For three and a half years in my mid-twenties I lived and worked in Columbus, Ohio. I grew up in San Diego but I had traveled extensively, always looking for something new. My family has strong midwestern roots that go back many generations and Ohio was precisely where I needed to be at that time.
Shortly after I moved back to California, I came across the analog photography of Angie Harris Lindley (aka "pinkiestyle") on
Flickr. She lived in Columbus, and her photographs reminded me of places that I had seen and loved and introduced me to parts of the city that I hadn't had the opportunity to experience. Through her
photostream, as well as her
website, I felt that I still had a connection to central Ohio. Angie was a terrific photographer with a unique and talented eye. She inspired me greatly in both tools and technique. I fell in love with her photographs of the
Ohio State Fair. My heart swelled when I saw
an image of something I had photographed myself. I kicked myself when I saw a picture of a place so close,
but I never knew was there, or one I had
never made time to stop and photograph.
Two months ago today, Angie Harris Lindley passed away from cancer. I was significantly impacted by her passing. The morning I found out that she had died, overwhelmed with sadness, I wept in my car on the way to work. I felt so much sorrow for her family. I thought about how we are the same age, which frightened me. I considered how she was creating such beautiful images while fighting illness, and felt terribly grateful. I realized completely her contribution to not just taking photographs, but preserving pieces of our world that are fragile. I was tremendously moved by Angie's photography and will always be grateful to her for contributing to my connection to Ohio, which is so valuable to me.
I've since revisited some of my own photographs from the time that I lived in Ohio, and am sharing them here in tribute to pinkiestyle. Thank you, Angie. Your work has left an indelible impression on me.
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| Columbus, Ohio © Monika Seitz Vega, June 2006 |
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| Columbus, Ohio © Monika Seitz Vega, May 2006 |
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| Columbus, Ohio © Monika Seitz Vega, 2005 |
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Columbus, Ohio © Monika Seitz Vega, August 2004
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| Capri Lanes, Columbus, Ohio © Monika Seitz Vega, 2004 |
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| Downtown Columbus, Ohio © Monika Seitz Vega, August 2004 |
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| Downtown Columbus, Ohio © Monika Seitz Vega, August 2004 |
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| Downtown Columbus, Ohio © Monika Seitz Vega, February 2004 |
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| Downtown Columbus, Ohio © Monika Seitz Vega, August 2004 |
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| Downtown Columbus, Ohio © Monika Seitz Vega, August 2004 |
3 comments:
Angie would have loved to see these shots, and certainly would have teared up over your words. She inspired a lot of people, me included, and was unfailingly modest in that regards as well as dismissive of her own talent. And, as her husband, of course it pleases me immensely to see, hear and read how high a regard people held her in.
I also am fascinated by the shots: I came to Columbus in 2008, so some of these places are no more and some remain: Big Bear and Lazarus are no more, nor is Wonder Bread, though the sign remains.
I hope my last comment came through...my keyboard went kaput for a minute or two!
Anyway, thanks again for your tribute, I very much appreciate it, and Angie would too (though she would be "aww, shucks" kind of embarrassed)!
David Lindley
Thank you, David. Angie was always so enthusiastic in her comments on my (and other people's) images. It was evident that she was enjoying herself, it showed in her photographs. I know I will revisit them for a long time.
I didn't know about Wonder Bread. I feel like I photographed the building as well... so many negatives to sort through, hopefully I'll come across it sometime. I used to ride my Vespa from my home in Clintonville to work in Bexley and back, and I'd pass it each way and always smell the bread baking.
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