Weekly Abstract and Experimental Thread #48 (2-17-2026)

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, Stereo/3D, macro, Infrared, dragged shutter, zone plate, motion, fluorescence, multiple exposure, birefringence, ultra violet, optical including adapted lenses, tri color, fractals, manipulated Polaroids, intentional camera movement, 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. Are you unsure if the image fits the category? Don't worry, just post it. FEEL FREE TO POST MULTIPLE TIMES TO THIS THREAD. Have fun!

Thanks for viewing and participating,
barondla

Trying for high magnification. I already had this combo set up when I saw these bugs on the the front door window. The whole colony was about the diameter of a US dime. This is the Pentax 100mm macro on full extension of a Pentax bellows. Not much light and normally flash would be used. The shiny window glass prohibited flash so a relatively long 1/5" shutter speed was used. This recorded some motion in their legs. For this type of photo a reversed Nikon EL-Nikkor enlarging lens would normally be used. Didn't have time to set that up with all the adapters. So the Pentax 100 macro was the go to.
Thanks for looking and participating,
barondla

Developing ice dendrites.

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Love the detail and sharpness. Perfect exposure is tricky with white subject on black background. You aced exposure and focus. What equipment did you use?
Thanks for sharing and participating,
barondla

The image was taken with an old Sony A100 camera with a SONY 18-70mm 1:3.5-5.6, Macro lens. Nothing special.🙂

What is it? 😉

Fabulous results. Wouldn't have expected this much sharpness from a zoom in macro mode.
Thanks for sharing and participating,
barondla

First thing that I thought of was an egg yolk. Of course I was hungry at the time 🙂. Could also be the sun. Fun game that adds a different twist to the thread.
Thanks for sharing and participating,
barondla

Wrong and wrong! You'll get some style points though. A hint is that it indeed ended up in my tummy, but it isn't a yolk. And Arvo, ceramic is involved, but not a plate. The EXIF may also give a hint. 😃

That is a long exposure at high ISO. Noticed the long exposure on my previous guess. Cup of coffee?
Thanks for sharing,
barondla

Close enough. I say you win.Congratulatons! 🥳

It's the inside of a high mug with tea (with milk) in the bottom. I was playing around with my new 10mm (MFT) and shoved it down the mug just for fun. Since I was just playing and didn't intend to actually take any pictures I didn't use any special lights or make any arrangement at all, just the room light, dark outside. But then I took a few anyway. I was surprised there was light enough to even get a shot. The whole lens was down the mug, just my fingers between the camera and the rim of the mug, so not much light got past.I thought the shots with reflections of the camera turned out sort of fun.

I don't know what critters these are, but I like your photo of them. Good detail in spite of less than optimal circumstances. Did you use a tripod? If not, you have very steady hands!

Thank you. Used a Uni-loc tripod that allows positioning right next to the glass. Estimate the magnification at about 4X. I've handheld a few macros at that mag using flash. They were using DSLR cameras with a higher flash sync speed than the Q's 1/13. Lots of misses with that technique, but bugs don't stay still very often. I don't know what these red bugs are.
Thanks,
barondla

I like the Olympus reflections as well. Sometimes the best images are produced by playing around, and it is fun. Keeps one from falling into a rut.
Thanks for sharing and participating,
barondla

I googled Unilock and realized I've heard about their tripods before. Alas their site doesn't really give a good picture of what they are. And no prices. I guess they are expensive? I'll see if Youtube has something about them.

Their first company was Benbo, which is probably still around and works the same way. A bent bolt ties the three legs and center column together. Releasing the bolt tension allows all to be be moved independently of each other. I could even put one leg on the ground and two five feet above the camera, against the wall. It would look like it is folded flat. Then the center column could even pivot horizontally through an open window. WARNING Benbo/Unilocks can be setup in non stable configurations. Releasing the bolt tension can let the whole tripod and camera collapse to the ground. One must always support camera in hand when releasing bolt. There is nothing like a Benbo/Uni-loc.
My Uni is probably 20 years old. No idea how much they are now. Roughly Manfrotto pricing at the time.
Thanks,
barondla

Benbo is a name I remember from the old days but I didn't remember they made this kind of tripods. And yes, they are still around (thank you, Google).