artist spotlight

A Different Lens

Getting in on nature’s finest moments from behind the lens of a camera

Local artist Chris Zenger has a deep love for all things nature, and you’re sure to see flowers and plants as the subjects of his photography. But you won’t find him outside, hunched over a flower with his camera. Instead, he prefers to experiment with light, shadows and the deconstruction of the pieces Chris Zenger in his photography studio.

“When I was a kid, my parents got me these little rectangular Kodaks. I don’t know if you get those anymore, but they spent enough money on that and then eventually told me they couldn’t keep up with developing all the film because I would take pictures of everything,” says Zenger. “So that’s really where my passion for photography started, and right now I focus more on studio photography and fashion retail photography.” On first glance, one of Zenger’s images might look like a simple sunflower, but on closer inspection, the flower has been deconstructed and rearranged in a stunning array. He makes sure each petal, leaf or stem is meticulously plucked, placed and photographed.

Zenger uses photography as his main method of creation, something he finds deep comfort in. Looking at his work, it’s easy to see how his patient methodology for creating each stunning image can be therapeutic. Though Zenger primarily works and shoots in his studio, he’s not reclusive.

“I’ve got a lot of new artwork that is very close to completion,” Zenger says. “I’m always up for trying to collaborate with other artists and figuring out more ways to show my artwork to the community.”

As a resident of Pickerington, he had a show at the Pickerington Art Gallery back in 2017. Although he mostly exhibits his work in Columbus and other cities around the state, his show at the Pickerington Art Gallery had a great turnout and was well received by the community. And while the pandemic has made sharing his work more complicated, it certainly hasn’t made it impossible.

“It has been hectic trying to navigate the virus, but I’ve got a three-month exhibition coming up next year in Upper Arlington,” Zenger says.

He frequently experiments with Adobe Photoshop and other editing styles to refine his photography. Within the fine art realm, he primarily uses software editing technology to remove little hairs and dust in the images. If something isn’t the right color, he’ll also play around with the lighting and amplify or reduce the brightness to achieve the perfect hue.

“I know some people in the genre love to copy and paste or do a lot of really big photo manipulation. I try to stay away from that. I don’t have anything against photo manipulation at all, but I don’t feel like that’s what I want to go for when I have a bunch of petals laid out in my studio ready to be created into something new,” says Zenger. “I want people to know that every petal was hand placed there. It’s just a part of the process.”

Check out more of Zenger’s work on his website, www.zengerphoto.com.

Sanaya Attari is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@ cityscenemediagroup.com.