Do you love photography?
I had the pleasure of meeting an amazing photographer while walking the aisles of Scott's Antique Market. I was drawn to his booth when I saw a couple of vintage cameras and hanging photos.
These are shots used with the early photographic techniques - wet-plate collodion photography. It was all very technical, but I was completely drawn to it. Here is one of my favorites:
Here is the one I purchased:
This is shot directly on a metal plate using this camera:
After talking to Josiah for a few minutes, his passion for photography and film is very evident! He has been involved in feature films, TV shows, network promos, commercials, documentaries, industrial films and extreme sports. He worked as the Director of Photography for HGTV Star, Elbow Room, Love it or List it, and Black Dog Salvage, just to name a few. You MUST go to his website josiahmorgan.com and go to the "Reel and Motion" video. You will be blown away. DON'T BE LAZY, DO IT!!
I was so impressed by his work (he's also very nice) I just had to share this with our readers. I asked him some questions and here's what he had to say:
Always curious and learning, I began to shoot more and more still photography for myself as a way of practicing my craft in-between film sets. While researching some details about early lens designs I began to study the history of photography in a new way and realized how incredible the early photographic techniques where. I also realized that those techniques are still incredible, and possible right now if one is willing to fully embrace the adventure. It was this journey that lead me to wet-plate collodion photography, which I am now using to make tintypes. Quite soon I hope to start shooting ambrotypes (glass plates) using the same process.
My career as a creative professional started with my work as a web designer, which transitioned into general design and corporate identity work. Five years into that work, which I loved, I met some guys who owned a high-end commercial production company. I was very impressed with their work and used up all of my vacation time working as production assistant (the very lowest position) on their sets. It didn't take long for me to focus on the camera department, where I began to work as a camera assistant, and eventually made the transition to Director of Photography.
The philosopher Dallas Willard once said that "beauty is goodness made manifest to the senses" and that "work is the creation of value". There is plenty of hardship. In my creative efforts I am attempting to create value by making goodness manifest to the senses and sharing that manifest goodness with others.
