PURSUING SUBTLE
In this time of “in-your-face” visual imagery we have come to be enamored by explosive vibrancy. The trend can be seen everywhere from movies to magazine covers. Images are designed with easily categorized subjects allowing the viewer the ability to quickly digest a work’s visual message and then move on to the next one.
In the realm of artistic endeavor this is becoming almost formulaic. While some fantastic images are the result, such image-making molds tend to stifle our imaginations. Creativity does not like to be boxed up. Such images also tend to limit the viewer’s choices as they leave little for interpretation or for their imaginations to work with.
I too have created many such high impact, visual images. But over time, I have come to appreciate the use of subtlety in image making. The concept is the near antithesis of the bold and loud as the images that employ its usage tend to suggest rather than command through the use of nuance and finesse.
For those who have studied the art of writing there is an adage that states: “show, don’t tell”. Stories always seem more interesting and hold our attention longer when the emotion or the experience of an event is conveyed in a manner other than a straightforward, narrative description. In photography, this concept is carried a bit further thanks to its visual ingredient. Monet believed that the perfect use of mystery was “to evoke an object little by little in order to reveal a state of mind.” These same concepts hold true for the art of photography as well.
Established in the early days of photography and carrying through into the digital age, was the belief that an image should reflect a scene as it was. Images and prints were expected to render subjects, tones, (and later) colors just as the photographer saw it while creating the image. It was writing’s concept of a narrative description applied to a visual medium.
Do we really care if the sunset was that exact shade of orange or that the blue in the water was that intense? Not really. Photography is a form of visual expression and interpretation on the part of the photographer.
It was until more modern times that we have come to understand that photography can be a far more enriching storytelling device.
Images should reflect the emotions we felt at the time we decided to create the image.
If that means not having to bombard the viewer with the obvious then the photographer, the viewer, and the images are the richer for it. Essentially, these are images that make us wonder, feel, and think.
Images that are more subtle by design tend to allow for a greater degree of interpretation in their visual message than the bold and obvious types. Some of the most thought-provoking images are ones that are a study in subtlety.
These types of images are ones where the more time the viewer spends with an image, the more the image reveals. They invite the viewer to spend time exploring the space within their borders rather than bombarding them with grand spectacle. In doing so the interest level is heightened as the visual narrative of such images beg to be unraveled. This can lead to the discovery of more meaningful interpretations that can take the viewer along their own personal paths of understanding.
Creating an image based on subtlety is not as easy as it sounds. The dictionary defines subtle as “so slight as to be difficult to detect or describe; elusive.” Applied to photography,
“one might ask that if something is so elusive that it is difficult to detect then why try to create an image based on the concept of subtlety?”
Who would even find interest in viewing such an image? We humans are curious creatures and while we love to be sensationalized, we also love a good mystery. Photography gives us the opportunity to have it both ways. Images that contain subtle touches, that leave room for interpretation on the part of the viewer, will get them to look at an image over and over again. It is precisely the nature of subtlety with its slight, hidden, and elusive character that holds our interest over time and plays to our desire to unravel an interpretation that has its own personal meaning.
Our challenge as photographers is learning first how to see subtlety in the world around us using visualization and awareness. Then determine how to employ it in our image making. Thanks to Nature, it provides us with an overabundance of subtle aspects to it character. Leonardo da Vinci once said:
“Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple, or more direct than does nature because in her inventions nothing is lacking and nothing is superfluous.”
Admittedly, mastering the ability to see the bold and obvious and then learning the techniques to render them as images is easier than achieving mastery of the subtle. It takes practice to obtain a refined artistic vision in order to be able to incorporate subtle details in the images you create.
It is relatively straight forward and easy to make an image of a beautiful sunset and get a reaction from those that view it. When a scene is less epic, then light, tones, and subjects are less well defined, and a much lighter creative touch is called for. It requires an eye for the details of a scene and the ability to think creatively about composition and how to render colors and tones.
Invoking a subtle theme into an image is no easy task as it requires skill in using tonal values and the margin for error is small. On one extreme the results is a weak image while on the other extreme the results can look almost contrived – both failures. It takes time and a need to increase your awareness in order to begin to see the subtle tones of our surroundings.
Generally, we tend to use strong colors, high contrast, and more detail to draw attention to the focal point of an image or to achieve a high impact, first impression. Just the opposite is achieved when more subtle design elements are employed. Here the differences in colors and tones are small but small differences can make all the difference when it comes to successfully applying them in image making. As the old expression goes:
Sometimes less is more.
Invoking a subtle theme into an image is no easy task as it requires skill in using tonal values and the margin for error is small. On one extreme the results is a weak image while on the other extreme the results can look almost contrived – both failures. It takes time and a need to increase your awareness in order to begin to see the subtle tones of our surroundings.
As photography, particularly landscape photography, is a subtractive art, employing the technique of reduction to eliminate unwanted elements is one familiar to many image makers. Abstracting a scene’s composition down to just a few key elements helps to invoke a sense of mystery as it forces the viewer to fill in the blanks using their own interpretations. I am a believer in the concept of minimalism when it is called for.
Making use of over or under exposure or weather are also great ways to add subtlety to an image. When conditions such as mist, fog, or snow are present I like to try to incorporate them into the scene to help reduce detail and add a sense of mystery. By this, I mean that the resulting image will have no definite visual punch line. Such visual intrigue is enhanced as fog-type elements diminish the visual competition between the shapes in the frame. Edges are softened or simply fade away, colors are diminished, and contrast blended. Everything is simplified.
Regardless of what techniques you chose it all begins with the ability to visualize those aspects of a scene that can best be used to instill a sense of subtlety in your work. Be patient as seeing cannot be forced. It will happen when you are ready and when it does your efforts will be rewarded by the images you will produce.
Such images may not garner much in the way of immediate “oohs” and “aahs” that you might get with an image that has a strong initial visual impact. What you will find is that they will be more likely to stand the test of time thanks to their being able to maintain a higher level of interest - all thanks to their visual longevity created by their inherent elusive character.
- Mark Lissick