Annelizabeth - Life through a lens

Abstract images from a gifted Scottish photographer.

Ann Elizabeth McMeekin, who combines her first and second names into "annelizabeth" on her own website, has a unique way of looking at the world through her camera's lens. Many of her pictures seem familiar, yet they may not be immediately or at all recognizable. She has that rare ability to see graphic elements where we see objects. And she has the photographic talent to capture that graphic essence with her digital camera. She is, to coin a word, a "compositionist," one who notices the raw elements of composition in a scene and recognizes them for their graphic value as an image unto itself to be recorded on film.

"What is that?" must be a question that many viewers of her images ask. The reply, invariably, is "I am not sure, but I like it." The question can sometimes be answered either by a closer examination of the image, which is when you may hear an "Aha! I've got it," or simply by noting the descriptive title Ann assigns to the image.

Her pictures in this gallery illustrate the unusual talent that she has. Photographers who see and capture only the normal subject in its surroundings can learn from Ann's gift, and perhaps train themselves by her example to look for ways of recording the graphical beauty that can exist in a photograph. This means considering the effect of lines, contrast, shape, texture and other graphical elements to be the actual subject of a photograph rather than as artistic contributors to a well-composed image.

ANN, THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in Scotland and now in her mid-twenties, Ann works in London, England. She is a secretary in her "day job," but fills her spare time with web design and photography, which she only really began in March, 2001.

"I started off by getting a Sony DSC-S70 on March 7, 2001," she says, "but grew out of it quickly, and moved up to the Nikon Coolpix 995 camera on July 7 of the same year. I then got a 'real' camera - a Nikon F801 (8008) with a 35-105 Nikkor zoom lens on September 28, 2001. Since then, I've acquired a Sigma 70-300 zoom lens, a 24mm lens, and a Nikon SB-28 electronic flash unit. I've also got a Benbo Trekker tripod, which I have to admit I don't use nearly often enough because I prefer the immediacy that comes with hand-held photography."

"I rather like shooting with a very wide aperture, and very carefully picking out the details I want to be in sharp focus. I also love to get up close to objects - to find the shape within the shape, or the texture that only appears when up very close."

Most of her photographs appear pretty much as they come out of the camera. Occasionally, though, Ann has a specific vision for digitally altering some when she is taking the photograph. "I might be looking at something which is all in colour," she says, "but I'll see it in monochrome, selective colour, desaturated or sepia."

THE "SMILEY FACE" ABOVE, NEXT TO THE HEADLINE?

Here is the story behind the smiley face image above on the left, in Ann's own words:

"My happiness at getting a new camera was slightly tempered by my dad having been admitted to hospital, and so, on the way to see him, to show him my new toy, I spotted a sandpit the builders had left in the carpark of the recently completed hospital. I'm still not sure what entirely motivated me to pick up that stick and draw the smiley face in the sand - or whether it was worth taking a picture of - but it's here, because every time I look at it, it reminds me that sometimes, a smile is very much needed."

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