Featured Print March 2024

Grasses. Paoha Island. Mono Lake, CA. 1979.

It was fascinating to go on my first visit to Paoha Island in the Eastern Sierra’s Mono Lake in 1979. I carried multiple cameras, including a 4x5 View Camera. On the south side of the island is Warm Springs Cove, where the remnants of the original warm spring baths from the 1920s line the south-facing cliffs. In front of those decaying concrete igloos of the baths is a wide band of grasses that have grown up as Mono Lake has shrunk due to water diversion to Los Angeles.

It was those grasses that drew me in and led to one of my favorite photographs of my career. I liked the composition and subject matter, but something magical happened in the darkroom when developing the print that made it very special to me. At the time I frequently used a two-bath print developer process with Kodak’s Selector Soft as an extended time first developer, and Kodak’s Dektol as a stronger-acting second developer. The magic came from a silvery upper mid-tone glow that emerged from this process which I immediately fell in love with. I made number of additional prints at the same time using the same method, knowing that this phenomena might never repeat itself. I was also careful to save the rest of the paper in the box.

I was never able to repeat the effect, but am so pleased that I now have a great scan of the print and can make pigment inkjet prints available.

I’m offering a 14-inch-wide print of this photograph for $300, matted to approximately 16”x20”. Larger prints can be ordered. This print at this price is offered through March 31. I'll be taking orders until then, and shipping them out by April 15. The image reverts to its normal price after that, $800 for an 11x14, $1500 for a 16x20.

Past Featured Prints

About the Program

Each month we offer a signed, original print, at a special price. This is a great opportunity to own a very affordable fine-art photograph. Orders are taken for a 30-day period, then printed and shipped within two weeks after the close. When it's over, it's over, these prints won't be available again at this price.