Weekly Abstract and Experimental Thread #15 (7-1-2025)

The weekly Abstract and Experimental thread
This weekly thread, starting on a Tuesday, allows us to showcase our abstract and experimental photos and get some feedback.
Opening up discussions, not only on content, style, composition & techniques, but also on the creativity of the image.

It’s easy to participate
Post an image with a title and description. To make it easier to view in the forum, all comments should include the original title and at least one of the original images as a quote.

Thread Guidelines:
This weekly thread is for sharing and developing abstract and experimental photography skills.
We want to see wild, creative photography.
Give your entry a clear title and mention the technique used.
Provide constructive feedback on others’ images.
Try to go beyond simple praise or dismissal and explain why you like it, or what caught your eye.
”Likes” are encouraged too.
Negative feedback and suggestions are also OK (be polite, honest, and constructive).
Giving feedback is just as important as receiving feedback, both help to improve our artistic and technical skills.

What is an abstract or experimental photo?
Different ways to see and investigate the world around us. Abstract photography reduces a subject to shapes, tones or colors making it unrecognizable. Abstract subjects are everywhere.

Experimentation might include, Infrared, dragged shutter, zone plate, motion, 3D, fluorescence, multiple exposure, birefringence, ultra violet, optical including adapted lenses, tri color, fractals, manipulated Polaroids, pinhole, Kirlian (bioelectrography) and many other methods. Experimentation can be for artistic expression or pure science. It is often more difficult than standard types of photography. This is fine, we aren't expecting perfection. Every experiment enhances knowledge. Your idea can help others explore the universe around them. We love experimentation. You can explain your process or keep it a secret.

This will be a looser collection of photos compared to other weekly threads. This is good. It will be a place to get away from standard animals, babies & sunset photos. We don't hate animals, babies or sunsets. Show us your creative abstract and experimental images.

Thanks for looking and participating,
barondla

An experiment with The Soratama optic. This is a clear 72mm filter with a beveled hole cut in the center. A Glass "marble" is glued in the hole. It protrudes back towards the front element of the donor lens. There are extension rings to vary the distance between Soratama and taking lens. This setup will also probably require an extension tube on your lens to enable focusing on the glass "marble".

Here is their website: soratama.org/

Maybe this is a semi abstract?

Detail from door panels of Hamilton House in Philadelphia PA, 1786. Incorporated into the Woodlands cemetery property in 1840. National Historic Site.

Works for me. Don't see many abstract/old time mixes. The rectangular patterns definitely add an abstract quality. The subtle tones and colors enhance the historical age of the subject. Bet this is a neat place to visit?
Thanks for sharing and participating,
barondla

The Cave

This looks like a ‘normal’ picture, but it's not what it seems.
It is a panorama of about 160* horizontally, made from a montage of 4 other identical (in terms of positioning) panoramas, each of 5 images taken with a vertically mounted wide-angle lens on a tripod.
It is dark in the cave from the start, with dim lighting in areas that seem better naturally illuminated through the top left “window”.
Can't get around there without individual light sources (flashlights).
The difference needed for correct exposure between the brightest and darkest area was ~10 f-stops.
As a result, each of the 4 panoramas was made with exposure differences of ~2+ f-stops, in order to finally merge into the HDR image presented.

Awesome and spectacular image. I've never seen a panoramic high dynamic range (HDR) of a cave. It makes sense to do, but the amount of work required is in incredible. Your post processing is superb. Usually, HDR have a "strangeness" that can be beautiful but slightly unnatural looking. Your image looks natural. Excellent job. What processing program did you use?
Thanks for sharing and participating,
barondla

Photoshop.
Thank you for your appreciation!

I got me a macro

Forrest of ?

Neat abstract. At normal viewing distance it reminds me of fine grain coal. Zoomed in it looks like some kind of vegetation. Like how out of focus parts look like diamonds. The diagonal in focus/out of focus composition gives nice dynamics.
You are off to a fine start with the new macro lens. What lens is it?
Thanks for sharing and participating,
barondla

Thank you Barondia.

Like a kid with a new toy I was running around click, click, click - most went into the bin...

Panasonic Leica DG 45mm f2.8 Macro

Macro is fun and something that can be done anywhere. You bought a superb lens. Enjoy.
Thanks,
barondla

The Gold Mercedes. Tokyo.

Awesome colors and what a sense of speed this projects. I like that you don't show the whole car. Just what is needed. Not the car I would expect to see golden in Tokyo.
Thanks for sharing and participating,
barondla

I'm not sure this meets the theme, but it is infrared, and I think it is abstract.

2025:07:07 10:57:13 : NIKON D810 : 24-120mm f/4.0 : 40mm : 100 ISO : F6.3 : 1/160 sec : 1 EV : 680 nm

Magical image. The white and gold look marvelous together. Wonderful results. It fits the theme perfectly. Infrared is definitely experimental.
Is your camera modified for IR 680 or full spectrum? Did you do the mod? Your lens did a fine job avoiding the IR hotspot that a lot of lenses have.
Thanks for sharing and participating,
barondla

Thanks! My camera is a full spectrum conversion. I bought the camera from KEH.com already converted. I have filters for this lens from 590 nm to 950 nm. The lens does work very well across all focal lengths, and all filters.

Nice collection of filters. Love the freedom of full spectrum cameras. Your next step will be ultraviolet photography 🙂. There are now some inexpensive UV only filters from Tangsinuo.
Thanks for sharing and participating,
barondla

In my book, this qualifies as abstract. There's an overall composition of shapes and colours that create the image. The realistic lock and hinge details are important but secondary to the total. The understated greys and creams and the small relative sizes of the metal details, produces a minimalistic photo.
The sharp, hard metal is striking combined with the softness of the background.