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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID WABASH, IN PERMIT NO. 233 Vol. 44, No. 1
masterpieces Local photographer lets imagination run wild By Mandy Mahan mmahan@thepaperofwabash.com
self-portraits, and after college, I went on to do a 52-week project of a self-portrait per week,” she said. Kaleigh Middelkoop, who moved to “The second time around, my ideas were Wabash in 2017 has taken the Wabash more surreal and conceptual, marrying County art scene by storm with her imagi- photography with composite photoshop native and mind-bending photography. techniques. I love making mind bending Middelkoop is originally from work, and honing that line between the real Newfoundland, a rocky island on the east and the surreal is so fun. “In 2015, I had my first solo art show in coast of Canada. She moved to Ottawa, Ontario, to study photography and then Newfoundland and made a series of images later moved to Toronto to work with photog- with characters all based in the same fairy raphers in various fields. In 2017, she moved tale forest. I designed costumes and props to Wabash to be with her husband and has that I made and got a taste for what would become a focus from there on out. I love to been photographing here ever since. “I got into photography when I was in tell stories, and I love to use every way I can eleventh grade after picking up my mom’s to bring those ideas and stories to life. So, there’s a lot of hot glue, film camera,” Middelkoop and a lot of papier-mache. told The Paper of Wabash In the last 5 years, my work County. “That Christmas I has gravitated more heavigot my own digital camera ly into fairy-tale and fantaand later saved up from my sy-based, with the occapart-time job to get a DSLR. sional strange idea I just I spent the next year using have to bring to life. it every single day and Middelkoop hones a lot experimenting with selfof her inspiration from portraiture. Some gems, “The Lord of The Rings.” but a lot of garbage, but I “The first piece of media still loved it after a year, so that really rocked my decided to study and purworld was ‘The Lord of the sue it. I studied photograRings,’ and I don’t know if phy at Algonquin College I ever really left Middle where I earned a diploma Earth,” she said. in photography.” “The complexity and Although Middelkoop wonderment of the world, doesn’t think that classical Kaleigh Middelkoop the depth of the charactraining is a requirement ters, and the way you just to be a successful photographer or artist, she found it useful to learn fell into the story became pillars for what I the fundamental technical skills from sea- wanted my work to feel like. At the same time, I’ve used my work to express ideas soned professionals. Middelkoop started off with more tradi- and feelings that can be vulnerable but also tional photography and eventually was able very shared. It could come from a conversato move into a more creative and self- tion with a friend, or a line in a song, or the way the sun sparkles on the water. expressive style of art. “The creative aspect of my work has Inspiration is so much being open to the always been paramount, and so many beau- ways you see beauty and meaning in what’s tiful branches of photography offer lessons in front of you and having the courage to that make me a better artist and provide believe it matters. Because it does.” Middelkoop told The Paper that her ideas better service to my clients,” she said. “My first jobs were portrait sessions, album art always start with a sketch, followed by a for band photos, and a wedding. I went on to checklist of ideas. “From there, it almost becomes a 3D assist photographers on sets for magazine spreads, catalogs, and fashion campaigns. model in my head and I turn it around like Learning techniques, etiquette, and adapt- a cube figuring out what steps I need to take ability have helped build the foundation for to achieve it. “If there are costume or prop elements I the work I love doing today.” Middelkoop has always been interested in can make by hand, the research begins. portraiture and self-portraiture by turning Pinterest has a vast pool of crafting knowlherself into characters in her images. Continued on Page 11. “My first photo challenge was 365 days of
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