While recently consolidating my work from the past 5 years, I noticed a cool look to all my photographs.
Not the awesome or dope or fresh or sweet or hip definition for the word. (Or whatever slang term “the kids” are using for “cool” these days.) The temperature. By the looks of it, I was so concerned with getting my white balance accurate, I disregarded what the scene looked like. Or more importantly, how it felt.
The moment I stepped inside Central–a cocktail bar, opened a little over a year ago on the newly closed section of Ankeny Street in downtown Portland–I knew I’d have to show the warmth to highlight just how cool it is. (Yes, this time I mean “neato.”)
The only real sources of light were the bare, incandescent bulbs that hung down purposefully staggered and the oil candles that helped light each table. Dim is an understatement, but what little orange glow the lights created felt warm and comforting. Though I didn’t sit down to enjoy food or drink, my experience with the staff felt similar.
I wanted to show how Central felt to me. If I sucked out the orange from these photographs, I feel I’d be sucking out the intimacy as well.
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Read Willamette Week’s review by Matthew Korfhage here.
