Black and white abstract photography

abstract photography - palm leaves

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Here's another example of black and white abstract photography that arose quite unexpectedly. I had gone with my photo buddy Joe Lee to the Orchid Garden of the Singapore Botanical Gardens hoping to take some photographs of orchids.

But the orchids were uninspiring. Actually, it is difficult to take nice pictures of orchids in their natural state and now I understand why the best examples of orchild photographs I've seen were all studio shots – all somewhat artificial but still much better than those taken naturally as they are.

At the entrance of the Orchid Garden, I was attracted to this palm. I thought its leaves had potential for an abstract image, especially a black and white abstract.

Never mind that I was using slide film (Fuji Provia 400). I would have the option of leaving them in color or converting them to black and white abstract photographs after I scanned them. I shot away and took about six images of the leaves from different angles.

This is actually a common, and yes, cliched, form of abstract photography – take close-up pictures of leaves, flowers and other natural objects and, where appropriate, convert the image to black and white.

But, as one of my photography friends once remarked, even cliches have value if they are well-executed.

Well, I wouldn't say this particular example of black and white abstract photography is very well executed for it has its imperfections. Perhaps I was off-form that day. I realised too late, only after I saw the scans, that I should have focused on the jagged edges right at the front, rather than on arcs of the leaf slightly further back.

Oh well, perhaps I go back there again, I will see if similar opportunities for abstract photography present themselves.

But I did what I could with this image, using Photoshop to convert it to black and white, increase the contrast, darken the overall image slightly, and so on.

In the end, I am reasonably pleased with the outcome, at least pleased enough to show it as another example of black and white abstract photography.