SCENE | Surfland

I had to re-post this from the brilliant blog Miss Moss, because this is one of the coolest things I've seen all year. In the age of Instagram and digital photography, I've heard a few photographers with big careers under their belts say they're sadly ready to throw in the towel. The filters that one simple button produces on an iPhone is what some photographers have spent years honing and practicing. On the other hand, New York-based photographer Joni Sternbach, has found her specialty in a photographic process that's over 150 years old: early wet plate collodion photographic technique. The collodion process was introduced in 1850 and reigned as the format of choice for decades. Surfland is Sternbach's ongoing project of surfer portraits around the world. The aesthetic and aura of these portraits are stunning, it looks as if The Civil War is happening just outside the photo borders. But what's even more incredible is that the entire photographic process, from coating to developing, has to be done before the plates dry. This means Sternbach has no more than 10 minutes to complete everything. I'll be thinking about that next time I take a photo of my feet at the beach.