Hello.  I'm a photographer, wannabe oil painter, and college photography instructor from Kalamazoo.  I now work exclusively in antiquated photographic processes and have a strong interest in photographing (or painting in oils) dream tableaux, psychological portraits, and the nude in wilderness settings.  My interest in historical photographic processes has led me to currently concentrate on producing unique ambrotypes on deep amethyst or black glass plates using large view cameras (the ones that employ a focusing cloth draped over the photographer) up to 11x14 format in size.  Examples are in my portfolio, so please have a look.

I also have authored a popular online article on the antebellum wetplate collodion photographic process which is currently experiencing a major revival among contemporary photographers who have moved in a direction opposite the present digital imaging revolution.  The article, "Getting Started in Wetplate Collodion Photography" includes a gallery section of my earliest work using the process.

I've started a portrait project in which I am photographing people and their favorite dolls, and hopefully I'll be matching those up with similarly-themed photographic images from the late 19th- and early 20th-century that I have in my collection.  I'm also interested in photographing the nude in the studio and in landscapes of the Michigan counties of Kalamazoo, Antrim, and Marquette, as well as the Keeweenaw peninsula.

Since I'm doing this largely as an artistic venture and not to make money at it, I would prefer to work with others interested in collaborating in artistic projects with compensation in the form of unique plates or prints in the special processes I employ.  I'm usually able to cover transportation costs and provide some monetary compensation on occasional projects, but my preference is to interact with other artistic individuals who are interested in a noncommercial, yet mutually-beneficial artistic collaboration.

I hope you enjoy my portfolio and that you will consider working with me on one of my projects.  Thanks.

- Joe

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