Weekly Abstract and Experimental Thread #59 (5-5-2026)

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, pinhole, 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

This was taken during World Pinhole Photography Day 2026. This is held the last Sunday of April every year. For more info check out pinholeday.org

I adapted a Lensbaby Optic Swap pinhole/Zoneplate module to the Pentax 645Z digital camera. This used a Pentax 6X7 body cap that had been adapated for Olympus OM film mount. The Optic Swap module fits part way into the OM mount. I then used liberal amounts of electrical tape to hold it in. A 645 to 6X7 mount adapater completed the mashup. Worked fine the night before. After being out on Pinhole Day for a while there was flare. The heat of the day was causing the tape to work lose. Fixed the flare in post processing. This was taken handheld at ISO 25,600 at 1/8 F161. Only noise reduction was in camera.

Never experimented with pinhole on the 645Z and never used ISO 25,600 before. I'm happy with it. Uploaded this image to World Pinhole Photography Day. Not so happy with my tape lash up so a new pinhole has been ordered for the 645Z.
Thanks for looking and participating,
barondla

I've never tried pinhole. And didn't know there was a day for it. Maybe I should try.

Meanwhile, I'm struggling on with my vintage lenses and learning how to focus them. It's hit an miss.

This didn't come out as planned at all, but in a way I think it's funny and a little confusing. Maybe it can pass as an abstract? 😃

Abstract works for me. Old lenses can be difficult to focus. Might be the reason camera companies invested so much in autofocus. 🙂 I actually thought the lead little sprig was what you were going for. Looks great to me. The lens has nice out of focus rendering.

You should try pinhole. It doesn't look like any other lens and it is basically free. There's probably a body cap lying around. A little aluminum foil, tape and a pin gets the party started. Pinhole, the only old lens that requires no focusing! 👍😂
Thanks for sharing and participating,
barondla

No, they would be fine on a SLR. SLR cameras had excellent focus aids. I focused quicker with them than with my current camera. And then I think it's pretty easy to focus manually normally. But these darn lenses... the image in the viewfinder is softer, I think that's the problem, has lower contrast, hard to find edges. When magnified it's even softer. Normal shots work pretty good, but closeups are hell. And since I want to see bokeh I focus on closeups.It'd annoying, because the few times I've nailed it for example this lens is tack sharp.Lots of detail, but it's like edges always are a little soft. That looks good in the images but not in the viewfinder!
Practice, practice... If others can do it I should be able to learn too.

Yeah, I'll try. I have too many body caps, so could easily make a pinhole.

Focusing aids are helpful. I remember when they took the split image focusing out of SLRs. Too often it showed that primitive 1st generation autofocus wasn't nailing focus. Companies also increased focusing screen brightness. This reduced screen contrast making it harder to manually focus. As AF improved the viewfinder became merely a compositional aid.

One of the things I love about my Pentax 645Z is the line started way back with film. Cutting a tab off a 645 film body interchangeable focusing screen allows it to replace the digital Z screen. So I have a DSLR with split image focusing and more contrast. It is a little darker view, but I'm fine with the trade off.

Many older lenses were meant to be closed down quite a bit for taking pictures. The wide open apertures were more for composing and focusing. Have you tried closing the lenses down a stop or two to see if they sharpen up and make focusing more reliable? Mirrorless will brighten the viewfinder image. After focusing you will have to open the aperture back up to get the big bokeh balls. Worth a try.

Looking forward to your bokeh and pinhole shots.
Thanks for sharing and participating,
barondla

I loved split image and micro-prism! I miss them every day. Well, really only the days I try to focus a lens manually. 😉

I take it the Pentax 645Z is still a DSLR then? Sounds great, wish I could do it.

Yes, the 645Z is a medium format DSLR. I also like split image manual focusing. I was nervous using an Xacto knife on a $100 focusing screen.😟 It wasn't just the money, took over 6 months to find the correct screen. It went well and was worth it. I use the viewfinder about 50% of the time and Live View the rest. I struggle with it, but have you tried focus peaking?
Thanks,
barondla

Oh yes. It peaks on every freaking edge, not only the one I want to focus on. I sometimes use it in combination with magnification though. Then it can be helpful.

With these vintage lenses combining the two almost never works and sometimes focus peaking doesn't work at all. Which shows the image in the viewfinder is really soft. I guess the final images are less tack sharp than those from modern lenses too, but it's like the image in the viewfinder is way softer than the final image. That's the problem. I use manual focus a lot and don't have a problem with it with modern lenses. The OM's viewfinder is good enough for me to see when focus is right without using magnification in most cases. With modern lenses, that is.

I realize I must practice. I tend to shoot like I did with film. Take a few images and that's it. I'll try to set something up indoors and go at it until I succeed. It doesn't help that I shoot mostly closeups. But I do it for the bokeh and then having the subject near helps.