CHRISTMAS IN VIENNA

KARIN SVADLENAK-GOMEZ

// Karin is an amateur photographer based in Vienna, Austria. Her photography spans a broad range of genres, and she enjoys dabbling in experimental photography from time to time. So for this Christmas special, we present a somewhat different take on Christmas in Vienna.

Karin is the founder and editor of the Spectaculum Magazine (see also the About page). She has always had an interest in photography, but has developed a real passion for it over the last few years, crossing genres from landscape to documentary. She enjoys all the arts and loves combining her photographic passion with a visit to performances and exhibitions. She is also an editor for the Pictorial Mag and writes her own blog Viennacultgram.

“Vienna is a handsome, lively city, and pleases me exceedingly.’”

Frederik Chopin

What draws you to the arts?

“I have loved all the arts from a young age. I think on the one hand, it allows me to dive into fascinating imaginary worlds. And on the other, it also opens new perspectives, it is a way of processing life through an aesthetic lens. As for making art, photography is the only tool I have.“

What do you like best about abstract and experimental photography techniques such as the ones you used for this series?

“Although my “standard” photographic approach is straight documentary, lately I have been more and more interested in abstract, experimental and creative photographic and processing techniques, because they can create quite beautiful and “magical” seeming images. One can make the most ordinary scenes look like a painting, or create a sense of wonder. And you never quite know what you will get – sometimes it is rubbish, and sometimes it is a nice surprise.”

This time of year, Vienna is full of sparkle. Even if one does not celebrate Christmas, the pretty light decorations that the city puts up make for a festive atmosphere. In the pedestrian zone, the Graben street is adorned with Christmas lights in a splendid chandelier look. On Rotenturmstraße, oversized red balls have been a fixture in pre-Christmas Vienna for many years. The park in front of City Hall sparkles with a winter wonderland from grass level to the treetops. And all over town even smaller streets are lit up with decorative light chains. The internet abounds with photos of this splendor.

“What I tried to do this year was to capture the lights a little differently, aiming for abstraction or a ‘painterly’ style,” says Karin. “I went out with a plan to experiment.” The images here range from straight reflection pictures to pictures using motion blur, either through camera movement or through longer-term exposure using a tripod, to composites put together in post-processing software.

Spectaculum Magazine wishes a Merry Christmas to those who celebrate, and enjoyment of the lights and a happy New Year to all. We will take a short publishing break after Christmas and will be back with new features in 2022.

Images are cropped for layout. Click on the photos to see the original version.