Brookline Photographer Peg O’Connell Captures Everyday Beauty

Peg O’Connell is a rare film photographer in today’s digital age.

“When everything was going digital, I decided to go backward,” she recalls.

So, she went to the local photography store and bought herself a large format film camera. Today, O’Connell can be seen photographing around New England with that same camera in tow. Her images reveal a fascination with the everyday beauty that surrounds us, from vast vistas of beaches and open landscapes to the intricacy of fruit and flowers that adorn our tabletops. A selection of her photos will be on display throughout August at 450 Harrison Ave in Boston’s Sowa neighborhood.

O’Connell began taking photography classes in 1995. After graduating college, she moved to Boston and became an accountant but was always drawn to the arts. She enrolled in a photography course at the Boston Center for Adult Education and quickly became hooked. O’Connell is enamored with the photographic process and through film; she can explore every nuance of it. From framing to printing, she reflects that in film photography, one is encouraged to think a bit more about every image, as negatives and photo paper are not as limitless as digital resources.

“For me, art is tactile; I love watching the image appear in the developer; the darkroom is magical,” she said.
A few years ago, O’Connell began hand-coloring her black and white prints. Using Q-tips and cotton balls to create smooth, pastel textures, she often produces a few different versions of the same image, each with a variation of color. The result can be a dreamlike sequence of pictures in which O’Connell introduces pink skies, green waters, or blue grass. “The first coloring is usually realistic, but then I’m just like ‘let’s just play with colors,'” she said.

Her realistic hand colorings evoke a sense of serenity and nostalgia. In her photos of the Brookline reservoir or the Charles River Esplanade, the soothing greens and grays make the images seem like Technicolor memories, a snapshot of peaceful moments in time.

While hand coloring allows O’Connell to explore different aesthetics and moods, she continues to print extensively in black and white. O’Connell says she has an almost romantic view of black and white. She enjoys how it can reveal and accent the unique shapes and patterns of certain objects, particularly in her still life photography.

Currently, O’Connell is working on a series of sunflowers in black and white. The stunning detailed grey tones throughout the sunflower petals and center reveal sharp details that are emphasized by the different highlights and shadows. O’Connell aims for this series to represent hope during times of struggle, with darker tones that represent hardship coupled with potent highlights to reveal hope.

Beyond the frame, O’Connell is dedicated to invigorating the Brookline arts community. For years, she was an organizer of Brookline Open Studios, and she regularly attends workshops, teaches classes, and collaborates with other local artists.

To view O’Connell’s photographs in person with works by painter, Patricia Busso, visit Studio #325 at 450 Harrison Avenue in Boston’s South End, every Sunday in August from noon to 3 pm or weeknights from 6-9pm by appointment. You can also see O’Connell’s work online at Peg O’Connell Photography.

By Danielle Myers

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