The American West
Volume II
While Europe has thousands of years worth of ancient cities and temples, America has its great canyons, mountains, forests, and deserts; these are our great wonders. They are the great equalizer in our country; they belong to both rich and poor serving as a vast communal backyard. They are a testing ground and recreational paradise for generation upon generation of Americans. They can be cruel and unforgiving while simultaneously full of beauty and wonder. At a time when their future is in question it is imperative to understand how important they are to the American population and what a devastating loss it would be to have the purpose altered.
This project was started 6 years ago when I was given a Holga camera as gift, without thought I started bringing it along on all my trips around the west. Slowly over time I found myself shooting more and more with only the Holga. The lack of control was incredibly liberating, no longer was I focused on gear in these wild places. With its limitations I slowly found out what type of light, compositions, and landscapes worked best. All the photos are taken with Kodak Tri-X film with a red filter that is then push processed to ISO 1600, this combination I feel creates a very dramatic effect that conveys the raw and unforgiving nature of the land.
