The magical world of Terri Weifenbach
“This photograph was actually the first… The photographs I took before this were just photographs of birds. But this felt like a dance or a choreography. And I thought, this is really interesting. These bird are acting and it’s beautiful. So, I wanted to continue.” - Terri Weifenbach1
It was in 2022, that I discovered the work of American photographer Terri Weifenbach. Her book “Des oiseaux” (“On Birds”) had been mentioned briefly by Alec Soth on YouTube, but it immediately caught my attention.
What drew me in and made me want to buy the book was the unique look of her photographs: the bold use of colors, the changing vantage points, the intentional motion blur, the play with depth of field and selective focus, and also the use of natural light to create atmosphere.
Using so many different techniques, one might think that it would be hard to create a congruent body of work. But Weifenbach proves that it can be done. And she doesn’t even go to any exotic places to create these otherworldly photographs, she just steps outside her house into her own garden (at least for the book “Des oiseaux”).
For “Des oiseaux”, Weifenbach photographed - over three years - the flora and fauna in the backyard of her house in Washington DC. The book takes you on a journey throughout the different seasons. Some of the photographs are botanical still lifes, while others picture busy birds dancing together in the air, searching for food or sitting quietly on a fence.
The colors in the photographs are intense but natural: the lush green grass, the pink cosmos flowers, and the red and yellow featherings of the birds give the viewer a warm and comforting feeling.
The photographs are complex and full of life. Your eyes look everywhere and nowhere. One could be easily overwhelmed by the busyness in the photographs if there wasn’t the brilliant play with the focus as some sort of guidance.
This is probably the most fascinating aspect for me in the work I have seen of hers: Weifenbach uses the depth of field with such variety and brilliance: Sometimes, there is very little in focus like a tiny sparrow midair. Other times, her photographs reveal much clearer what it is we are looking at. And while other images are completely out of focus, we never feel lost or overwhelmed. There is always a visual cue like a blurred house in the background or a fence that gives a sense of place and lets you know you are still in Weifenbach’s backyard and not in a fairytale. Although sometimes the borders seem pretty blurred…
Here is a quick flip-through of “Des oiseaux”:
Making photo books is a central aspect of Weifenbach creative practice. Her first book “In your dreams” was published in 1997 and she has published 20 more books ever since. I own two of her books and have looked at some others online and her unique voice - which drew me into her work in the first place - is recognisable in all of them.
The way she sees the natural world in the urban landscape is so very unique. Nature photography is one of the most practiced genres in photography and I almost was ready to think I had seen it all until I saw the work of Terri Weifenbach. And I am not even sure if one can categorise her work as nature photography…
With her unique view of the world, Weifenbach is able to translate ordinary, everyday subjects and scenes into something magical. These fleeting moments she captures in her photographs serve as a reminder to stop and enjoy the beauty of the world us around more often.
About the artist:
Terri Weifenbach was born in 1957 in New York City, and grew up in Washington D.C. She spent a few years in her twenties living in New Mexico and California before moving to Washington D.C. again. In 2019 she moved to Paris, France where she now resides.
She studied photography in the late 1970s and graduated from the University of Maryland in 1978.
She worked for more than two decades as a darkroom printer.
Weifenbach is also renowned as a teacher. In addition to national and international workshops, she has taught at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, Georgetown University and as Lecturer at American University.2
Her work has been exhibited around the world.
An interesting fact for me to learn was that Weifenbach took a seminar with photographer John Gossage while studying photography. They later fell in love, got married (and divorced) and they also collaborated on a photo book together.
(I love Gossage’s work and have written about one of his books here.)
When I received Weifenbach’s book and looked through it for the first time, I was instantly reminded of Gossage’s book “The Thirty Two Inch Ruler”, because of his use of colour and the play with focus.
And when I read up on Weifenbach for this essay and learned about her relationship to Gossage I had an “Aha” moment over here. I don’t know who influenced whom, but I like to think that Gossage was influenced by Weifenbach and not the other way around...
If you want to learn more about Terri Weifenbach and her wonderful photography make sure to visit her website.
That’s it from me today.
Thank you for being here and for reading this week’s newsletter. It means a lot to me!
X,
Susanne
Were you familiar with her work? What do you think about her photographs? Please share your thoughts in the comments with me. I would love to hear from you!
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https://youtu.be/Y--ibwnmypE?si=nmE52-zJ540mHMTz
https://terriweifenbach.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=46680&Akey=PRGJQ8C4&ajx=1#!asset75176
Very inspiring for those of us who are tempted to complain about lack of subject matter!
I wasn’t familiar with her work, so thank you so much. It certainly sits outside mainstream nature photography, and most nature photographers I know wouldn’t even consider shots like this. But, as you say, there is something magical about her images; such an original style, one that can really connect you with the scene, yet on the fringes of this very popular genre.