In an age of increasingly complex technology, this work revisits the simplest form of photographic image capture. A pinhole camera is the simplest design: a box with a literal pinhole for an aperture. No lens, no moving parts, no batteries.

A few years ago, I bought a 100-year old brick building to use as a studio and residence. When I took possession of the building, I was at first irritated (and later amused) to discover what was left behind for me to clean up. As I began to collect the literal piles of garbage and other items, I became inspired to make pictures before throwing them away myself. Collecting and recording the objects gave them new value. This transformation occurred once I clicked the shutter. Their trash became my treasures.

I’ve always wondered how my BS in Biology and MFA in photography would intersect. The lumen printing process brings these disciplines together perfectly. Lumen prints of plants reminded me of a botanists’ herbarium as well as the early photograms of Talbot and Atkins. This project has rekindled my passion for plant identification. Identifying plants is a kind of training for “seeing”. A botanist has to learn very subtle differences for correct plant identification. I suppose that is something from my early training that has influenced my artist eye. This project has also led me to create a more intimate connection to the land where I spend my summers.