Greg Molyneux Photography

New Jersey landscape and nature photography

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In The Abstract

August 28, 2016 by Greg Molyneux

Square format black and white photo of hydrangea leaves in low key abstract noir.

In The Abstract — 35mm | f/1.4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/1600

Real talk—

This—black and white photography brought to life in shallow depth of field, presented in a brooding low key light on abstract terms—is my favorite type of photography. Yes, the sweeping landscapes are great, and I am far better technician than I am a creative right-braining on the more artistic side of the room; but there’s just something about the weirdness and soft forms, not to mention my lifelong love of black and white mediums, that draws me to this type of look. Now don’t get me wrong I wish I was better at it, and more purposeful in my execution of photographs like you see above. I have no process, I just wing it. There’s no real plan until I look at the viewfinder and have a very ground floor superficial thought of hey, this looks cool. This photo was no different. I was barreling up my hydrangea plant from ground level with my 35mm lens and simply liked what I saw. A happy accident you might say.

Admittedly while I like this kind of shot more than my typical landscape I become increasingly insecure about posting shots of its ilk. Not so much here on this website, more so on my Facebook page which frankly reaches more eyes. The People like my landscape work, anything else is more or less a crap shoot that runs the gamut from yawn to completely ignored. The burden of expectations. I get it, of course, this style is far more niche and lacks the widespread appeal of a stunning marsh sunset. As a result I’ve been sitting on this shot for over a month now, but I can wait no more. Be bold. Be removed from the comfort zone. Be. If nothing else it’s good to weigh the merits of popularity versus personal fulfillment. I don’t think it’s a binary choice, instead it’s more about finding the right spot on the great sliding scale of life. (Let’s see how all of this shakes out since I’ll be following this shot with another square format black and white picture. Gasp!)

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 35mm abstract black and white bokeh film noir flora hydrangea low key square format

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Photos from the archives

Low key cross processed macro photograph of an insect atop a daisy
During a break in the weather clouds part just before sunset coloring the clouds purple and pink in this HDR photograph of the marshes of Cedar Run Dock Road.
A long exposure wide angle landscape photograph taken at night just in front of the lake at Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area. Low clouds race across a sky that's back-dropped with stars.
Landscape photograph of a pastel sunset sky over a summer salt marsh.
Fiery sunset photograph of explosive cloud color over Barnegat Bay.

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