Chinwe Edeani is an American-born, Nigerian-raised photographer currently living in Baltimore, Maryland. She is hopelessly obsessed with light/shadows and is currently in love with film photography. She loves getting lost in beautiful places, with her camera and journal.
You can find more of her work on flickr and tumblr.
I’ll admit something right off the bat: I should do more diptychs. There. I said it. I’m not quite the addict that some are. But as I was browsing my dippys, I noticed some patterns. OK. I should admit something else – most of the time, I don’t really have a plan. I just try a lot of things out and I end up liking some of it. So, I’ll get my advice out of the way now: TRY, TRY AND TRY AGAIN. Play around with different pairings until you hit on something you like.
With that said, I’m going to show you some diptychs I’m particularly fond of and talk about what I trying to accomplish with each pairing. Here we go…
That’s my lovely afro-headed Mother on the left and my dashing father on the right. Who is that beautiful baby you ask? Well, that’s yours truly and I put this dippy together for my birthday last year. I found these great polaroid photos and I wanted to honor my parents in some way.
I moved to Baltimore a little over a year ago and I’m still discovering many of its eclectic neighborhoods. One of the things I love about living in the city is the beautiful details everywhere. I can’t tell you how many photos of street lamps, awnings, and hand rails I have. Here I wanted to highlight a couple of details I love. This particular diptych could even be expanded to include more photos, creating a collage of beautiful details.
My sister and I spent 5 lovely, fun-filled days in London last summer. One of the best parts of that trip was browsing the many street shops at Portobello Road Market. I wanted to capture some of the essence of what we did there. Also, I got to show my gorgeous sister 🙂
Philadelphia. Independence Hall.
On my first trip to Philadelphia I took SO MANY photos and I was looking for a creative way to display these oft-captured sights. I think that without the sign on the left, it would be difficult to place the building on the right. At the same time, the photo of the Independence Hall lends a richness to the sign on the left. They complement each other.
SHOWING THE WHOLE & DETAIL
Old Otterbein United Methodist Church
I drive by this beautiful little church often and I always think, “What a beautiful little church!” 🙂 Well, I finally walked by it one day and while I was staring at it, I noticed some beautiful detail on the closed gates. I realized that I could capture the detail while still including the church in the background, thereby tying the two photos together.
COMPARING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES
Baltimore Museum Of Art
I recently visited the (free!) Baltimore Museum of Arts and I usually have a hard time taking photos in museums because of poor lighting conditions. However, at the end of a long hallway, and perfectly framed by the doors, was this gorgeous statue. The light was beautiful and I just had to capture it. As I walked closer, I happened to notice the reflection on the shiny floor and I was struck by the beauty of this walked-upon reflection.
One of my favorite early-morning rituals is to open the curtains and soak in the warm sunlight. I’m somewhat obsessed with the light that comes into my apartment and how it falls on various surfaces. With these self-portraits, I wanted to show the light and shadows formed by the window blinds and how they contoured to my face.
GOOD OLD SERENDIPITY
Lovely Mistake
Those of you who use film know that sometimes strange things can happen on your roll. I found this lovely mistake on one of my rolls, and I liked the juxtaposition of indoors vs. outdoors and day vs. night. It’s most likely a scanning error, but who cares? I really like this unplanned diptych.
Well, there you have it. I hope I’ve given you some ideas for your next diptych. Happy shooting, and don’t forget: TRY, TRY AND TRY AGAIN.
Gorgeous diptychs.
You have a beautiful eye for pairing them, and your film work is wonderful.
Very inspiring!!
Thanks so much Lisa!
Such a brilliant selection of diptychs; I love the variety and story behind each one. Thank you so much for sharing them with us here on MM. x
Thanks so much Kirstin. I really appreciate your kind words 🙂
I’d recognize those Baltimore row houses anywhere! That diptych was especially evocative for me, but all of these are super.
And the one of your parents is so dear.
Thanks Debbie! Familiar with Baltimore, huh? I’ve been having fun exploring all the interesting neighborhoods. My camera has definitely gotten a workout since I moved here 🙂
I love your insight Chinwe! You’re pairings are really beautiful and leave me with all kinds of ideas. And I love how you created that diptych of your folks! What a fantastic idea.
Thanks so much Holly. Glad i could spark some ideas for you 🙂 Yeah, I’ve had those pictures for a while, obviously, and it’s nice to see them side by side.
Such a gorgeous post Chinwe! I just adore those old Polaroids of your parents and you as a little babe. Thanks for joining us here today.
Thanks so much! I only wish I could grow an afro as big as her 😉
You have a great eye for putting pictures together. Beautiful film work too. I enjoyed reading about how you go about putting them together. And the pictures of your Mum and Dad, fabulous!
Thanks Suzi. Yeah, my poor digital camera has been neglected for quite a while 🙂
Thanks for musing with us, Chinwe! I’m originally from Baltimore so really loved seeing some shots of my hometown.
Thanks Meghan. Glad I could remind you of your hometown 🙂
Awesome Job Chinwe….Nice shots, and yeah, thanks for adding a new word to my vocab: diptych
Haha! Thanks and you’re very welcome 🙂