While on a vacation to Paris, most of us end up taking the same pictures of its most famous landmarks, like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Arc de Triomphe. Having lived in Paris for the last four years, art historian Joanna Lemanska sees the city in a whole new light. Though she still frequents those highly photographed sites, she's able to show them in a fresh and unique way. Using her iPhone 4s, a Fujifilm x10 or a Nikon Coolpix, she finds a puddle or a shiny object like mirrors, glass and metal and uses them to shoot incredibly beautiful reflections.
"I enjoy all kind of reflections and I don't have any particular preference for Paris. It could be London, Berlin or New York, she tells us. "It's just that I live in Paris, so naturally the majority of my photos are taken there. What I'm looking for in reflections are perfect composition and aesthetic pleasure. Sometimes reflections give a unique, aquarelle-like look to the picture. Sometimes they make the image look futuristic and incredible. Shooting reflections is like a playground for me as I really enjoy looking for puddles and slippy surfaces, just to see what kind of different effects they have to offer."
Look through her portfolio and you'll also notice that she enjoys shooting repetitive elements and symmetry found in architecture or nature. By focusing on all of these qualities, she gives us a renewed appreciation for what any city has to offer.
From April 2 to April 7, at Gallery Yamashita in Kyoto, Japan, Joanna is showing a collection of street photos she's taken in France (Paris and Normandy) as well as in Poland in an exhibition titled Cool Pics from Paris. As it just so happens, while shooting one day in Paris, Joanna ran into a Japanese art agent who asked her if she would be interested in displaying her photos at a gallery. If you happen to be in Kyoto during that time, you can arrange to meet up with Joanna to discuss your shared passion for photography.
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