Photography Style
O’Hara’s photography style is characterized by a blend of adventure, exploration, and an eye for capturing the unusual or the often overlooked. Here’s a breakdown of her style:
- Exploratory: O’Hara’s technique involves getting lost in various locales to discover new subjects, suggesting a spontaneous and adventurous approach to her photography. This exploration leads to a wide range of subjects, from urban decay to natural landscapes, often highlighting elements that are not immediately obvious or commonly photographed.
- Fine Art Influence: Being classically trained, her work has a fine art sensibility. This can be seen in her composition, use of light, and the aesthetic quality of her images, which often convey a narrative or evoke an emotion. Her photographs might lean towards the surreal or poetic, capturing moments that feel both timeless and immediate.
- Documentary Elements: While her photography is personal and artistic, there’s an undercurrent of documentary photography in her work. She captures slices of life, moments in time, or the essence of a place, providing insights into different cultures, environments, or social conditions without explicit commentary.
- Minimalism and Simplicity: Despite the complexity of her subjects, O’Hara often employs a minimalist approach where the composition is clean, focusing on one or two main elements to tell the story. This simplicity helps in emphasizing the subject, making even the mundane appear extraordinary.
- Black and White Photography: O’Hara occasionally uses black and white, which adds a layer of timelessness to her work, focusing on textures, contrasts, and the mood of the scene rather than color.
- Emphasis on Atmosphere: Her photographs often have a strong atmospheric quality, whether it’s the fog of an early morning, the starkness of an abandoned site, or the intimate details of human life. This attention to atmosphere enhances the emotional impact of her images.
- Unconventional Subjects: She has a knack for finding beauty or interest in unconventional subjects, from peeling paint on walls to the chaos of urban sprawl, reflecting a deep appreciation for the overlooked aspects of our surroundings.
O’Hara’s style, therefore, isn’t just about capturing an image but about telling a story, evoking a feeling, or sparking curiosity in the viewer about the world around them. Her work on Thirtysix.pics is a testament to her unique vision and approach to photography.