As in most journeys, the first step is not always aligned with its imagined destination. A misstep, a distraction, an unintentional mistake deviates us, ever so slightly, in another direction — alluring meanderings, revealing hidden realms that couldn’t be seen before. And so it has been with me as I wandered off the straight path, ever so slightly, when I began experimenting with motion, using my camera in ways that were forbidden — entering a dark forest of hidden truths where sometimes magic emerges.
What fascinates me most about still photography is that the image you make in the camera is a real moment that exists in real time. Recently, I’ve been digging back into the archives of my analog methods and trying to see how I can use them to create new ways of making images in the digital format. In the tribute I created for the Impressionists, “Reveries of Giverny,” I was experimenting with different in-camera techniques, such as panning, slow shutter speeds and multi-exposures. I was thinking of my camera as a paintbrush in an artist’s hand.
In this series, I’ve continued my experiments of recreating nature with in-camera methods, without the wizardry of computer technology.