Keep it simple

We must always keep in mind that photography is a language and as such we must use it.

The simplicity principle in psychology. In psychology and cognitive science, the simplicity principle posits that the mind draws interpretations of the world, mental models or mental representations, that are as simple as possible, or, at least, that are biased towards simplicity (Chater, 1997; Chater & Vitányi, 2003)

Referring to Gestalt psychology the law of simplicity indicates that elements are always perceived in the most easiest way possible. Simplicity of the whole emphasizes the importance of striking features. This can be used as an advantage on a photograph. Keep it simple and the focus on what really matters. it is something I remind always to my students.

It is not a question of fulfilling a minimalist approach, but rather that of making what we want to show effective and immediately understandable to the observer. Observe this image:

Pink - Mexico City, 2021

I wanted to show the feeling of calm that the pastel tone of the girl's jacket gives me. In getting very close to the subject I tried to make evident a simplicity of the shot that even if it has other fundamental elements inside it we still observe what the main subject is and is. In counting with a wider aperture the bokeh obtained softens the colors of the context becoming homogeneous and contiguous.

Lips - Mexico City, 2021

Shortly before the photo of the pink jacket I had taken this photo by cutting it so as to show only a detail of the entire billboard. In making a crop of this type I get the result of going straight to the point, and at the same time I am making a precise choice that dictates what I want to show. I appropriate a part of the image by making a close up, effectively creating a new image. In this case the operation I like to call it a sampling because it starts from an existing image. According to Daido Moriyama if I take a photo of a photo it is a photo that is mine.