Saturday, March 26, 2011

Understanding an Obsession - Omaha, NE

The more I practice photography, the more I understand my aesthetic preferences. Last week, while in Omaha, Nebraska, I visited the historic Boystown campus. As usual, I took pictures of architecture and scenery that moved me. However, this time I noticed that I have a small photographic obsession - the juxtaposition of textured or detailed objects with classically beautiful backgrounds.

What I love about this technic is that it moves focus away from our expectations of beauty. What is beauty anyway? I often ask myself this question. More times than not, I find myself inspired by my answer and the fact that it varies depending on my mood. The iconic photographer Elliott Erwitt stated it best when he said, " . . . to me, photography is an art of observation . . . I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them."

Below are two examples of my style obsession in which I used Chambers Chapel in Boystown as my backdrop.

As a photographer, or lover of, what are some of your aesthetic leanings? Do you find yourself inspired by similar items, compositions, lighting technics or colors?

- S. Christine