Urban minimalist photography is all about simplifying, decluttering, stripping everything down to the bare essentials, getting rid of the superficial.
Many of you know my main interest lies in London street photography where the focus is on what’s happening in the photo, the story it tells, but also urban landscapes, capturing a wider, more complex view of the city.
Instead, to me anyway, the goal of minimal photography is purely eye pleasing, it's a very careful consideration of what should be part of the photo and what should be left out.
This aesthetic quality bordering on abstract (minimal / abstract photography tend to often hug each other), is something I have always been attracted to since I picked up a camera.
Living in London has led me to become an urban photographer and some of the architecture that surrounds us is perfectly suited for this genre of photography which contrary to popular belief actually requires a lot of skill and creativity.
When I go out hunting for minimal urban photos I tend to favour a simple sky, ideally blue and free from clouds. That guarantees a smooth background which is one less distraction.
I will then look for a single something I can isolate against that plain background. This can be a lamppost, part of a building, a tree, anything simple which could stand out.
When my focus leans towards architecture, I search for concrete buildings with repetitive elements, simple lines and designs. reducing appearance in the photograph to basic geometric shapes through careful composition.
Sometimes textures or colours which contrast or complement each other, lines painted on the floor converging in the distance or wall panels perfectly matched are enough to make me click.
As long as I can get harmony, balance and simplicity through as little elements as possible, it'll normally yield something I can be happy with.
These images I create somehow calm me down, a little like looking at an empty room.
Our brains, especially in cities, are constantly subjected to an overload of information, a majority is visual, and I find it soothing to create (and look at) something simple yet beautiful which requires very little effort to understand and appreciate.
See the full collection in my Minimal Urban Photography gallery as well as on Instagram!
Contact me to buy gallery quality photos of London!
Nico