Photos that Inspire

Several weeks ago in class, we looked at several photographers’ portfolio websites. While perusing through Tim Davis’s webpage and photo portfolio, I came across a section entitled “The New Antiquity,” which consisted of traditional images that were revamped with the photographer’s style in mind. As a concept that intrigues me in photography, I clicked the section and was startled to see an incredible series of photographs. I found one, entitled “Gold Flecked Web” to be particularly captivating and even inspiring. Several things both struck and inspired me when I came across Davis’ photograph, including the natural feel of the shot, the organic nature of the subject matter, the moods and memories that they evoked, and the transcendence of the image.

In my opinion, photographs that transcend an image and evoke thoughts are the ones that are powerful, inspirational and stand out in my mind. Davis’ photograph was inspiring in the sense that a simple photograph can evoke a powerful mood. The lighting and setting in this photograph give it a mysterious feel and makes me feel almost nostalgic about finding old spiderwebs in corners at my grandmother’s house. ture. What initially took me aback me about the photograph was the visual impact, but more specifically, the beauty in its simultaneous simplicity and complexity. The photograph simply depicts a spiderweb perched on a wall, creeping up onto a bicycle’s handlebars, yet upon a closer look, it becomes much more than that. At first, it seems as though Davis has captured a common and ordinary spiderweb, yet the angle and the detail that the shot encompasses causes one to think beyond the photograph, about the beauty and intricacies of spiderwebs. The fact that the photograph captures something so natural and organic further adds to the beauty and impact that it has. The fact that the photograph captures a common sight and turns it into something almost surreal is also incredibly inspirational for me and what I hope to achieve in my photography in the future.