The Chromatic Minimalism Manifesto

Chromatic minimalism – or minimalistic color photography, whatever you will. I’ve seen the term in some texts referring to photographs that show few colors, or even referring to black and white photographs. And I’ve also seen it in texts that have nothing to do with photography at all. But I present it here as something different. I propose that it be used as an alternative to the black and white aesthetics in photography. I propose it as referring to pictures that, though shot in colors, avoid the excess of chromatic information.

But the goal is not simply to avoid the excess of colors. It is to try and find aesthetic effects through the contrast between two or three dominant colors in the photograph. I therefore present the “blue versus green”, the “brown versus lilac”, and so on, as options to the “black versus white” or the “light versus dark” aesthetics. And the pursuit of a tension between the colors has a reason to exist. It is the assumption that this kind of photograph would just not have the same impact if it were to be seen in B&W.

Would it be an “anti-Salgado” way of photographing? I don’t think so. I’m not against the B&W counter-light that Sebastião Salgado captures so well in his photographs. And no one could deny the quality of his work or his great influence over the modern aesthetics of photography. (I’ve made myself some experiences with B&W, counter-light photography. Everybody wants to shoot in B&W like him. That’s specially appealing to Brazilian photographers.) But the chromatic minimalism I have in mind is to some extent opposed to the B&W aesthetics.

I present below my proposals to what chromatic minimalism (as I conceive it) should stand for:

- B&W is not chromatic minimalism. B&W is B&W.

- There must be two dominant colors in the photograph. Three is acceptable provided that one of them is either black or white.

- Black and white should not be the two dominant colors; otherwise it would be better to shoot in B&W, not in colors.

- There must be a contrast, a tension between the dominant colors. That’s what makes them dominant. One adds value to the other.
- Computer enhancing information that already is in the photograph is OK; computer modifying it is not. Specially if it implies changing the original colors of what you’ve captured. A pink cow at a blue pasture for example. Besides revealing a questionable artistic taste, it doesn’t fit what I propose. (Not that I’m against Photoshop or similar applications, but the chromatic minimalism must be pursuited before you press the shutter button, not by digital trickery afterwards.)

- Combining elements in focus with elements out of focus in the photograph is welcome.

There’s one more thing. Photographing in B&W is a question of choice. But that’s not the case when it comes to chromatic minimalism. Sometimes I don’t decide that I will photograph in CM. I simply realize I’ve done it after doing it. Some other times I do try to photograph in CM, but the need to show more colors imposes itself as a better choice at that particular moment.

That’s why only a few of the pictures I take I would file under CM. It’s not like switching from color to B&W film or changing the image recording settings of your digital SLR from color to B&W. It’s about having the chance and trying to do it. And sometimes it’s doing it by instinct and then realizing you’ve done it. So it’s not just a question of choosing, it’s also a question of having the chance to do it. And that’s what is cool about it.