Laura Green Hartley

I am and have always been primarily a dark room photographer. I love unusual people, nudes, pets, items, displayed in darkish settings with ambient (existing) light. I never use a flash and I LOVE film work. I use a Hasselblad and a Mamiya medium format cameras with 120 B&W film, and enjoy the thrill of a watching an image emerging in the developing tray. There is nothing more pure to me than capturing a moment, be it beautiful, absurd, startling, or shocking, in that nanosecond that the shutter clicks. I use a Canon Rebel digital camera sometimes as I do my film work. I have a BFA in Photography and an MFA in Photo Journalism. I also do animal rescue and am the mother of two beautiful sons, who are among my favorite models. The beauty of life is NOT that Kodak moment that so many new, digital photographers embrace! The beauty of life is the struggle, which is why, I suppose, I don\'t mind struggling in the dark room with its time element, chemicals, expensive materials, and often frustrating events. To me, art should never be too easy. When I work for something, like a gorgeous image, it has value and it has devoured a part of my soul, which is then re-offered up in the tangible form of an image on fiber paper that will last 200 years or more. This is art. This is my life! THANK YOU for looking - you now can view my soul.