I’ve always been a big fan of minimalist ‘design’ photography that matches the philosophy of the object being photographed; usually something sculptural with few external features in light materials on a light background with subtle use of light to highlight the contours of the object. It’s not something I’ve done much of because my product photography style leans more towards one of ‘controlled richness’, however this doesn’t mean one can’t experiment. Today’s photoessay is a little experiment over the course of many months/ cameras with some injected fun randomness; it’s a break from my usual work. The EXIF data of some may surprise you. Enjoy! MT
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Ming Thein | Photographer 
when you decide to take on a genre of photography, it is always nothing short of amazing! love this ming! btw, ive always wondered, did you know your name means tomorrow in chinese?
Thanks. No, it doesn’t mean tomorrow – wrong set of characters…
My predictable question: Which Sinn is that? Looks like titanium…love the strap colour. 😄
Your previous JLC seemed to be sporting a blue strap; do you like to mix up the colours of your watches as much as your photos? 😉
That’s my wife’s 856S on a red Hirsch Princess. But yes, I do like to mix up the colours…
love the challenge in creating something out of everyday. Excellent examples here Ming.
Thanks Dan.
Inspiration with the most ordinary subjects /situations. A good set and the type of work I find you do pretty darn well!
Thanks!
What I take from this that you really lie the Ricoh GR 😛
Yep – the whole line. I’ve had everything since the GR1v
It probably won’t surprise you to hear me say that I love these kinds of photos! 🙂 I think this is a very pure kind of photography. A couple of them remind me of Eggleston’s Red Ceiling, too.
Not at all; thanks Andre.
I shoot these kind of images all the time 😉 It’s a great use for an iPhone camera. I should share them more I suppose, if my adhd lets me remember to.
Images are meant to be seen 🙂
Except the bad ones, I suppose …. self-curation and all that 😉
During a busy day (I am an attorney) I had a minute to come to the site and read this post. Going from the complex happenings of what I was dealing with to the simple visual experiences in these photos was well…relaxing.
Thanks Ming…I think you brought my blood pressure down a few points!
Thanks John, relaxation is always a good thing!
Great photography opens people’s eyes. Suddenly you can see things that you didn’t before or just skipped over. Your short portfolio suggests that it’s “Okay” to take photos like this; not a waste of time. I too have often seen potential images like this when walking around with a camera, usually for other purposes. The upper corners of interiors often catch my attention, as if someone accidentally created a piece of art without realizing it. I’ve stopped and take photos just to see if the image would match my “live” perception. And here’s the rub: more often than not, no. It’s hard to translate what you think would make a good image into one that turns out that way when you look at it. The ones you’ve selected here clearly pass that test, which is not news to you. Takes skill, thought, and experience, I suppose, with some quality post processing as well. Not to mention the original angle and light with which the shot was taken. Thanks for showing one of my favorites, what was called earlier as the Lamp # 2. It may very well be one of my favorite photos out of all the photos I’ve ever seen, not just yours. Is this just my own personal bias? It’s hard to say exactly what does the trick with this photo. All your essays on what makes a good photograph apply, of course, but it’s the combination, then some extra “plus” that makes this shot for me. I would call it the “Orange lamp on blue and grey with red cord.” Change any of those elements and what’s there is gone. Hope you don’t mind if I downloaded it to look at once in a while. Meanwhile, you’ve done something that a good blog/web site is supposed to do: You’ve encouraged me to keep looking in he corners and try again. It’s okay.
Thank you. I think we need to view all subjects as equal opportunity: everything decomposes to light, shape and colour in the end. What does it matter if it’s a Bugatti or a trash bin? If anything, the random urban tableau is going to be more unique and non-repeatable.
Lamp #2 has a very graphic quality to it that just somehow works for me; I think it’s the complimentary colours and the hardness of definition of the different elements. A print can certainly be arranged if you’re interested, though it won’t be an Ultraprint as there isn’t enough resolution for that.
I really like the lamp, #2.
I guess that “I really like the lamp, #2” says the same thing in less words!
Was it Thomas Jefferson who said in a letter that he would have made it shorter, but he did not have enough time?
Mark Twain
I believe it was Mark Twain.
Usually attributed to Mark Twain, but see this:
http://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/04/28/shorter-letter/
Thanks!
You are right Ming… exif surprised me. Wonderful pictures. I love the simplicity of the objects, captured with your eyes.
oliver 2.0
Thank you!
I like this type of subject, too. Nice images, Ming. I particularly like the orange, B&W wood, and the bathroom shots. The patterns and shadow/lighting in partial abstraction. The colour rendering in the lamp shot is also appealing. Lovely.
Thanks!
Awesome. That is all.
Thanks!
Great job!
Wonderful series Ming! Excellent work.
Thanks Eric!