9/19/10

Sometimes when I'm out looking for photographs, no matter how badly I want a dynamic space or intriguing situation to capture on film, I can't help but feel compelled to act as a documentarian and capture a specific location strictly for purposes of contributing to the historic record. Such was the case with the photograph of the empty landscape featuring the Cincinnati skyline in the background.

Where this photo was taken used to be apartments, specifically low income apartments. The apartments were torn down so that luxury condominiums could be built in their place. Sort of an old, "out with the riff raff, in with the money," type situation. Anyway, I was riding my bike on the now abandoned street in the photo, when looking around, it occurred to me that at this particular point in time I had in front of me the remnants of one neighborhood awaiting a new one to take its place, with the skyline of the "big city" behind it, complete with its newest addition, the Great American Insurance Building. It seemed at the time I took the photo to be a sort of critical point in history. In eighty years someone will see my photo and realize that there was a time between what used to be there, what is there now, and what was happening across the river at that time, and it's all captured in this one photo. It's like when I look at photos of what my neighborhood looked like when the railroad still ran down the middle of Saratoga St., and thinking in my mind about how it exists today. I find it all incredibly fascinating, and I love that I can be contributing to that.

So, as someone who considers themself an artist, I still have an obligation to make sure such a photo as the one in question is still well made and compositionally strong. I approached the situation with a considered balance of art and informative documentation. I knew the photo was primarily about what existed in the space at the time, but I still wanted it to look good. With this in mind I made sure all elements of the photo were in balance, and only complimented each other.

As for the rest of the photos in this post, I could talk as much about them as I did about the Cincinnati picture. But that would make for entirely too long of a post.

I ask that you offer any criticisms you may have, about any of my photos. I am looking for all the feedback I can get.