This piece appears in the new Home issue of Louisville Magazine, produced in partnership with Louisville Public Media.

Beautiful Intricacies (10.14.22)

Oct 14, 2022

PHOTOS AND WORDS
BY CÉDRIC BALLARATI

I’m from Belgium, and because I am still new to Louisville, having moved to the Upper Highlands Belknap neighborhood with my family in 2020, I am naturally attracted to what’s new to me — like the yellow school bus I photographed or unusual cultural habits like enjoying the front porch, which we don’t have in Belgium. In my neighborhood, I tried to focus on homes’ “customization” and signs of singularity — in front yards (manicured and “wild”), in façades and, generally speaking, on everything people can see from the street. I mean, kid toys, murals, gardens.

I hope my photography depicts the complexities of life.

Technically, I often use a long exposure to transform reality and create a composition that consists of lines, shapes and colors. I aim to use a dynamic sense of contrast and bright highlights to reveal and conceal different aspects of each image. I want to surpass the overwhelming depression and find the beauty. In what could seem so elementary and obvious, I hope to unveil the intricacies of our planet.

Harvard-Dr-horiz
Saratoga-Dr-horiz
Gresham-Rd-bis-horiz
Everett-Ave-bus-vert
Cherokee-Pkwy-vert
Fleming-rd-horiz
Gresham-Rd-horiz

How would you answer Louisville Magazine’s questions about home?