Category: Street Photography

Photograph: L’homme du canal by Edouard Ketterer

Minimalist photos are some of the most difficult to execute, but when done well, are some of my favorites. In Edouard Ketterer’s “L’homme du canal” we see the beauty of simplicity and geometry.  There are only two triangles, the simplest of shapes in geometry.  One person, one texture, and only black and white. But, it’s the way these few simple elements have been woven together which creates an exceptional composition.  The perfect balance and symmetry of two triangles is broken by a form we all know so well, a person in silhouette.  The water texture presents us with chaos and light, in deep contrast to the empty black of the lower triangle.  The scene practically becomes an optical illusion, it’s hard to tell if  the figure is climbing up a slope, or walking along a shoreline.  Are they walking away, or facing towards you?  The minimalism of the scene creates a beautiful piece that lets you imagine endless possible stories.

Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr group

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