Ian Phipps

What better way to capture an object’s beauty than to photograph it?

Having had lived in Massachusetts my entire 18 years of life, it was only fitting I devote my final photography project to the place I call home. Because I have been to all corners of the state, I understand how beauty in this sense has multiple dimensions. Obviously I had to capture the different elements of the commonwealth’s geography, one of it’s main sources of attraction. My intentions were to find good examples of the eastern coasts, western forests, and of course the capital, Boston.

The coasts I figured would be taken care of by 2 trips. My trip to the south shore resulted in some texture and close up shots. The rocks and foamy waves were both taken with a 35mm film camera, developed, and printed in the darkroom. The rocks are on a special warmtone, 5x7 paper.

My second trip was to Rockport Mass. This is a place I remember going when I was younger, but as of late not at all. That being said, it provided the same feelings as if I were in Yarmouth, Provincetown, or any other coastal vacation spot. The ice cream shop, art gallery, and silhouette all contribute to a romanticism I was very much trying to reflect in my work. These were all taken on a Canon Rebel T6 camera.

Last of the work shown here is my work in Boston. The Zakim Memorial Bridge was a huge point which I knew I had to capture. The sheer number of times I have crossed that bridge, day and night, alone gave me this idea. This picture is also printed in the darkroom. The last pictures are the Prudential building and boston skyline in all its glory. Because of its iconic nature, putting this in was a no brainer.

Unfortunately, the project is not complete at this point, but I expect to incorporate a ‘people’ aspect of the project, along with getting more of those forest landscapes.