Abstraction: To express the qualities of an object or scene through form and color (or lack of color) vs. a pictorial representation.

Well, that's one definition. It's a tough thing to define because there are limitless levels of interpretation and techniques. Abstractions can be found in any artistic or expressive media including poetry and music, even philosophy.

For me, abstraction is both the paring down and broadening of artistic language to present an image that expresses the sensory qualities of a place, beyond just a visual record. While a straightforward image might record details with some accuracy, it may fall short of conveying more emotive qualities.

With no obvious representation of objects, abstractions rely on the viewer's associations with color, texture, and form to assign meaning. The viewer must cooperate by allowing associations to occur. Ideally, the cooperation between artist and viewer will result in a more emotive response, a dialogue that goes beyond what the eye is seeing.

In these examples, I've used long shutter speeds along with camera movement to express the dynamic and ephemeral nature of waves as they approach the shore. Of course, these really have nothing to do with waves. I'll leave it to you to decide on their meaning.