Simple is Not Easy

May 15, 2022

What makes a photograph interesting? That is about as complicated of a question as you can find. For the sake of argument, I will define ‘interesting’ for now ‘as able to hold your attention for more than a second or two’. Whether that means it’s a good image or not is yet another whole topic in and of itself. However you define it, there is a rational component to looking at an image, as well as an emotional one. I’ll dive much deeper into all of that in an upcoming course on image analysis.

Here I’ll focus on just one facet of this: complexity, or lack thereof. Does an image need to be complex to be interesting? You can probably already guess the answer I’m going to give: not whatsoever. I would even argue to the contrary: complexity can muddle the core message of an image and take away from its strength. Of course there is a spectrum ranging from ultra-minimalist all the way to layered storytelling, all of which can form an outstanding, gripping image.

Wherever you intend your image to be on that complexity spectrum, the image will be stronger if you avoid unnecessary and extraneous elements in the image. This can be done in several ways: through framing, changing your point of view, changing your focus and depth of field, or using black and white, for example.

Whether a minimalist approach is your typical style or not, it’s a rewarding challenge to create an image that is as simple as possible while still being engaging. Note that simple in this sense does not equate easy at all! In a minimalist composition, there is nowhere to hide: the exact placement of the elements is absolutely critical for the image to be successful.

Yacht Coming Home III - Marina Del Rey, California

You’ll undoubtedly recognize the above image as sails. Having chosen to leave the water and the hull of the yacht out of the frame, the focus is solely on the lines that the sails create. The purpose of the subject has been negated, and the context is reduced. Was this image taken from another yacht during a race? Or from the shore, with the yacht close to its harbor? Is it a balmy, sunny day, or a blistery, dreary one? We can’t tell. Instead, the image invokes purely the elegance of sails filled by the wind.

For comparison, below is another image from the same scene a few moments earlier, showing you more of the subject, the surroundings, and the circumstances. It was a yacht coming into Marina Del Rey, California, at the end of a fair day, as the crew was about to take down its sails in the channel towards the home dock.  

Yacht Coming Home I - Marina Del Rey, California

This is much more of a storytelling image, and invokes a very different notion about  the same subject matter: the utility of a yacht and the enjoyment of spending a day on the water. It comes down to individual preference which image style is more enjoyable to create and to look at. That said, it’s a fun exercise to play around with that simple-to-complex spectrum when you are at a scene. You might surprise yourself.