Wald #18 – pinhole photograph on 10″ x 8″ Ilfochrome
Wald #1 – pinhole photograph on 10″ x 8″ Ilfochrome
Wald #9 – pinhole photograph on 10″ x 8″ Ilfochrome
Wald #122 – pinhole photograph on 10″ x 8″ Ilfochrome
Wald #19 – pinhole photograph on 10″ x 8″ Ilfochrome
Wald #44 – pinhole photograph on 10″ x 8″ Ilfochrome
Wald #128 – pinhole photograph on 10″ x 8″ Ilfochrome
Wald #117 – pinhole photograph on 10″ x 8″ Ilfochrome
Wald #143 – pinhole photograph on 10″ x 8″ Ilfochrome
Wald #215 – pinhole photograph on 10″ x 8″ silver gelatin
Wald #164 – pinhole photograph on 10″ x 8″ silver gelatin
Wald #213 – pinhole photograph on 10″ x 8″ silver gelatin
Wald #214 – pinhole photograph on 10″ x 8″ silver gelatin

WALD

The word “Wald” means “forest” in German. The inspiration for the series was to capture the view when awakening from a nap under a tree. Or maybe what one might dream when napping under the tree. These pinhole pictures of the trees Wald explore how the forest stimulates the human imagination evoking emotions from fantasy to fear through 8”x10” monoprint pinhole camera images of the forest canopy. Entering the forest we are mere observers of natural processes. Photographing Wald required me to allow the composition, exposure and development processes evolve naturally on their own. The work gives up control over the photographic process in the same way that man cannot control nature.

Wald are unique 10″x8″ pinhole photographs of the trees and woods surrounding my home and studio. The photographic paper was placed inside of the 10″x8″ pinhole camera and exposed from 30 minutes to 6 hours. The color images are on Ilfochrome paper and the B&W prints are on Oriental Seagull fiber based paper. The camera was handmade by photographer Amos Chan and was placed in the woods on a sturdy tripod. The camera had a sign asking passers-by not to disturb it. I left the camera, set a timer on my watch and came back when I estimated the exposure was correct. I would shoot 30 color images before processing them because the Ilfochrome processor worked best in batches. Sometimes 2 weeks of shooting went by before processing when I would learn if the exposures were correct and if I had any images. Because the exposures were so long often the sun would track through the image, the trees would blow in the wind, but any part of the tree that didn’t move would be in focus thanks to the extreme depth of field characteristic of pinhole photography.

For exhibition or acquisition information please contact the artist.

2006-2010

  • 162 Ilfochrome direct prints 10″x8″ edition 1 of 1 and 76 Silver Gelatin direct prints 10″x8″ edition 1 of 1 (total 238 unique prints in the series)
  • 25″x20″ digital collage of multiple prints edition of 10.
  • The original images are available as unique objects (edition of 1) and all images have been scanned at high resolution and available as enlarged limited edition digital prints.

Exhibition History and Installation Photos

Wald Project News and Press

Wald pinhole camera in the woods
Wald pinhole camera in the woods – the black piece of tape is the “shutter.” The camera uses a standard 8″x10″ film holder.