similar textures and objects differ from one another, usually paired with lighting to create more personal creativeness to a photograph. Focus is what is used to be able to see all these elements clearly or blurred intentionally so that the elements previously mentioned can come together to be formed as a photograph. The image above is an example of all 6 formal elements captured by me. In the photo I am able to show the formal 6 elements by angling my shot where it only captures the edges around a hole in the door. Lines are present in the shape of the hole and shape is present in the message through the hole. Pattern and texture is present in the surface hugging the door, creating a snake like wrapping around it. Tone is used in the different shades of black, grey and white as white represents all the light colors and brighter areas with grey being the mid tones and black representing the shadows and depth. Focus is used to bring the focus through the lens of the gap in the door looking at the message through.

An image can show more than just one element at a time as all photos show forms of shapes, and those shapes are made of lines and they have tones. Though all photos may not have those three, they can also have good patterns and texture that are highly focused to represent different distinct concepts.

Laguda, Diego 2025 “A slip into a diamond” (Photograph) Blog Post 4, ISB Blogs, https://blogs.isb.cn/28diegol/2025/09/02/formal-elements-…photography-pt-4/ Accessed Sep 2 2025.

Pictoralism Movement (my photo)                  Straight Photography (my photo)

The pictorialism movement in photography was a late 19th century to early 20th century motion that centered around establishing photography as a form of fine art and parallel painting. Using soft focus and dark shots, the images would be very atmospheric and towards the artists personal depiction. This would counteract the norms of how people would use photography at the time—as it was usually for documentation purposes only.  In comparison, the straight photography movement  prioritized the photography medium as a form of being able to get clear and impartial photos of the whole scene.  Though, pictorialism was more unique, straight photography was significantly more popular among the majority of photographers. First, straight photography followed more modern art trends which looked into the beauty of our surroundings and the realness of the objects captured like the photo above on the right showing a pathway aligned with trees. Second, pictoralism follows more older art styles by turning different shapes and tones into a piece that can be interpreted unlike straight photography just like the styrofoam in the spotlight on the left. In summary, pictorialism was less popular because it retained the elements of what made older photography forms more popular previously while straight photography captured the realness and objective details that we could see in everyday life; following modern trends.

Edward Weston and Aaron Siskind were influenced by the straight photography movement as they took techniques like using sharp detail and high focus in their shots to truly observe basic objects. For instance, in Edward Weston’s 1934 photo “Nude”, he captures a woman sitting down placing her arm, rested on her knee bent upwards. The image is very high focus and her background is blurred to create emphasis on the subject. These components align with what straight photography is going for because of the way a photo is captured and not necessarily the creative subject itself.

Weston, Edward “Nude” (Photograph) Center for Creative Photography, Center for Creative Photography Arizona, ccp.arizona.edu/artists/edward-weston/#:~:text=Along%20with%20Ansel%20Adams%2C%20Weston,black%2Dand%2Dwhite%20photographs. Accessed Sep 1 2025.

The work of Andreas Gursky and Uta Barth is abstract because it looks at elements of realism like in this photo of Andreas Gursky who captures a flower formed by human collectiveness. However, what makes it different from straight photographers is that it also uses elements of visual and personal construction. It does not take into consideration the object itself but the concept as a whole, similar to the aspects of a pictorialist. Therefore, both of them who use these elements of construction and realism, they are not classified as either pictorialists and straight photographers.

Gursky, Andreas “Les Mées” (Photograph) The Photographer Who Offers a God’s-eye View on Our World, Dazed 12 Feb. 2018 www.dazeddigital.com/art-photography/article/38965/1/photographer-andreas-gursky-gods-eye-view-on-earth-hayward-gallery#:~:text=%E2%80%9C…by%20always%20keeping,is%20a%20testament%20to%20this. Sep 2 2025.

Works Cited

Dazed. “The Photographer Who Offers a God’s-eye View on Our World.” Dazed, 12 Feb. 2018, www.dazeddigital.com/art-photography/article/38965/1/photographer-andreas-gursky-gods-eye-view-on-earth-hayward-gallery#:~:text=%E2%80%9C…by%20always%20keeping,is%20a%20testament%20to%20this.

Edward  Weston | Center for Creative Photography. ccp.arizona.edu/artists/edward-weston/#:~:text=Along%20with%20Ansel%20Adams%2C%20Weston,black%2Dand%2Dwhite%20photographs. Accessed Sep 1 2025.

“Straight Photography Movement Overview.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/movement/straight-photography. Accessed Sep 2 2025.

An abstract photograph should/could look like a captured shot that encapsulates a space whether 2d or 3d, looking at the absence of a main subject while focusing on the details of everything in the photo to appreciate the noise of features like the ground, sky or trees as an example. Take the photo below for instance, it has no clear main point but it makes good use of drawing your attention to the line of trees to intrigue you into why was the shot captured this way and at this angle.

Under the starting point, describe your Initial thoughts about the unit. What do you think is meant by “Abstract photography can be defined as capturing images in which the subject isn’t the most interesting element”?

Regarding the topic of abstraction— many things come to mind for me. When I first think about the word abstraction, I usually come to describe it with words like curiosity-inducing and absence. This stems from how abstract art makes you think more to grasp a better analysis of what the image is trying to convey. I believe that the quote “Abstract photography can be defined as capturing images in which the subject isn’t the most interesting element” is a compelling summary towards explaining to the viewer who might not understand it fully. Though, it may not make sense at first; as usually the main draw in art comes from the main subject, abstract art and photography tends to spotlight the surroundings and the natural nature of things around us and in the shot. For instance, the photos above present unclear focuses in half of them but it paints a picture that a scene is going on and you can also depict from it that the tones and color composition is intentionally captured to evoke emotions and thoughts.