Minimalism in Photography - Hugh Rooney

Bangor Photographic Society recently enjoyed an inspiring presentation on minimalist photography by our own long-standing member, Hugh Rooney. He also obtained a Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society (FRPS) in 2022. 

Exhibiting images from his own portfolio, Hugh demonstrated how stripping an image to its bare essentials creates profound visual impact.

Landscape photography is Hugh's favourite genre, defined by a small subject set against vast negative space. He frequently captures striking images from local spots, including Crawfordsburn, Holywood, the iconic Rihanna tree, and Lawson's jetty, as well as other places further away. 

To achieve his signature, serene appeal, he often relies on flat skies and water. These deliberate long exposures smooth out movement, leaving either subtle textures or clean tones within the negative space. Hugh prefers his minimalist images to have very little or no texture in the water or sky. Hugh also mentioned that these compositions can be executed effectively in either high key or low key.

Embracing modern technology alongside traditional methods, he also shared how he has used the Re-expose app on his iPhone, which captures and blends multiple photos to create a similar long exposure effect.

Beyond landscapes, Hugh highlighted that minimalism spans multiple genres recognized in photography awards, including architecture, conceptual art, nature, and street photography.

Throughout the evening, he showed us how precise framing turns structures into abstract art and how placing a solitary subject against a minimalist backdrop builds immediate solitude. His presentation served as a masterclass in visual discipline, proving that patience, intentional composition, and leaving things out of the frame are the true keys to powerful imagery and Hugh’s presentation provided members of the Bangor Photographic Society with a masterclass in visual discipline. By demonstrating how to utilize long exposures, negative space, and local landmarks, he proved that less is indeed more across multiple genres of photography. On behalf of the club, we would like to thank Hugh for such an inspiring talk and sharing his wonderful images with us. 

You can see more of Hugh's images on his website . https://hughrooney.com

On Friday, 9th October, we have Vittorio Silvestri joining us with his presentation. "Kerry, worth the visit ?. "

Leanne Simpson

Information officer