plant-based analog film development

I used to follow Jennifer with my camera to observe her while she foraged for seasonal ingredients to use for cooking, herbal remedies and still other more esoteric experiments. But after a while, I started to tire of just watching through my lens. I became filled with a strong desire to do my own foraging. Only, I wondered, what for? I’m no cook. I make images. And what could foraging have to do with that?

This question led me down a whole new path of discovery. My hunt for an answer led me to reach out to one of the world’s leading researchers in the field of plant-based analog film development. Our dialog soon blossomed into friendship. It turns out that to make an image appear on a roll of film, you need some of the same chemical components found in many of the wilder forms of flora we pass by everyday: what some simply call weeds.

Wild flowers, nettles, black walnuts, fallen leaves. They all have a place in my photo and filmmaking process. They’re not simply the subjects of my images: they are the very materials necessary for the image to appear. Now, Jennifer and I forage alongside each other, together. The seasonal plants we gather don’t just add depth and flavor to our food, these days they are active agents for making memories.