Chris Fraikin’s photographs of buildings feature strong lines, geometric shapes, and striking colours and call to mind the work of the famous abstract artist Piet Mondrian. Perhaps there’s something in the water in the Netherlands, as Fraikin and Mondrian are both natives of that country. But while Mondrian’s works were produced in a studio, the canvases that Fraikin chooses are outdoors and in the built environment: industrial buildings and factory sites that were designed to be functional, but which on closer inspection often also have a certain amount of visual appeal hiding in plain sight.
Producing photographs in this vein is something that Fraikin has only been doing seriously since 2015, and was a reaction to becoming disillusioned with photographing live music. He was looking for a new creative outlet and eventually discovered it by photographing buildings. As Archtracts, a book containing these contemplative, minimalist architectural works, gets a second printing, we caught up with Fraikin to discover more about this long-form project and how it came about.
Can you describe your photographic style to someone who has never previously seen your work?
I call my works ‘archtracts’: minimalistic extracts of architectural, urban, and industrial objects. I mainly shoot in industrial areas – usually in the Netherlands – where almost all buildings seem to be nearly the same because they are mainly built for functional content rather than beauty. But if you take the time to open your eyes, you will often discover very interesting details in the shape, proportion, or color schemes in these buildings.
This story is from the July 2022 edition of Digital Camera World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2022 edition of Digital Camera World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Jess McGovern
The multi-award winning photographer will speak twice at The Photography Show this month. Niall Hampton finds out what's in store...
Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro
A ‘pro’ lens with a consumer price tag
Lumix S100mm f/2.8 Macro
Ticks many boxes but is not a total success
Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM
Every so often, a new superzoom telephoto lens grabs our attention.
Hasselblad 907X & CFV 100C
Not just a beautiful camera system but versatile, too
Sam Davis
The caving photographer will be shining a light on his passion at The Photography Show. Niall Hampton gets a deep dive into the subject
Explore the Multiply blending mode
Multiply is a versatile mode that can be used for a wide range of effects, either on its own or combined with other modes
Create a fine-art border in Lightroom
Enhance your landscape photos by adding a fine-art border with an even feathered edge
Content Credentials explained
Fight the fakes and prove your own photos are genuine with provenance tools in Photoshop and Lightroom
Scanning ahead...
With ever-higher sensor resolutions, Jon Devo asks whether zoom lenses have had their day