Exciting New Artworks Made this Spring in the Garden with an 8x10 Large Format Film Camera

In this post I share a video showing how I shoot with a large format 8x10 analog film camera and another video about how process the film in the darkroom.  I hope you enjoy seeing the new artworks too!

To make images for the Sustain series I choose to use an 8"x10" film camera to make large format negatives because I love the super high resolution detail look that can be obtained by such a large negative. 

These are a few of my favorite images that resulted...

The Rewards of Persistence

After initial frustrating attempts at snowflake photography on my artist residency at the Vermont Studio Center, I finally got a snowstorm where the conditions were just right.  It turns out that windy storms break up the snowflakes into little pieces and stick them back together in jumbled clumps of ice crystals.  In the last week there was a singular day of soft gentle snowfall all day and I took over 300 photographs of individual snowflakes.  I saw forms and shapes which I had never seen before due to the lower temperatures in Northern Vermont.  I played with photographing the flakes in different states from the perfect natural forms and then with my breath gently I encouraged their melting and photographed their disappearance.  I want use the symbol of snowflakes to express themes of the delicate balance of climate systems that are being disrupted.   I plan to explore printing these image sequences using materials that evoke delicacy, preciousness, and fragility.  I tried an experiment with a lace Kozo paper which had the texture of freshly fallen snow.  I made a sequence of image transfers over gold leaf.  I loved the results until I sprayed it with a preservative spray which greatly altered the appearance of the paper to more transparent and glossy.  Above you can see the before and after results in the transformation of the paper surface. To get the look I am aiming for will require further experimentation with materials. 

How to sequester carbon during breakfast!

Yesterday there was no snow so I decided to pay a visit to maple syrup farmer David Marvin at his processing plant in Morrisville, VT.  For several years I have been interested in learning more about the maple syrup industry in relationship to issues of climate and sustainability.  I may pursue a body of work in this direction.  Part of my creative process involves research and this visit was very interesting. 

I was given a tour of the bottling and processing plant which seemed to be the size of two big box home improvement stores put together.  At this plant they bring in syrup from around New England and Canada to be bottled for private labels and turned into maple sugar and candy.  After the tour I did a recorded audio interview of David Marvin about his business (Butternut Mountain Farm), issues of conservation, sustainability and the impacts of climate change upon his industry.  The most interesting thing I learned about the operation is that the maple sugarbush forests Mr. Marvin owns and manages absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than they produce in all their operations including the freight, buildings, energy consumption etc.  On average one gallon of maple syrup sequesters 255lbs of carbon.  He also told me that he bottles for many stores nationwide, most of which he could not disclose, except he could tell me that he makes the store brand syrup for Whole Foods. He also makes a maple sugar sold there too.  I plan to visit the farm next week and take some photographs, weather permitting.  I have never been to a modern maple farm where they use tubing and vacuum pressure to bring the syrup to the sugar house. 

David Marvin of Butternut Mountain Farm