We have all seen minimalist photos that use just the bare minimum of elements and the interplay between colors and light and shadow to grab our attention and invigorate our imaginations. However, behind those seemingly simple compositions are often tremendously complex mechanisms and thought processes. This great video essay discusses the idea of minimalist photos and how to find success with them.
Coming to you from James Popsys, this interesting video essay discusses "simple" photos. Minimalist photos can be quite striking, but they are deceptively difficult to successfully create. I had a teacher who always said "there's a big difference between simple and simplistic," and I think that is where the difficulty lies. It is easy to make a minimalist image. However, it is tremendously difficult to make a compelling minimalist image, and the line between simple and simplistic is almost always razor-thin. Nonetheless, when you get them right, they can be some of the entrancing photos to look at, particularly since their sparse nature leaves a lot of room for the viewer's imagination to fill in the story, which is why I think people often connect with them, as they can add their personal experience to what they are seeing. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Popsys.
The examples you showed were excellent and showed how a very small element can make a big difference in terms of giving the eye a focal point, adding more context to an image, suggesting a storyline, etc. However I think framing these things under the rubric of "simplicity" muddled your point. It rather complicated the concept of 'simplicity'. I do enjoy your videos nonetheless.
For me this video is somehow confusing and way to long to explain what works and why. As mentioned when we take for example food it is all about the balance. It is the composition, colors and the taste. Finding the right balance and increasing the depth... If you would like to compare photos to food look at fine dining... There it is all loud and clear. Balance your composition, define your color range, add depth and amplify it. Try to break your elements into simpley geometric objects.
Minimalistic photos are like a clear message to the beholder... We are trying to let others see the world around us in easy to understand way. It is like a mathematical equation.