I’ve always known I wanted to be an artist, however, finding my niche as a creative took decades. For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to play with cameras, but it wasn’t until I discovered analog photography that my hobby began to feel like a passion.

Since delving down the rabbit-hole of Wet Plate Collodion photography, one of the oldest forms of image-making (Jacobson, 2010), I’ve not been able to shake the analog bug - I’m constantly searching for how to better understand the process of making a photograph. Whether constructing one-off cameras for myself or clients, learning a new photographic process, or sharing new techniques with friends, I’m constantly focused on my craft.

Adam Savage, one of my favorite makers, discusses in his memoir: being a maker means a lot more just using your hands, it’s about being on a quest to learn new skills, (Savage, 2019). I’m fascinated with the intersection of old-school and new-school tech, which propels my skill-learning-quest towards the latest in digital fabrication technologies. I believe that combining the power of today’s technology with the practices of 20th-century art allows me to create work that can stand out in the flooded field of creatives. I aspire to embody Ansel Adams' famous quote, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” (Adams, 1985).

sources:

Jacobson, Q. (2010). Chemical pictures: The wet plate collodion photography book. Erscheinungsort nicht ermittelbar: Quinn Jacobson Photography and Studio Q.

Savage, A. (2019). Every tool's a hammer: Life is what you make it. New York: Atria Books.

Adams, A., & Alinder, M. S. (1985). Ansel Adams: An autobiography. New York: New York Graphic Society Book.