Immaculate Conception

A Louisiana native, Michael Elliott-Smith lives and works in Alexandria, Louisiana. He was a Soil Scientist for the Southern Research Station of the United States Forest Service for thirty-two years. Elliott-Smith first became interested in photography while using manual film cameras to document his research. His familiarity with the medium is what allowed him to make the jump into fine art photography. Elliott-Smith uses both manual and digital cameras to produce work, though he appreciates them for different reasons. Here, Immaculate Conception, which is a dark room silver gelatin print, shows a white church that boldly contrasts with a jet black background. The low camera angle makes the church seem monumental, perhaps authoritative. At the same time the church is dwarfed by the sky which looms overhead. Immaculate Conception’s straightforward composition reveals the simple sophistication with which Elliott-Smith creates his images and interprets the world around him.