Abstract Visions: Creating Art In-Camera

I wanted to use my camera to create art inspired by artists — to paint with photography using line, texture, colour, and light.

This project was all about having fun in-camera with multiple exposure techniques, exploring how photography can reinterpret established art in fresh, unexpected ways.

Inspiration from Henry Moore Sculptures

The Henry Moore Studios and Gardens are just a short drive away — have you been yet? Have a look at the website for more inspiration - https://henry-moore.org/studios-and-gardens/

Entry is £19.50, but it lasts for a whole year.

I spent a bright afternoon photographing the incredible shapes and textures of Moore’s sculptures. Following a suggestion from Jonathan Vaines, I used these forms as the basis for multiple-exposure abstracts — experimenting with different exposures for each frame in the series. The result? Some fascinating shifts in colour and tone.

The lines and textures created rich, deep image quality, though not always strong compositions at first. One of the challenges was the bright sky, which made balancing exposures tricky. Henry Moore’s mastery of line and negative space was something I wanted to echo — but capturing that balance proved harder than expected.

By changing angles and viewpoints, I found compositions that worked better. One image, in particular, gave me a real sense of negative space — I called it Eye.

Finally, I arranged a selection of images into a Typology (what Glenys Garnett calls a grid of related images). This helped me see patterns and rhythm emerge across the set.

Method in my Madness

For these shots, I used the following settings.

Camera Lens	28-75mm f/2.8
Shutter Speed	Between 1/50 and 1/100
ISO	100 (It was a bright day)
Aperture	Between f/3.5 and f/9 depending on the composition

I shot in Manual mode (though Aperture Priority with exposure compensation would have worked too). Using the camera’s multiple exposure feature, I combined three images in Average Blend mode, adjusting exposure between -1 and +1 to enhance texture and depth. Between each frame, I rotated the camera slightly — sometimes 90° or even 180° — for abstract variety.

In Lightroom, I fine-tuned the histogram and boosted texture; in Photoshop, I subtly coloured over any blown-out highlights. The final collage was made using InCollage on my iPhone (£30 a year).

In Collage - Click for iOS app

A Trip to the Fair

My next inspiration came from Jackson Pollock — I wanted to capture the colour and chaos of fairground rides through multiple exposure.

The result is a Typology that may be a bit ‘Marmite’, but I love how it conveys the energy, colour, and movement of a bustling fairground. It’s vibrant, a little wild — and that’s exactly the spirit I was aiming for.

Method in my Madness (Fairground Edition)

For this series, I used a custom setting for basic intentional camera movement, but this time the rides were doing the moving — not me!

Camera Lens	28-75mm f/2.8
Shutter Speed	1/2 sec
ISO	100
Aperture	f9

Once again, I used three exposures blended in Average mode, rotating the camera slightly between each frame. In Lightroom, I balanced the histogram and added texture; in Photoshop, I gently corrected blown whites. The final Typology collage was created in Lightroom’s Print module.

Final Thoughts

Both projects reminded me how much creative freedom lies within the camera itself. Working in-camera — rather than relying heavily on post-processing — lets you play, experiment, and rediscover photography as a medium for expression rather than mere documentation.