Jennifer Steen Booher’s Beachcombing Photo Series Is So Simple And Tranquil

moray mair | Art and design | October 22, 2012

Jennifer Steen Booher’s beachcombing photography series is so simple and beautifully arranged. We all love picking things up on the beach, the woods, on a walk, wherever, no matter what it is; stones, seaweed, odds and ends, shells, leaves, feathers, bones, old rope, etc, however, few of us go to the trouble that Booher does. Her work reminds me of relaxing walks with my wife and daughter, family outings, innocent times untroubled by work. It’ so tranquil.

Here’s what she has to say about her work:

I’m part magpie, part squirrel, part scientist, and part historian. I find things, hoard them, take them apart, and research them.

Her pictures go to show that photography is not just about capturing fleeting moments it can also be about discovering art in the steady patterns of daily life. Here she is again:

Each photo in the series documents the things I found beautiful or curious on a particular beach on a particular day. Because they are so rooted in time and place, the compositions become stylized beach portraits. As I research the things I find or observe, the photos also record my growing understanding of the coastal environment.