Keepers of Light
On a typical year, I travel extensively to photograph autumn color. In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was forced home in my studio, where I began to experiment with still life photography. On my daily walks and runs, I began to gather fallen leaves that would catch my eye as I passed them. I grew especially fond of the cottonwood leaves because as they began to dry out and lose their pigment, wonderful textures, lines, and pattens would form that made each leaf so unique. I gathered a collection of several dozen different leaves, which I photographed in my studio with 8x10 Ilford Delta film, and made platinum/palladium prints directly from the film negatives. The project was inspired by my mentor and friend Stan Klimek, who I had the wonderful opportunity to apprentice under during the fall of 2020.
Each leaf has its own unique character, personality, and dimensionality that has been an absolute joy to photograph over the last few months.
No computers, no digital cameras, and no scanners were used to make this series of images. This is an entirely analog process. Each print is limited to 30 editions and handmade frames are available. More information on my platinum palladium prints can be found here.
