DAY 28

PHOTOGRAPHIC CURIOSITIES

Impressionistic Photography

USING SMEAR TACTICS TO GREAT EFFECT

The photographs of Claudia Adeath recall the paintings of impressionist masters such as Van Gogh and Monet. Remarkably, she does not rely on digital editing to alter the images: The distorted effect is created during the shoot itself by nudging the camera with artful precision.

Some images have a rushed feel to them, as those of the series “Remains,” which serve as a commentary on modern life. Adeath describes the subject matter as “humans left behind by the frantic flow of time.” Other photos present a unique pastoral tranquility.

The Mexico City native reports that this technique has taken years to develop and is a work in progress. The idea is to capture an image that is the perfect medium between excessive distortion and a simple clear shot. Adeath states that she achieves the best results with settings illuminated by soft, diluted natural light. She focuses on a fixed point and uses a camera motion that is vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or rotational, depending on her subject, to “smear” the image.

The significant divergence from impressionistic painting has to do with technique: Adeath must produce the desired effect with one crucial movement of the camera rather than countless meticulous brushstrokes. Furthermore, the natural light must hit the subject perfectly to create the ideal colors. As such, the photographer captures the precise, fleeting moment at which an object “naturally appears the most impressionistic.” —DJS