This month I have had the honor of being part of 'One Off', a group show showcasing Alternative/Historical photographic processes at Spectrum Fine Art Gallery in Fresno, California!

My series 'Mumasso/Ekisimbe' (view under the Collections tab) are portraits taken in East Africa with plants overlaid (Mumasso/Ekisimbe means Face/Plant in Luganda, the local language) then printed as a Cyanotype.  When selecting the plants to overlay I chose plants shot in the same areas the portrait was taken to create a metaphor or tell the story of the relationship between the person and their environment and how it might bear on their life.  

The Process: These all started as digital photographs which were then turned to black and white, then combined and refined in Photoshop.  Next the image is inverted to create a negative and printed onto a transparency.  Now that we have a negative we start the Cyanotype printing process (one of the oldest photographic processes, discovered in 1842!) which involves mixing chemistry, hand coating the paper to be printed on, exposing the photograph, developing the photo then toning with green tea.  If you have any questions feel free to email me ([email protected]) and if you are interested in learning (and live in Fresno) I HIGHLY recommend Fresno City College's course Photo 27: Alternative Photography.

Coinciding with the show is the Rangefinder Alternative Photography contest. Voting for the People's Choice Award has been competitive and I am so thankful to my supporters for keeping me high in the rankings!  To vote visit: http://www.rangefinderalternative.com/bin/Rate?image_id=2014200019

This is the last weekend of 'One Off" so if you haven't made it tonight, Friday, February 21st, 7p-9p there will be a LIVE DEMO of an Alternative/Historical Process and our Artist Reception is this Sunday, February 23rd, from 3p-6p.  The Artist Reception is always great since the artists are on hand to answer any questions and give insight to their work!

See you this weekend!