Opera, and the vast culture surrounding it, is very much a product of its time. With the intervention of a pandemic, attendance at these once cinematic spaces bombarded by crowds have dwindled in number. It seems as if its presence no longer plays an important role in society, juxtaposing how it once did. As a way to conceptualize this period of history, I created a photojournalist collection illuminating the commonalities and differences among opera spaces in London, Paris and San Francisco. I found through my photographic research that these spaces share elements of architectural and contemporary design, however they differ in institutional purposes.

The opera house I documented in Paris, France was the Palais Garnier. Its aesthetic structure features several stories and stairways engulfed in ornate neo-baroque revival architecture, chiseled in gold and illuminated by natural light shining through the windows. The Palais Garnier is largely inspired by the time period it was built in, identifying with Beaux-arts architecture. Its structure seems to reinforce the idea of classifying this space as luxurious and for those of higher status. Paris is a world-renowned city, and yet still holds many of its founding traditions. Its high class energy gives its atmosphere an almost historic feeling, modernized by its own luxury. With such a bright and transformative light source, my priority when photographing this interior space was focused more on the ornate details rather than the white highlights. The lighting within the scene not only plays into the overall color scheme of my photographs, but additionally instills a graphic element into my photographic collection. 

After becoming intrigued by the architectural structure of the Palais Garnier, I knew I wanted to explore other spaces within the opera atmosphere. I decided to explore the local Opera House in London when I was abroad. The Royal Opera House is designed in a fashion that explores its identity as a gathering space. Its gold, neo-baroque style architecture shares similarities with the Palais Garnier, however is reinvented by the facets of London culture. Like Paris, it instills a sense of glorious luxury but in a less traditional way, industrialized by the commodities of everyday living. Its purpose seems to be in a pursuit of hosting or gathering those that come to the opera, rather than instilling glorious splendor.

After departing the United Kingdom, my photographic endeavors continued. When I returned home to the San Francisco Bay Area in California, I recalled a local Opera House in San Francisco. The War Memorial Opera House features vibrant colors within the opera floor space and often during ballet performances. When photographing the inside of the theater I really wanted to highlight the distinct lighting the space had in addition to its unique color palette.  Similarly, its Beaux-Arts style architecture mimics some structures of the Palais Garnier, but juxtaposes the Royal Opera House.