“El Poblado, night (II)” (2010), one half of a panoramic duo of Medellin by night.

Friday, January 24th was the opening for “Obscura Primavera” by photographer Corine Vermeulen, at the Susanne Hilberry Gallery in Ferndale. The collection of images, produced from 2009-2014, center around Medellin, Colombia, where Vermeulen spent multiple visits to the city documenting local places, people and nature, as well as participating in artist residencies at Casa Tres Patios.

Detail from “Olga and her daughter” (2010).

Vermeulen is having quite a moment in the sun, with works from her Walk-In Portrait Studio project running concurrently at the DIA. Much like the images at the DIA, which skillfully capture the spirit of Detroiters here in Vermeulen’s adopted hometown, this collection employs her familiar approach of meticulously staged portraits, typically in the home environment or turf of the subject—but also includes a marked departure from her other bodies of work. Throughout the exhibit are high-contrast studies of local flora against black backgrounds, deeply reminiscent of the conventions of 1800s-era Dutch still life painting, and perhaps a nod to Vermeulen’s Dutch roots.

Detail from “Untitled (Pomarrosa)” (2011), one of several vivid botanical portraits in the show.

Like Detroit, Medellin finds itself in a time of cultural transition, emerging from the reputation as one of the world’s most dangerous cities to become a tourist center and place of urban renewal. Like Detroit, the residents seem to take this new image with a grain of salt, given the poverty and harsh circumstances they still wrestle with daily (only one of the subjects in “Obscura Primavera” has anything resembling a smile for the camera).

The opening night crowd, as the show wanes to a close.

As always, Vermeulen leaves the onus on the viewer, about how to reconcile the personalities and vistas presented through her camera.

Susanne Hilberry Gallery: 700 Livernois, Ferndale; 248-541-4700; www.susannehilberrygallery.com