The Nordic countries in Europe. The North. What does it evoke in you? For me, the North is nowadays more than just geography. It’s a way of seeing, feeling, and experiencing. A place where, yes, a cliché, less truly becomes more. The North, for me, is about calmness, light, or no light, and silence. It’s an area where I always feel space around me, a kind of emptiness that brings peace. There’s snow, darkness, and sometimes it’s beyond incredibly cold. However, there is simplicity and a sense of timelessness, and my photography tries to reflect all of that – that feeling. Minimalistic, imaginative, and two-dimensional; flat, graphic, quiet. My simple interpretation of – and how I feel about – the North
Use High-Key Photography and Minimalism to Evoke Emotion
In this article, I’ll share how I use high-key photography not just as a technical choice, but to create that feeling. I try to simplify reality by removing, or rather ignoring, elements and details to reduce the frame to only what’s essential and draw immediate focus to the subject. Minimalism. Let’s explore how.
Minimalism in photography isn’t about having less; it’s about revealing more by removing what are, in my opinion, distractions. It’s about creating space: space for the subject to breathe, and space for the viewer to pause and feel. In the following section, I’ll share a few practical tips I often use to bring simplicity into my work. They’re not strict rules, as the creative mind doesn’t fit in a box or, in terms of photography, a grid, but guiding ideas to help you focus on what matters in an image. Think of them as suggestions, things that work for me but might not necessarily work for you. This is simply my perspective. A vision. Minimalistic. Imaginative. Two-dimensional.
Simple, Simpler, Simplest
Simple, simpler, simplest – slowly but surely, and thus in three steps. Simplicity is something you grow into, step by step. The more you practice, the more confident you become in daring to leave things out, trusting that what remains is enough and powerful.
But let’s be clear: simple is never boring. On the contrary, simplicity often makes an image stronger, more emotional, and thus more memorable. That’s why it’s worth asking yourself: What does this image truly need to be powerful? Start by aiming for a clean frame: a composition built around a single visual focal point. Then pause and consider: “Is there anything else I can leave out from the frame?” This process can happen in the field by changing your position slightly, moving a few steps left or right, tilting your camera just a little, or even lying flat on the ground to exclude a distracting background or foreground. You could frame your subject against a neutral background, for example, snow or the clouds in the sky. And if you cannot make it happen in the moment, in the field, then do it later during processing by cropping, simplifying tones, or selectively erasing distracting elements. As I’ve said, minimalism is not about having less for the sake of it; it’s about removing everything that doesn’t serve or strengthen the image.
Look Beyond Color and Convert an Image to Monochrome or Black and White
Not every subject or image benefits from being converted to black and white. Take a butterfly bursting with color – any Fritillary, a common blue, or a swallowtail, for example. In black and white, much of their character is lost. But when the subject lends itself to it, the result can be amazing. The key is to look beyond the color itself and ask yourself: “Does this image rely on color to be impactful? Or can it be more impactful without it?” A mountain hare in winter, with hardly any visible color aside from the soft pinkish tones inside the ears or the bits of yellow beneath the paws? That’s a different story. In that case, a monochrome or black-and-white approach can amplify the mood, the silence, the harmony, and the focus.
One tool I regularly use for this is Silver Efex Pro, which offers precise control over contrast, structure, and black-and-white tonality – all crucial when working without color. In the end, black and white should not be a fallback. It should be a creative choice – one that works best when made deliberately.
Geometric Shapes and Lines as Minimalistic Building Blocks
Basic geometric forms such as angles, triangles, circles, and lines are associated with minimalistic design and photography. These shapes and lines provide clarity, structure, and balance, offering a strong visual area to focus on. When composing your image, try framing it with – or just around – one distinct shape, or perhaps even just part of one, for example, a curve that suggests a half-circle or just a quarter of a circle. Shapes and lines guide the eye, though they also contribute to a sense of scale.
The Power of Repetition and Symmetry
In minimalistic photography, repetition – whether symmetrical or mirrored – is one of the most effective tools to create rhythm, order, and a sense of playfulness, fostering emotion without adding clutter or complexity. A series of lines, shapes, multiple similar subjects, or even the subtlest recurring pattern can become interesting, sometimes even hypnotic to look at, like the image of the common guillemots.
Negative Space, Isolation, and Visual Balance
Negative space, isolation, and visual balance refer to what we call “breathing space” around a subject. By choosing to include more negative space, you not only enhance the aesthetics but also amplify the sense of isolation, making the image feel even more artistic and minimalistic. In fact, what we call isolation in minimalist photography could also be described as strengthening the connection with the subject – and the subject only – though admittedly, that sounds so incredibly theoretical. Still, that’s exactly what isolation does: like the other techniques, it guides both the eye and the mind towards what is often a single focal point. Because minimalistic images contain so few elements, the subject must carry more emotional weight and create that wow effect. One way to achieve this is by choosing subjects that express fragility, vulnerability, rarity, or evoke a sense of danger, mystery, solitude, or even something mystical. Think of elusive or endangered species, like the great gray owl captured here on freshly fallen snow. Such subjects create an emotional response quicker because of their rarity and sought-after status. That wow effect.
Negative space or isolation doesn’t necessarily mean that a large part of the image has to be a single color, white, or black. There can still be something visually attractive, something that captures your attention without it becoming the subject itself.
In the image below, the white-throated dipper is placed small within the frame, surrounded by a calm, visually interesting, uniform environment. The simplicity of the setting supports the subject, rather than competing with it.
All in all, minimalism invites us to slow down, to really look. It challenges us to be selective, intentional, and bold in what we choose to include and what we choose to ignore. In my opinion, what’s not in the frame says just as much as what is: about the subject, the moment, the feeling, and about the one behind the camera – you.
