This month dot-art speaks to artist Loretta OConnell.
Picture This Photography is a Liverpool-based photography brand founded by Loretta specialising in travel-inspiring, contemporary classic landscape & city view photography.
Born from a love of travel & exploration while living in The US Loretta trained in Brooklyn New York City (& later in London UK) primarily as a way to share her new home with family & friends. After taking part in her first class exhibition she was inspired to continue developing her skills and start a business.
With a background in the hair & education industry she is drawn to colour, shape & texture of the architecture and landscape while constantly chasing light & exploring alternative perspectives.
She has contributed to exhibitions at Brooklyn Central & The Foley Gallery NYC and her work has been featured in print, online & on national TV in The US.
Her work is included on location in UK restaurant & office interiors and has been featured in national photography store exhibitions for the “Love Your City” campaign in London & Liverpool.
With a never-ending sense of wanderlust she has lived in New York City, Bermuda, London & Liverpool UK where she loves to look at life through the lens & capture the expressive moment & personal perspective sharing favourite views & hidden gems.
Upon moving back to The UK in 2022 she sees through fresh eyes & constantly strives for improvement to capture true to camera contemporary classics with my her own personal twist while undertaking photography commissions & participating in local artisan events.
Can you describe your style?
I love to capture classic eye-catching landscape & city views with a distinct & timeless twist. I look to create points of interest such as natural framing, change of perspective or include reflections or silhouettes for interest or scale. I also like to focus on features within architecture or landscape such as full frame, pop of colour or close up details. My images are authentically captured with minimal editing.
Which medium do you work with and what do you like about it specifically?
I am a landscape & city view photographer. I love to look at life through my lens & capture the significant moment & my personal perspective. I am drawn to the design, colour, shape & texture of the architecture and landscape while always chasing light. I love to take locals & visitors alike on a journey while sharing my favourite views & hidden gems appealing to a sense of adventure & wanderlust.
Can you talk us through your process? Do you begin with a sketch, or do you just go straight in? How long do you spend on one piece? How do you know when it is finished?
I have an ongoing list of local & international locations & landmarks I want to capture in specific light or surroundings. I usually start with test shots to determine angle & perspective then photograph the scene at different times of day to see how the light affects it before narrowing down my options.
Depending upon the focus of the shot I also play around with different depth of field camera settings. It is all about the light so knowing where the sun is and its direction throughout the day is key. I am slightly obsessed with the movement of light and how it changes the mood. I have several cameras and a variety of lenses in my kit depending upon what I am capturing however I always have my Sony mirrorless camera in my bag to capture any opportunities that may arise when I am out & feeling inspired.
I use minimal editing in my images, it is my preference and one of my brand values. I choose final images both individually and as part of a collective.
When did you begin your career in art?
I founded Picture This Photography while living in New York City as a creative outlet to my busy job teaching & managing an Academy. I started taking photographs when I moved there in 2007 as a way to share my new home with my family & friends. The pictures never did the amazing views justice so I enrolled in photography school in Brooklyn to learn my craft (and later improved it during a year at photography school in London) My business began accidentally after my first end of term exhibition when a colleague remarked she wanted to buy a framed print of an image for her apartment.
It sparked an idea I was eager to explore. I started printing my favourite images and making cards & calendars as gifts then other people started asking me to make more. It was a happy & distracting sideline for many years until I moved back to The UK 2022 & decided it was time to make Picture This Photography my full time venture.
Who or what inspires your art?
I am inspired by the detail in my surroundings- colour, shape, texture and light. It is something ingrained into me from my hairdressing background. I have a never-ending sense of wanderlust and have lived in New York City, Bermuda, London & Liverpool where I love exploring familiar & unfamiliar places as the light makes every capture unique. I admire the great landscapes of Ansel Adams and the street style of Joel Meyerowitz, both have an instantly recognizable style and admirable career longevity.
Why is art and creativity important to you?
Art & creativity has always been part of my life. I started my hairdressing career early and loved the science of hair colour. There was nothing more fun than making a new colour from play-doh or water colour paints or sketching out a headsheet for a haircut or colour placement. When I eventually stopped working behind the chair to teach I needed to re-define my creative outlet so began my photography journey. It makes me very happy and gives me a reason to travel & wander aimlessly.
What do you gain from being a member with dot-art?
I really enjoy being a Dot Art member as it has given me exposure to a talented pool of local artists, some of whom have become friends. The team are very supportive and have helped me to strengthen both my creative & business knowledge while giving me a platform to share my photographic prints in person & online. It has helped grow my artistic profile & confidence by being a member and having my work included in several collective exhibitions plus given me so many ideas by seeing the scale & standard of member exhibitions. The Dot Art team are dedicated to working with developing & established artists and exposing individuals & businesses to the amazing art world whatever their interest or budget, I love this!
What does it mean to be an artist in the Liverpool City Region?
Liverpool is a creative hub and there is no better place to be artistic & creative as we are surrounded by history, architecture and inspiration. Most of my friends are artistic and/or small business owners and it gives us all a collective support system to share ideas, inspiration and projects. For me, I love exploring the different local areas to reacquaint myself with the familiar and discover the new. I love that when I am photographing new streets, landmarks or sights local people come to talk to me to tell me stories or local history. Baltic Triangle and Wavertree are my current favourites! I love that there are multiple outlets to view & share creative work in Liverpool from all the galleries and museums to artisan makers markets and craft fairs. I take part in multiple local & corporate events on a regular basis and enjoy chatting with customers to tell them the story behind the photographic print or hearing what a location or landmark it means to them.
Discover more of Loretta OConnell’s work on our online shop!