How Little Does It Take?

I love out-of-focus, overexposed images. It is weird fetish, but it allows me to find gems where others would see only trash. Because of this unusual fascination, I started wondering how little visual information is needed for the viewer to know what is in the image.

Can a few black lines portray a person?




I've been a fan of Hitchcock since I was a kid. The caricature of him has always been a part of my visual reference. It is perfect. Not too much...not too little. The artist included everything needed with nothing extra. The ability to edit ones work is an important skill for any artist.

I notice the Hitchcock caricature finds it's way into my work on occasion. I am always looking for simple, graphic images that contain more information than would immediately seem. Recently, I captured this image at a wedding. I told the bride her mother might not recognize her, but I'm really pleased with it.