Abstract Landscape Photography
Abstract landscape photography offers big emotions for intimate landscapes.
See the exquisite detail of our natural world with the beautiful abstract landscapes below.
“My emotions, instincts, and interests are all with nature.”
"You are Like the River." The path you take through lifes ups and downs are like the river. Sometimes smooth, other times raging. But the more you flow easily, the more peace you add to the world. Enjoy the journey downstream with this soothing abstract close-up from the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.
"Delicate Lacework." The late afternoon sun lights up the tops of aspens that have lost their fall color, creating an intricate lacy white pattern with their branches. Sunlight has an amazing ability to showcase what nature would like to show you.
"Standing Strong." Gothic Mountain is kissed by the last rays of day, and surrounded with a meadow of aspens in autumn yellows. Symbolically, since aspens share a root system, they share with us the importance of a sense of community. Together, we stand strong.
"Fall's Confetti." A golden carpet of fallen aspen leaves lines a this dirt road like confetti after a celebration. The passage of another season is worthy of commemorating. You've turned onto roads you weren't familiar with and experienced new sensations. You are alive!
"Canyon Glow." Sunset light in the Grand Canyon shifts, lightly touching a few plateaus before heading to bed. Meanwhile, the Colorado River continues to push through the canyon, regardless of day or night.
"Light and Shadow." The juxtaposition of opposites. As the morning sun hits the plateaus, the shadows advance up the cliff walls at the south rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Like a symphony of building and fading, the lines lead your eye up and down in the appeal of the mysterious darkness giving way to the light.
"Oasis at Elves Chasm." A scramble of a hike up boulders finally awards us with greenery and flowers that should not exist in the dry southwest. Deep in the Grand Canyon, I am tired but amazed. Only elves could create and maintain such a lush garden in this dry place.
"Seasons Shift." How fast the seasons shift! Here's a pivotal moment when a pond with green of summer grasses and lily pads welcomes incoming fall colors.
"Liminal Space." The in-between times of change can be full of contradictions. Be open and trust this state of transition. Though it may seem frustrating, as though nothing is happening, that's where so much transformation takes place.
"Exposed to the Elements." Two juniper trees on a rocky ledge are being enveloped by storm clouds at the south rim of the Grand Canyon. A gorgeous scene of living fully despite of all that goes on around us.
"Grand Promise." A rainbow forms from deep in the Grand Canyon, reaching up to the rain clouds above. Hang this photo where a hopeful message would be appreciated.
"Passion Runs High." The rush of the rapids in the Colorado River looks chaotic and turbulent. If you are looking for the energy of passion and emotional growth, let this abstract river rapid set the pace.
"Determination." Deep in the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River, a lone tree lives in the close confines of North Canyon's exfoliated sandstone walls. During the monsoon season each year, there is potential for flash floods sending boulders down this narrow chasm. Regulars down the river have seen times when the tree was literally ripped to the roots. But it continues to grow. A stunning piece of wall art to reinforce the message of determination.
"Smooth and Rough." The glassy-look of water that precedes a rapid hypnotizes you. A fleeting calm before the rapid wakes you up. The Grand Canyon offers smooth and rough in one journey.
"Lopsided." You might think I took this after a few drinks, but this is how the Grand Canyon really looks down below. Massive geological events have moved heaven and earth, quite literally.
"Surging Forward." There's no doubt why this sandstone appears jagged at water's edge. The Colorado River surges past North Canyon Rapids in a rush. Such energy and ability to carve a canyon with the force of water, drop by drop.
"Leaving a Footprint." See the arc in the puzzle pieces in the mud cracks? A small animal walked through mud of a receding pond. What emotional footprints do we leave in our walk through life? A simple but stunning abstract photo print to highlight our potential for having a lasting impact as we walk through life.
"Ancestral Light." Hilltop Indian Ruin on the Escalante Trail deep in the Grand Canyon is showcased by the setting sun lighting up the rock walls during a magic moment. Stunning abstract landscape art that will catch attention and stir the imagination in your home.
"Nature's Screen Time #1." Swaying in a tropical breeze, don't palm tree fronds just remind you of vacation? We love them for the shade, but as art, they offer symmetry and balance that soothes our mind.
"Nature's Screen Time #2." If you want to replace the tiny screen you stare at more than you'd care to think about, how about this for a place to rest your eyes?
"Nature's Screen Time #3." Isn't nature amazing in how she can build patterns? My eye is taken up, down, over, and around in the simplicity of palm fronds. So relaxing.
"Tousled Sheets." Pull those sheets over your head to quiet the world around you. Soft folds and ripples like silky sheets give a serene moment to escape and drift off into your own dream world.
"Ephemeral Perfection." The calm after the storm, wind-swept to perfection. Soft light accentuates the curves and ripples. Perfection for this moment in time. Every grain of sand in place. A testament to enjoying the present moment.
"Slalom." I visualize a skier taking this curve at a velocity I'd cringe at. I supose the fall would be soft. But then again, the point is not to fall. That is precisely why I'm an abstract photographer, not a skier.
"Seductive Curve." A close up of a sand dune in Death Valley shows off a feminine curve and seductive shadow. Subtle folds move closer as though attempting to cover up this flirtatious arc.
"Sci Fi Forest." The matrix code has taken over the forest. Pine trees are assimilated. Is this a force field or a forest field?
"Curve Ahead." Slowing down before you enter the curve gives you more control of the situation. And that increases your confidence and reduces fear and anxiety. A fun autumn art print to remind you to take it easy.
"Arches Upon Arches." Star Trails arc above the Arches National Park landscape in a surreal setting. Open up to the possibilities of this otherworldly muse to spark your creativity.
"Sands of Time." The Grand Canyon layers continue to evolve from solid fortress walls to grains of fine sand. Change takes time. Reinforce your patience with this subtle wall art.
"Tempest Stone." What looks like Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park is transformed into a landscape of pietersite stone. In gemstone meanings, pietersite is a stone of wisdom, increasing intuitive powers. Welcome this wisdom into your world.
"Tree of Time." A stately live oak tree like this one in Charleston, South Carolina can live for centuries. A powerful image to display reminding you of strength.
"Good Neighbors." The charm of walking through Charleston, South Carolina is peaking down the walkways in between homes. Invite the neighborly southern feeling into your home with this inviting print.
"Opposites Attract." Dogwoods blossoming in spring look lacey against the rough texture of ponderosa bark. Bring the beauty of spring in Yosemite National Park into your home.
"Doing and Being." There is water and there is motion. A wave could not be unless both existed. Ponder on doing and being with this beautiful wave image.
"Heart Beat." A frozen wave splashes up a heart-felt message. The perfect gift to adorn a wall and send a message of love each and every day.
"Open Door." A slow-motion capture of waves crashing against the pillars of Scripps Pier. In the distance, there is an open door to the ocean. If you are looking to remember your San Diego vacation or wall art for a ocean lover, open the door to this image.
"Transparency." A simple wave crashing into the beach with a touch of transparency. An image with the simple message to be open and vulnerable, and that you have nothing to hide.
"Why Rush Hour?" The California Coaster rushes by Torrey Pines State Beach carrying commuters at sunset. I imagine how they look out longingly to the beach and the sun setting over the water. A gentle reminder on your wall to slow down and enjoy the moment.
"Shadow Traits." Moody layers are enveloped by sheets of rain. Shadow and depth in the Grand Canyon at sunset mimic our own layers of traits. A contemplative art piece to explore your shadows.
"Photo Bomb." I didn't realize that as I captured these stoic mittens at Monument Valley while the sun was setting that a distant storm photo bombed my shot with a lightning bolt. Nature has a sense of humor. Enjoy the glow of sunset and the bolt of surprise on your wall.
"One NIght in the Starlight." The symbolic starry night in an elegant nativity silhouette of the wise men visting Joseph, Mary, and newborn Jesus.
"A Million Wishes." Wish I may, wish I might, fill the sky with stars tonight. What a beautiful way to lull yourself to sleep.
Intimate landscapes bring you closer to the land.
Abstract landscape photography nudges you to embrace the wonder in the natural world.
Eliot Porter coined “intimate landscapes” and introduced America to focus on the grand landscapes’ detail. Sweeping vistas offer stunning views, but less is more in abstract nature photos. Trying to capture those big scenes overwhelms me. Instead, my style is seeking a smaller story. The middle ground between the big vista and the tight close-ups requires us to consider what contributes to the big picture.
Enjoying the grand landscape, I look around for the vignettes to try to create something new. Then, if I’m lucky, I find myself in the right place at the right time and witness an unrepeatable moment. For instance, I wanted to photograph an ancestral ruin in the Grand Canyon. I’d never been to that location before. As I assessed the scene, I wasn’t sure if the ruin would go into darkness as the sun set behind the canyon walls. The setting sun lit up the top of the hill and ran a beam of light right to the structure in front of me. But only for a few seconds.
Beautiful abstract nature is all around us.
But to capture that beauty, we have to pay attention. I remind myself to walk around from different angles. Perspective was a lesson that an old building tried to teach me. I took a photo of an old lumber mill, thinking the antique glass in the windows would make an excellent abstract close-up shot. But, as I worked with my camera, I was confused. Why did the color blue keep showing up in my photos? Then I stepped away from my camera and backed up. What I failed to see right off was that this old building was trying to show me the reflection and how beautiful the blue sky over the meadow behind me was in the glowing afternoon sun. So I took a lesson that day on perspectives.
Intimate landscape photos remind us of connection.
We spend so much time inside. But we can still surround ourselves with abstract landscape photography in our homes and offices as a reminder of our connection with the natural world. Abstract landscape photos reinforce our gratitude for the beauty in nature and the wonder of special moments we get to experience out there.
When you seek simplicity in your decor, look for a place where abstract landscape photography can help you convey mood and emotion. Isolated elements like a single tree, a lone structure, a crashing wave, or a close-up of a sensual curve in dunes form a simplified scene; this pulls you into the story and connects you with nature. Abstract landscape photography is like bringing the outside indoors to work its magic on calming and bathing you in wonder.