Doortraits – Much photographic love for the doors of this world

“Door portraits” are extremely popular on Instagram. People all over the world enjoy taking photos of attractive doors and sharing them with their community on social media.

The popularity of "doortraits" online has skyrocketed, as even the New York Times reported (see sources). A growing community shares its love for beautiful doors, for example on Instagram, using the hashtag #doortrait.

Although the Instagram trend is not that old, the history of photographing doors, portals and entrances has a long tradition.

As early as the 17th century, Dutch artists (e.g., in genre painting) depicted doors and windows to portray life at home and on the street. These Dutch painters portrayed doors and windows as a connection between different worlds: the domestic and the street, the secular and the spiritual.

In the 18th century, the first photographers took up these themes, including the British inventor William Henry Fox Talbot, whose work “The Open Door” was a conscious reference to the Dutch masters.

In the 1970s, as part of his art project Doors NYC, British artist Roy Colmer photographed over 3,000 doors in Manhattan, which are now on display as a collection in the New York Public Library.

According to Elizabeth Cronin, the library's deputy curator of photography, Colmer's source of inspiration was Aldous Huxley's book "The Doors of Perception." She stated that Colmer had a keen interest in street life , and photographing doors offered him that certain something extra.

These doors were ignored by everyone else at the time and gave the photographer a feeling of freedom.

Doortraits – The phenomenon of door photography on Instagram

In the photographic works of Doortrait enthusiasts like Tamara Yurovsky (aka @oliver_thewirefox on Instagram), the focus is not on the usual subjects, but rather, besides her beloved Fox Terrier, on the doors, windows and facades of the neighborhood where she walks daily.

These seemingly simple objects tell their own story and offer interesting insights into the diversity and complexity of a place. Yurovsky emphasized this in an interview with the NYT:

Doors are not just physical barriers, but also portals to different realities and worlds

The artworks created from this perspective form their own genre and are enjoying increasing popularity in the online world, especially on platforms like Instagram, where they are known as "door portraits".

While the internet is heavily characterized by conflict, hate speech and divisions, the door-enthusiastic users on Instagram create a harmonious community – a welcome counterpoint.

They passionately exchange ideas about the fascinating variety of doors from different countries such as Iran, Italy, Nicaragua, Stockholm, or even Stockton, California. In a world where so many boundaries exist—be they political, social, or cultural—the love of architecture and the aesthetics of doors connects people from all over the world and creates a unique community of like-minded individuals.

In this spirit, Martha Reyes from Florida and Katie Smith from London also started the Instagram account @ihaveathingforwalls , where they share photos of doors and windows from around the world. Although the two women have never met in person, they decided to collaborate because of their shared passion.

According to the NYT, communication takes place primarily via WhatsApp, and they manage their account, which boasts an impressive 51,000 followers, on a weekly basis. Their collaboration demonstrates how a creative connection across national borders can yield inspiring results.

As a neutral observer, one might almost be tempted to say the following: These passionate Instagram users are using their platform to celebrate the beauty and significance of doors as symbolic elements of cultural diversity and individual expression.

Nowadays, there are Instagram accountsthat focus heavily, if not exclusively, on doors. Cold Knees, Doors of Italy, Doortraits, Tv_DoorsandWindows, Arina in London Land, THEBEST_windowsdoors , and Doors Everywhere are just a few examples.

The following hashtags have become established in the community: #doorsondoors #doorsofinstagram #doorsoflondon #doorsandwindows #doorsworldwide #doorlove #doortraits #doorlovers #olddoors #windowview #doorporn

Where does this fascination with doors come from?

Art offers countless ways to express feelings and thoughts. So why doors in particular?

If eyes are the windows to the soul, then doors are definitely the first glimpse into the heart of a house

This quote could explain why this photo trend took the internet by storm.

Doors exert a unique fascination through their individual beauty – sometimes shaped by time – and the curiosity they awaken in us. We would love nothing more than to open locked doors or at least catch a glimpse through the keyhole. Incidentally, should you ever find yourself locked out, a reliable locksmith service in Ingolstadt, .

There is a certain kind of voyeurism involved in wondering what is hidden behind a door or window.”

Erin Barnett , head of exhibitions and collections at the International Photography Center in New York, remarked to the Times

The possibility of glimpsing hidden worlds awakens our spirit of discovery and stimulates our imagination. Doors are therefore not only practical elements in our environment, but also symbolic bearers of secrets and undiscovered treasures.

Their versatility as a motif in art reflects the multifaceted nature of human life and invites us on a journey full of surprises and new insights.

Julie Gebhardt, a talented hairdresser, has also made a name for herself as a photographer of doors in the vibrant city of San Francisco. With her creative photographs, she has gained a loyal following of over 54,000 Instagram followers for her unique door-centric account (@juliegeb).

Inspired by her own neighborhood, she has started taking her new Instagram followers on fascinating doorstep tours through the area. In doing so, they discover hidden gems and unexplored corners that are usually overlooked.

We deliberately go to neighborhoods that are often overlooked. Because it is precisely there that the true beauty of the everyday often lies hidden. Perhaps they are not the most picturesque streets, but in these moments one can discover the beauty of decay and transience 

Julie explained enthusiastically to the NYT.

Through her door tours, she creates a connection between art, culture and everyday life, encouraging her followers to view the world around them with an open mind and an open heart.

Abdullah Alriyami, an author from Oman currently living in Rabat, Morocco, also discovered his passion for photographing unique doors in Morocco and Oman a few years ago (@alriyamiabdullah). Given the increasing globalization, he worried that the local culture and the characteristic doors and windows that make these regions so unique might be forgotten.

In Morocco, he is particularly fascinated by the hand-carved wooden doors and the colorful painted or artfully forged metal doors.

As a passionate door portrait photographer, Abdullah Alriyami emphasizes:

Doors and windows are like the eyes of a building in architecture. They not only allow glimpses inside, but also promote intercultural exchange and communication. A door is not merely a security mechanism, but a cultural symbol of great importance

Photographer Mark D. Whitney offers a final explanation for the magnetic pull of doors . For him, it's due to their symbolism.

The ancient Roman god Janus is the god of doors, of beginnings, ends, and transitions. He has two faces—one looking to the past and one looking to the future. A door can be an entrance or an exit. It can lock you out or lock you in. So many possibilities of meaning in one simple structure. Whitney is sure that's part of the fascination.

Unlike in Roman mythology, you don't need to despair if you accidentally lock yourself out. The Landshut locksmith service provides professional assistance if needed.

Perhaps another reason for the success of Doortraits lies simply in the fact that doors are quite easy to photograph. They don't move. They can be conveniently photographed from the sidewalk. Lighting isn't too difficult. The image comes with an integrated frame. They can be very elaborately crafted and gain enormous character after many years of use.

Our Doortraits collection on Pinterest

You can also find inspiration for door portraits and door photography in our Pinterest collection on the topic.

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[su_note note_color=”#f2f2f2″] Sources:

• The New York Times: The 'Doortrait' Artists of Instagram, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/04/fashion/door-photographs-windows-instagram.html
• Country Living: 'Doortraits' Are the Latest Trend Sweeping Instagram, https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/decorating-ideas/a39518/doortraits-instagram-trend/
• Tenement Museum: A Door to the Past: the Photographs of Roy Colmer, https://www.tenement.org/blog/a-door-to-the-past-the-photographs-of-roy-colmer/
• The New York Public Library Digital Collections: Roy Colmer, https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/search/
• Mark Whitney Photography and Art: Photographers Love Doors, https://www.forestrat.com/mwp/2017/08/12/photographers-love-doors/

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