Weekly Abstract and Experimental Thread #17 (7-15-2025)

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. Don't worry, if you are unsure, if the image fits the category. Just post it. This is supposed to be fun.

Thanks for looking and participating,
barondla

Posted a few hours early since it is supposed to storm tonight.

Study in adapted lenses and very little depth of field. Pentax Q with Olympus OM film 180mm F2 lens. This Q has a crop factor of 5.4.
Thanks for looking and participating,
barondla

Went to a wacky museum in Philly that was a mix of visual puzzles to interact with and some were arranged for doing photos. This scene from the Rocky movie was all upside down and backwards. The furniture was bolted to the ceiling.

Love the look of this one! Truly marvelous.

I‘ve experimented with ICM a little bit. Don‘t do that often but it can be fun for sure.

That is a captivating scene in so many ways.

At first glance I thought someone was performing some acrobatics - until I read your intro.
I was never really a fan of art deco but some exceptions have grown on me over time. This scene seems so balanced. All the loud elements blend together with the pastel toned walls and ceiling. The what would be garish (to me) seating is actually such a wonderful tone. Almost other worldly - you might understand why I love dragonfly eyes... Even the large squared chequered floor blends in.
I had the thought that if I ever get to Philly (unlikely) that would be a place I would have to check out.
As an aside, I must be one of the few people in the world who has never seen a single rocky movie. All I can say is that I saw one of the original trailers and something just didn't gel with me. As an extension to that, a friend who was an avid reader gave me a book titled First Blood, subtitled Rambo. I remember enjoying it and told him it would make an excellent film - until only a year or so later I read about the film and its lead. To this day there has never been a film I have enjoyed after having already read the book it is based on...

This definitely gets the viewer's attention! It catches one off guard and makes one think. Also like the whimsical atmosphere. You captured the illusion perfectly and noting gives away the secret. Well done.

This museum would be a lot of fun to visit. Was it very crowded? Have to admit, I've never seen a Rocky film.
Thanks for sharing and participating,
barondla

Thanks. I need to use this combo more. There just never is enough time. No wheat in the field now, all corn.
Thanks,
barondla

I've have seen Rambo, but never Rocky. Movies rarely match books. I liked the original Jaws movie better than the book. Saw the movie, about two weeks, after family Florida vacation. Not sure we would have played in the ocean if we'd seen the movie beforehand😯.
Thanks,
barondla

Reminds me of a giant sci-fi space arachnid in web. Spooky, but cool. Totally different look than most ICM. Like it. Did you turn image stabilizer off or use it "improve" the movement?
Thanks for sharing and participating,
barondla

Brian,

How about "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

Tim

Thank you! Yes, I never use stabilization these days. Would be too much work to adjust it given that I swap between hundreds of old lenses regularly.

No, not crowded even on 4th of July weekend in Philly. It was a fun respite from the 100 degree heat!

Thanks.

I agree with you about finding most movies disappointing after I've read the book. One exception I can think of: A Passage To India. I thought the movie was far more engaging than Forster's classic novel, with nuance, character and story it developed much further.