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There is plenty of love to be found on the Internet, but nothing like that on the Website of Minneapolis-based photographer Alec Soth. Soth, who burst on the fine art scene in 2004 with a haunting project on the culture of the Mississippi River region and an accompanying book, Sleeping by the Mississippi (Steidl), recently spent two years photographing a legendary honeymoon destination, Niagara Falls. But what started as a whimsical notion of exploring an iconic American destination turned into a full-scale study of love in a cold climate. Soth shoots large-format photographs that describe places both through the people that live there and through inanimate symbols. He began his work on Niagara hoping to capture the warmth of romance, but he soon found himself confronting cultural cliches, like towels folded into the shape of swans at one Niagara motel marketed at honeymooners. Viewing the work on Soth's Website, one is struck by the brooding melancholy and subdued tones of the color work. The site, which Soth designed himself several years ago, is unadorned and earnest, and therein lies its appeal. "I felt strongly that I didn't want a hyped-up site with Flash stuff and sound," he says. "I wanted to give information and show pictures."

URL: www.alecsoth.com
Launched: 2001
Designed by: Alec Soth
Web Philosophy: "The truth is, I don't love looking at pictures on Websites. Consequently, I don't worry about showing everything on the Web. I want people to search and discover my work for themselves."

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