I am enraptured by the earth and her creatures. I have spent the past 30 years traveling alone to remote wild places to photograph creatures from the smallest insect to the largest whale. My animal encounters leave me in a state of wonder and awe. It is this reverence I wish to transmit to others through my artwork.
I have typically used 35mm black and white film in traditional Leica macro and Widelux panoramic cameras. I make unique prints on custom handmade Japanese papers. My process is difficult and hard-won and I work this way to honor the animals who give me their attention and who may be the last of their kind.
In the past few years, I have abandoned the camera altogether to get as close as possible to the animals I so love. From the jungles of Borneo to the forests of upstate New York, I collaborate with wild animals to make unique photograms—photographs made without a camera. As far as I know, this has never been done before.
Working patiently on moonless nights, I set up huge sheets of light-sensitive photographic paper. When I am working with American black bears, these sheets are eight feet in length. Once the paper is in position, I sit in the dark and wait for an animal to pass by. Sometimes I wait night after night. I do not use a hide and I am in full view of the animal. This takes tremendous trust, openness and stillness.
When an animal appears, I am in awe. I make a quick exposure with a small hand-held flash. This is so minimal that it goes unnoticed. After the animal disappears into the forest, I collect the paper, store it in a lightproof box and later develop the photographic print in a traditional chemical darkroom. The photograms—or Animalograms as I call them—are then toned with pure gold, both to affect the coloration of the print and to ensure its archival stability.
The results are unique and magical photographic artworks, each a life-sized direct impression of a wild animal onto photographic paper. A ghostly gift which reflects the fragility and majesty of the natural world.
— Zana Briski
Editor’s note: This work is one of the winners of the LensCulture Critics’ Choice Awards 2023. Discover much more amazing and inspiring work by all of this year’s winners.
