“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” - John Muir
My personal work is a love story to the wild. For two years now, I have been on a photographic journey to capture America’s National Parks in a very pure way. To show them as the land once was; untouched and beautifully raw. Through a mix of camera, timing, and a unique printing process - the image that has resulted is timeless.
This image of a dead Juniper forest at dusk was taken in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. It was a warm summer evening and as all the tourists headed back to camp for dinner, I was finally alone. The sun had set and I knew my exposure would be long. At F/135, my exposure was upwards of 30 minutes. So I did what I always do, I setup my camera, opened my shutter, and just sat there. Breathing. Listening. Being.
In those 30 minutes a deer walked through the picture and a herd of wild horses brushed past my shoulder. The sound of wind and Cicadas slowly emanated from the forest. I could feel my heart and I felt calm throughout my bones. I was experiencing exactly what John Muir wrote so vividly- I was going in. It is this feeling that I hope everyone can feel- to breathe the wild air and to be moved by nature.
- Photographer: Albany Katz
- Location: Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, USA
- Camera: Pinholga
- Lens: None
- Film: Kodak Tri-X
- Lab: Self Developed