Meet Chris John Bowman, Easily Distracted Photographer Of All Things Ditmas Park
Local photographer Chris John Bowman, who moved to our area with his wife about three and a half years ago, initially caught our attention with his consistently breathtaking photos of the neighborhood–even those just snapped with a phone.
As selected images from his recently published Ditmas Park, a book of local photographs, are on the walls at Lark (1007 Church Avenue between E 10th Street and Stratford Road) until February 4, we thought we’d get to know him and his work a little bit better.
“I just got home from a nice morning walk through the neighborhood,” Chris says about why he loves to live and shoot here. “I’m always saying to myself, ‘My neighborhood is so beautiful.’
“Whether there is dirty snow all over the place or it’s a gorgeous summer day, Ditmas Park is magical. It’s one of those neighborhoods that I wouldn’t mind getting lost in.
“On a gloomy or sunny day the colors of the neighborhood are always constant, and I like that,” says Chris, who describes himself as “the kid who is distracted by anything that’s shiny, colorful, and sparkly.”
From childhood up until his early 20s, Chris says, he drew and painted abstract art pieces. “This, I believe, is where my observing of light, geometry, color and people comes in,” he says. From that, a self-taught photographer was born.
A fan early on of Salvador Dali and Paul Delvaux, Chris now finds inspiration in Bill Brandt, Henri Cartier-Bresson, William Eggleston, Luigi Ghirri, Ron Jude, Vivian Maier, Zoe Strauss, George Tice, and James Victore–and, of course, his unique pocket of Brooklyn.
“I am naturally attracted to this sort of natural order of things out in the world–particularly, shapes, colors and lines,” he says. “The Victorian architecture is, I think, what draws most people here, including to Ditmas Park.”
As a person who uses the area in his work, however, he clarifies, “the shapes, colors, and atmosphere of the neighborhood, and the way the light pours into the neighborhood, is what makes it a great place to shoot.”
When Chris decided recently to return to college, he realized studying photography would be the best move. Ditmas Park, the book now for sale at Lark (and which includes some of the images on display for the exhibit’s duration), started out as a final assignment for a class.
“The images on the wall are part of the same study. I decided to go more architecturally for the exhibit at Lark, since the book seems to have more of a social representation of the neighborhood. Basically, I wanted to show more than one aspect of the neighborhood.”
Want to see Ditmas Park through Chris’ eyes? Stop by Lark from now until February 4 to see his shots of the neighborhood, and pick up a framed and signed photo ($90) or book ($60) for as long as Lark has them in stock.
You can also see what Chris is up to on his website, as well as following him on Instagram and Flickr. And if you’d like to order a book or print–or get in touch for other reasons–you can reach him at info@chrisjohnbowman.com.
All photos via Chris John Bowman