Artist Statement

For most of my teens and twenties, I was immersed in the world of jazz. As I studied it and played it, I appreciated the profound connection between creative freedom and technical mastery. It takes countless hours of studying theory, practicing technique, and learning a piece of music before you can find true freedom of expression. When the technical aspects of performing became secondary, my ability to express my emotions fully were realized.

I've brought the lessons I learned through playing jazz into my photographic work. To create a successful image, the technique of the camera and the interplay between myself and the subject must all be in line for that one critical moment of exposure. Each breath of wind, passing cloud, and film loaded in a holder determines the outcome of my work.

I photograph exclusively with large-format film. The large-format camera requires mastering the technical aspects, and each type of transparency film is unique.

Once I'm under the dark cloth, viewing the image on the ground glass, all peripheral vision is gone, and it's just me and my image. The view of the subject on the ground glass allows for a different perspective, and I can break down the composition into basic shapes, textures, and lines. Because of the slow, methodical pace of the large-format cameras and film, I find myself looking more deeply into the landscape. The long shutter speeds require absolute stillness, forcing me to analyze the scene for every quivering leaf. I must feel every breath of wind and personally connect to each exposure.

Back home, each sheet of film is developed and drum-scanned in-house. This is when I once again feel the strong connection between my experience with jazz and photography. The true performance of the piece is the print, and the technical mastery that is required is formidable. I have spent countless hours studying the science of carbon transfer and platinum palladium printmaking because there are no alternatives for making a color photograph from a sheet of transparency film. There aren't any commercially manufactured materials for the carbon process, so I have to make all of my materials. From start to finish, I have my hands in each exposure in the darkroom to make a final print, and nothing can be out of place during the entire process. I am one of only a handful of photographers producing carbon transfer prints.

I am proud to have my photographs hanging in the homes and offices of individuals worldwide. Please visit my collections to see the images I’m currently offering for sale.

Gallery Representation and Exhibitions

  • “6th Annual Alternative Process Photography Exhibition- 2022,” - The Image Flow Gallery, San Francisco, CA

  • “Color - 2021,” Photo Place Gallery

  • "Visions of the Flint Hills - 2016," Buttonwood Art Space - Kansas City, MO

Publications

  • Silvergrain Classics - 2022

  • Landscape Photography Magazine

  • Kansas! Magazine

  • Kansas University Alumni Magazine

  • MWM

Contact

 

Email: michael@michaelstricklandimages.com

Phone: (805) 791-7999

Michael Strickland Studios

2705 Centennial Blvd

Liberal, KS 67901