Dark Silver: New portraits from the view camera

Dark Silver is a new exhibit of portraits created with the large format view camera at Mastroianni Photography and Arts showing throughout the winter. Dark Silver is opening in conjunction with my new project called Silver Scuro, which is devoted to creating images with traditional black and white film and hand-printed in the darkroom on real silver-based paper. And for the first time I will take commissions from the public for this type of portrait. Opening reception times:

December 12, 6-9PM

December 13, 10AM-1PM

January 9, 6-9PM

January 10, 10AM-1PM

A limited edition softcover catalog is now available here for $19.99.

Sitting for the view camera is a commitment, both for the subject and the photographer. The camera itself is large and unwieldily, requiring a tripod and space to set it up. The process of creating the exposure is as far from point and shoot as one can get; light is metered, focus is set, film is loaded, and shutter is released. The exposures tend to be long, often several seconds, and the depth of field can be very shallow, often a few inches, so the subject must be perfectly still for the entire process. The materials—film, paper, chemistry—have become more rare and more expensive in the past decade, making every shot count. But it’s the slow, deliberate process which delivers the intense and decisive images.