Hilary Wiech / Artist Statement

In this series of photographs I am attempting to create limited, intimate moments in the landscape as a way to construct a subjective, engaged experience of nature. I create this subjective vantage point by taking pictures while walking through a place and choosing close-up views that communicate what it is like being in the midst of nature rather than opting for a panoramic approach that I call the grand view. I define the grand view as a genre of landscape photography that gives precedence to an omnipotent vantage point, looking out at an unimpeded vista where dramatic moments are highlighted through perfected printing.

To create a subjective vantage point I chose a specific camera. The medium format Holga camera, made of plastic, brings various effects to the photographs that help me create this engaged viewpoint. The poor lens quality creates a vignetting effect that produces dark shadows in the corners of the photograph. This vignetting gives the feeling that the photograph is surrounding the viewer, drawing them into the center of the image. The camera’s limited depth of field creates a soft focus around the edges, which also brings the viewers eye to the center of the photograph. I believe that this limited focus is similar to the way the human eye sees, focusing only on what is directly being looked at thus helping the photograph feel like it is from a single human perspective. The grand view type landscape image with its infinite depth of field is the opposite; we do not sense the act of seeing. My Holga camera tends to make the color in my photographs appear unnatural.. The plastic lens of the camera distorts light as it hits the negative creating a unique blending of color that, while not resembling how we see color in a literal sense, to me represents how color is seen while moving and therefore heightens the sense of being in the midst of the walk.

When I aim my camera I attempt to be very close to the subject and by choosing to photograph in this manner, I am evoking smaller episodes within the landscape, highlighting the textures and the light that define each moment. As I go on a walk I look for these moments and avoid landscapes that give an omnipotent vantage points. Each photograph is arepresentation of the experience of being engulfed in the natural world.

Hilary Wiech ST. MARY'S PROJECT 2007
	Artist Statement Bibliography Image Gallery Home Close Portfoilio (and return to SMP 2007 index)	Artist Abstract / In the Landscape In this series of photographs I am attempting to create limited, intimate moments in the landscape as a way to construct a subjective, engaged experience of nature. I create this subjective vantage point by taking pictures while walking through a place and choosing close-up views that communicate what it is like being in the midst of nature rather than opting for a panoramic approach that I call the grand view. I define the grand view as a genre of landscape photography that gives precedence to an omnipotent vantage point, looking out at an unimpeded vista where dramatic moments are highlighted through perfected printing. To create a subjective vantage point I chose a specific camera. The medium format Holga camera, made of plastic, brings various effects to the photographs that help me create this engaged viewpoint. The poor lens quality creates a vignetting effect that produces dark shadows in the corners of the photograph. This vignetting gives the feeling that the photograph is surrounding the viewer, drawing them into the center of the image. The camera’s limited depth of field creates a soft focus around the edges, which also brings the viewers eye to the center of the photograph. I believe that this limited focus is similar to the way the human eye sees, focusing only on what is directly being looked at thus helping the photograph feel like it is from a single human perspective. The grand view type landscape image with its infinite depth of field is the opposite; we do not sense the act of seeing. My Holga camera tends to make the color in my photographs appear unnatural.. The plastic lens of the camera distorts light as it hits the negative creating a unique blending of color that, while not resembling how we see color in a literal sense, to me represents how color is seen while moving and therefore heightens the sense of being in the midst of the walk. When I aim my camera I attempt to be very close to the subject and by choosing to photograph in this manner, I am evoking smaller episodes within the landscape, highlighting the textures and the light that define each moment. As I go on a walk I look for these moments and avoid landscapes that give an omnipotent vantage points. Each photograph is arepresentation of the experience of being engulfed in the natural world. Click Here for PDF Version of Full Length Artist Statement
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