Some photographers believe their strongest work comes from exploring their immediate surroundings. "After photographing California over two decades, I think of myself as a regional photographer, but that does not mean that photography cannot be understood beyond the region. In fact, extensive travel across Europe has solidified my belief that the ancient groves of California native oaks are just as sacred as the holy spaces and cathedrals of Europe." For this reason he makes occasional photographic forays into Poland and Lithuania. "I'm fascinated by the ancient churches of my homeland," he says. "These are holy spaces where millions of people have prayed for hundreds of years. They are places of great humility, and remind us how brief our lives are. I feel the same way when I'm photographing ancient groves of native oaks in California. It is healthy to remember that we are often linked to the natural world in ways we don't even suspect. I am grateful to have the opportunity to experience this through my photography everyday. "I think about how interconnected the world is," Loranc says. "When I'm out on a crisp winter's morning, shooting a stand of native oaks, I see oak galls hanging from the trees. These were once used to make the pyrogallol chemicals I use to develop my negatives. So the oak trees I am photographing played a part in the developer I use to process my negatives of those trees. It is healthy to remember that we are often linked to the natural world in ways we don't even suspect." Roman Loranc is a self-taught photographer who began his journey as an artist in the early 1960s when he received a 35mm camera for his first communion. Over time he learned to print and develop on his own and continues to do so. Roman uses a 4x5 Linhof field camera and shoots the majority of his photographs with a 210mm Nikkor lens, using Kodak's classic Tri-X film, and prints on multigrade fiber paper. Roman shapes the photo... [https://www.romanloranc.com/about/] undefined

More on Google