lauren wessel

Portraits of Emi with Colored Light | Baseline /  by Lauren Wessel

I love natural light photography— but sometimes, to think outside the creative box I use unusual setups or materials for portrait photography. To give these portraits a creepy, dark edge, I used several of Home Depot’s selection of basic colored light bulbs screwed into my softbox lights or as overhead bulbs in an unfinished basement. Emi was kind enough to model for my experiment, and together we created these spooky, Blade Runner-esque portraits.

“A blood black nothingness began to spin.
Began to spin.
Let’s move on to system. System.
Feel that in your body. The system.
What does it feel like to be part of the system. System.
Is there anything in your body that wants to resist the system? System.”
— Blade Runner: 2049
“A blood black nothingness.
A system of cells.
Within cells interlinked.
Within one stem.
And dreadfully distinct.
Against the dark.
A tall white fountain played.”
— Blade Runner: 2049

Travel + Landscape | New Orleans /  by Lauren Wessel

 

“The first thing you notice about New Orleans are the burying grounds - the cemeteries - and they're a cold proposition, one of the best things there are here. Going by, you try to be as quiet as possible, better to let them sleep. Greek, Roman, sepulchres- palatial mausoleums made to order, phantomesque, signs and symbols of hidden decay - ghosts of women and men who have sinned and who've died and are now living in tombs. The past doesn't pass away so quickly here. You could be dead for a long time.” ― Bob Dylan

 

I've always had a romantic idea of New Orleans-- you can blame my adolescence poring over Anne Rice novels, where the decadent vampires strolled the streets of the French Quarter or lurked in swamps... so when I finally got to visit the city, that's where my mind went. The French Quarter, the old cemeteries and tombs, and swamps. Of course, I also sought the music, the thrum of jazz and blues... but more than anything I wanted to come to terms with my fantasy of New Orleans in reality. I believe I succeeded-- below are photos from casual strolls from Bywater to the French Quarter, an old pharmacy, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, and the Barataria Preserve in Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.

Travel | Spring in New Harmony, Indiana /  by Lauren Wessel

This spring, my mum and I returned to one of our favorite towns-- New Harmony, Indiana. We've visited New Harmony fairly frequently over the years, stopping into our favorite cafes, restaurants, and shops. The town is very walkable-- in fact, you have to try pretty hard not to walk the whole town during your stay. 

Founded by Harmonists, New Harmony is known for it's blend of art, nature, and spirituality. There are two labyrinths, an open air (roofless) church, walking trails along the Wabash River, and various historical homes and buildings significant to the founding of New Harmony. I won't try and summarize the whole history of the town, but you can check out visitnewharmony.com for more info!

Travel + Landscape | Ireland 2016 /  by Lauren Wessel

Story time: I first went to Ireland in 2012 to do a study abroad semester at the Burren College of Art in County Clare-- it was absolutely life changing and really kick started my travel addiction, and much of my art and photography is still influenced by the experience.

A couple years ago I convinced my mom to take a trip back with me; but unfortunately my grandfather died the day we were meant to fly out... so we rescheduled for spring instead of fall. It turned out to be the trip both of us needed and I was inspired all over again. Revisiting favorite-- sacred, to me and I'm sure many others-- places and discovering new ones!

We started in Dublin-- just in time to catch some of the 1916 Centenary celebrations. From there, we made our way through Counties Wicklow, Cork, Kerry, Clare, and Meath, visiting gorgeous landscapes, castles, and estates.