Take a breath and see the light

By Agnes Yu

Captured using the old fashioned and increasingly rarer method of analogue photography, landscape images of the island of Honshu in Japan taken by Christopher Domitter are on display in an exhibition, “Quiet Air, Quiet Light” at the AreuPace.N Gallery & Cafe until Jan. 31, 2012. Taken over the past two years, the 19 analogue photographs featuring mountain and coastal rural scenes attest to Domitter’s exceptional skills. As he believes, “light is the essence of photography,” he sheds light on the need to pause and gain perspective.

The photos in the exhibit reflect the intimate knowledge Domitter has gathered while exploring the diverse nature of neighboring Japan. It is there he studied photography in Japanese in which he is fluent and where he has been able to experience throughout the seasons, the many faces and colors of the land, sea and sky.

In the handout from the exhibit, Domitter writes, ``I chose subjects with themes focusing on soft, fine textures, and moody light and color. Also, I thought it would be interesting to juxtapose sea and mountain shots that share similar lighting or composition. Even though these are landscape images from Japan I am sure Korean’s can relate to the mountain and sea themes.’’

Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, Domitter is no stranger to the outdoors. He has been able to nurture a refined eye while camping, hiking, cycling or skiing with his medium format cameras, a Hasselblad 503 CXi with 50-, 80- and 180-millimeter lenses and a Mamiya 7 II with an 80-millimeter lens as constant companions. Viewers can immediately perceive the patience and earnest appreciation Domitter has for the natural environment. As he commented in the same handout, ``We live in a big noisy city. I hope viewers can enjoy my images by feeling a relaxing and refreshing solitude.’’

Regarding his penchant for analogue, Domitter wrote, `` I am not a critic of digital photography (it has its place), I think that the easy manipulation inherent in digital photography does not push you to polish and perfect skills such as precise framing and light metering.’’

Domitter has spent over 20 years living in Asia working in public relations while enjoying and honing his artistic inclinations.

He has previously held photography exhibits in Japan and is currently based in Seoul.

His photos have been published by Sports Illustrated, the International Olympic Committee, Hachijuni Bank, as well as many other reputable publications and he has won numerous awards in regional photo contests, most notably the Yomiuri Shinbun Winter in Japan photo contest.

On his personal website he wrote, “I hope people will be inspired by the images to travel to Japan to enjoy the beautiful scenery.’’

Visit https://domitter.net for more information. Call 02-318-1336 for information concerning the exhibit.