awful to artful project by betsy cherry twin cities photographer

F I N D I N G   T R U E   B E A U T Y   T H R O U G H   T H E   E Y E S   O F   A   L E N S  {A 12-WEEK PERSONAL PROJECT}

I read that if you can take a beautiful photo of something ugly, you can photograph anything beautifully. So I've decided to attempt this fun task in a 12-week project I call "Awful To Artful". I hope it'll broaden the perspectives of anyone looking for a little inspiration. Try it out for yourself!

Professional photographers run the risk of losing their passion for the art by getting too wrapped up in the business side of things. I can personally relate to how easy it is to get sucked in and bogged down by technicalities. I hope this personal project will be one of many that will help me, and perhaps other photographers, remain passionate about the art of photography! A new photo will be posted each week for 12 weeks, so be sure to check back. You can also SUBSCRIBE to my blog to receive updates when new posts are up.


PROJECT RECAP AND REFLECTION: I knew this project would be fun and inspiring, but I really didn't know how or if it would improve my abilities as a photographer. I hoped it would. Now that it's done and I've taken the time to look over the photos from start to finish, I realize that this project really did help me. The photo quality, composition, and drama improved. I highly recommend to any photographer that you try something new, whether it be a project such as this one, or some other personal endeavor...whatever you do, bring your camera!

Week 1 February 18th, 2013 | The photograph above shows beauty in something rotten. . .literally. Despite its dying qualities, this rotting acorn squash offers wonderful texture and color variety. I paired it with elegance and autumn ambiance to help balance the awfulness of mold and grunge.  I'm sure my husband will be happy that we can finally toss away this aging model. Stay tuned for next week's submission!

Week 2 February 24th 2013 | My husband and i took a quick road trip down our street to find something ugly for week two of my project. This building used to be a barn of sorts but has since fallen under the weight of its age and exhaustion. And yet, with such apparent decay came hidden beauty...dynamic contrast, dramatic lines, and distinct textures combined to make something artful. Next Sunday: another hidden gem!

Week 3 March 3rd 2013| This week I decided to keep it simple and look for something ugly around the house. We just bought our house and the previous owners left some things for us. Some of those things were great and useful and others were old and in need of repair or disposal. I'm on the fence with this object hanging from our fireplace. I think it's a popcorn popper...but I could be wrong. Whatever it is, it's not the prettiest thing. However, it did offer me a fun photo op. As for its fate...we'll see.

Week 4 March 10th 2013 | Surely many would agree that one of the ugliest sights is a basket or pile of laundry just begging and screaming to be put away. I'm a bit of a clean freak so laundry has never been art. This made it a perfect subject for this week's Awful to Artful photo! Luckily for me and my family, we had a very busy weekend and will have the pleasure of enjoying this lovely work of art for one more day.

Week 5 March 17th 2013 | I call this strange masterpiece "The Ultimate Frosted Ceiling" because the ceiling honestly looked like frosting! Not a very original title but it does the job. Although outdated and capable of sparking the inner desire for a cupcake, this ceiling had some great texture and random patterns (yes, random). When paired with the uniform and geometric lines of the beams, the ceiling provided an unexpected palate for an abstract piece of odd photographic art. I'm ready for a cupcake. Next week: another tantalizing photo of ugliness!

Week 6 March 24th 2013 | The search for this week's photo took me on a journey to my downstairs laundry room, where the ceiling and walls are unfinished and the utilities leave nothing to the imagination. But there, among the bare wires and broken cinder blocks, was an unfashionable light fixture and its dangling pull-switch. Suddenly i had the perfect subject matter for my project, and a chance see the world from the perspective of a spirited 2-year-old who wants nothing more than to turn on a light that's just out of reach.

WEEK 7 March 31st 2013| As the snow began melting in the warm April sun, things that had once been buried appeared again . . . like this furniture pile. I thought it would be fun to get a photo of its ugliness before bidding it farewell. In person, the furniture looked random and out of place . . . and it was. But viewed from this perspective, they told a story. Which piece was laid out first? Last? Perhaps it was a linear process from background to foreground, or random as the tosser saw fit. Certainly not simultaneously! Regardless of how their path was laid out on the lawn, their fate will remain the same.

WEEK 8 April 7th 2013 | This week I chose a sweet subject that had gone sour. I pulled out a few props and set up a scene that resembled a warm and inviting kitchen, adorned with greenery and bamboo . . . never mind the rotting pear. The fresh kiwi and juicy orange balance the old with the new and help distract the viewer from the obvious grossness . . . right?!

WEEK 9 April 14th 2013 | This week I decided to take a different direction. In April, when Minnesotans are eager and waiting impatiently for Spring, the worst sight is seeing snow on the ground. This year was no exception. The snow melted for a few days, then returned for several more after accumulating another foot. It's enough to drive one a bit insane. So the snow in my backyard was the ugliest scene I could find, and the only way to make it better was to blur it out and focus on the melting snow drops on the window. Sigh. . .much better.

WEEK 10 April 21st 2013 | Anything left on our kitchen counter appears cluttered and ugly. This weekend was a very busy one for our little family. Lots of errands were run and the proof could be seen spread all around the counter. I decided to try making all that stuff appear serene and not so busy. The focus of the photograph was a vibrant key chain I'd purchased during our weekend excursions. The random objects surrounding it faded away, giving the scene a more organized and peaceful appearance. 

WEEK 1 1  May 5th 2013 | This week's ugly photo needed to showcase the start of our much-anticipated - and delayed - warm Spring weather. Most signs of Spring are too lovely to fulfill the needs of this project, so I was faced with a bit of a challenge. But alas, I prevailed after some intense searching. I was literally looking right through my perfect subject the whole time!. This ugly screen hole was exactly what I needed. It was spruced up with the joyful sight of an adorable little boy riding his bike bare-bottom. in the afternoon sun.

WEEK 12 May 12th 2013 | For the final week of my "ugly project", I went for a close-up of an ugly ash pile. At first I thought it was a lost cause. But as I zoomed in I realized there were remnants of things long gone. I found it fascinating and filled with mystery. I like that there's a little green left at the top to frame the photo. The pop of color helped bring out the other colors hidden in the ashes, such as the yellows and oranges that still remained.