Shane Balkowitsch

Shane Balkowitsch
Self Portrait, a wet plate collodion photograph of Shane Balkowitsch.
Born	Shane Balkowitsch (1969-01-24) January 24, 1969 Bismarck, North Dakota
Nationality	American
Occupation	Wet plate photographer, and founder of Balkowitsch Enterprises
Website	sharoncol.balkowitsch.com/wetplate.htm

Shane Balkowitsch (born January 24, 1969) is an American wet plate photographer from Bismarck, North Dakota. The subject of his photos is the human condition.^[1] Since 2012 he has photographed over 2,000 individuals, including various celebrities^[1] and historical figures.^[2] Balkowitsch is a self-taught photographer.^[3][4][5]

Photographic career

In 2012 Balkowitsch began researching the process of wet plate photography after reading a manual on the subject by tintype photographer John Coffer. With little experience in photography, Balkowitsch experimented with the process and took his first successful photo the same year. Since then he has produced over 2,000 plates and his work has appeared in numerous publications. He holds demonstrations in North Dakota with the use of a portable darkroom.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

Techniques

Balkowitsch uses an Italian made Alessandro Gibellini 8x10" folding camera in the studio. He uses Carl Zeiss Tessar 300mm and 360mm lenses.^[11] In the studio, sessions require 4500 watts of continuous light. For outdoor sessions the sunlight is enhanced with the help of reflectors. This gives his images a very modern and washed out look. Far from the way original images would have appeared.

Recognition

• Wet plates by Balkowitsch have been permanently curated by the State Historical Society of North Dakota.^[12]
• Photographs have been featured in various art exhibits.^[13][14][15]
• Balkowitsch has been invited to speak on the history of wet plate photography, and provide demonstrations of the process.^[16][17]
• Balkowitsch received the 2016 Rising Star Award from Bismarck State College.^[18]
• On April 6, 2016, Balkowitsch gave a Tedx talk at the University of Mary that discussed the history of collodion photography and examined the impact of modern technology on photographs in relation to the evolution of how people create and preserve photographs.^[19]
• In 2016 The Smithsonian Institution acquired from Balkowitch his wet plate portrait photograph of boxing champion Evander Holyfield.^[20][21][22] Indexing of the portrait was finalized by the Smithsonian in 2018. The portrait is now part of the National Portrait Gallery, object number NPG.2017.3^[23]

Projects and exhibits

Murderer's Gulch, A non-historical Wet Plate Collaboration

Wet plate collodion photograph of Murderer's Gulch

In 2016 Balkowitsch set out to create an homage to the famous 1887 New York photo by Jacob Riis called the "Bandits Roost."^[24] The objective was to get the look and feel in the present day using the historic collodion process with his models wearing very non-historical clothing.^[25] The recreation project took place in East Alley near 423 E Broadway Ave in Bismarck, North Dakota on June 11. About 100 individuals volunteered to assist in the project volunteering hey, wood, props, costumes, and as actors for the image.^[26] The final glass plate, titled, "Murderer's Gulch" is being curated by the Historical Society of North Dakota in their permanent archive.^[3]

Dakota Access Pipeline dispute by Standing Rock Native community

Wet plate collodion photograph of Elder Addressing Crowd. Dakota Access Pipeline Protest.

On August 15, 2016, Balkowitsch travelled to Cannon Ball, ND, to capture images of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. The pipeline is to run less than one mile from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation of North Dakota and South Dakota. One of only a few photographers allowed at the scene of the protest, Balkowitsch captured images of the protesting encampment.^[27][28] The protest included many people Balkowitsch met during work on a photography project for the Historical Society of North Dakota, Northern Plains Native Americans: A Modern Wet Plate Perspective.^{[29][30][31][32][33]} The 2017 documentary film Awake: A Dream from Standing Rock by director Josh Fox features a wet plate by Balkowitsch of Floris White Bull who also appears in the film.^[34][35] The 2018 documentary film Peacekeeper also includes and credits wet plate images taken by Balkowitch during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.^[36]

The Persecution of Complete Strangers

The Persecution of Complete Strangers A wet plate collodion photograph inspired by William Mortensen. Dedicated to the life of Hande Kader

A performance art event performed on August 27, 2016, The Persecution of Complete Strangers is a modern expression of a current event influenced by past images to visually express the continued xenophobia and resulting crimes against perceived enemies. The images are inspired by William Mortensen. The exhibit was created, directed, and photographed by Shane Balkowitsch and dedicated to the memory of Hande Kader, a Turkish transgender woman whose body was found raped, mutilated, and burned by the roadside in the Zekeriyaköy up-market on August 12, 2016. It is part of the global outcry and protests against the hate, mistreatment, and irrational fear of transgender people.^[37][38]

Liberty Trudges Through Injustice, A Wet Plate Collodion Collaboration

Liberty Trudges Through Injustice a Wet Plate Collodion Collaboration

Liberty Trudges Through Injustice, is a wet plate image created by Shane Balkowitsch resulting from a collaboration event that took place in Bismarck, North Dakota on July 21, 2018. The collaboration was directed by Shane Balkowitsch and inspired by the painting Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix.^[49]

Gallery

• 
  A wet plate collodion photograph of Mary Louise Defender Wilson.
• 
  First to Awaken, A wet plate collodion photograph of Kevin Locke.
• 
  Eternal Field, A wet plate collodion photograph of Ernie Lapointe.
• 
  One Last Stand, A wet plate collodion photograph of Virgil Hill.
• 
  The Real Deal, A wet plate collodion photograph of Evander Holyfield.
• 
  Tigirlily, a wet plate collodion photograph of musicians Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh of Tigirlily.
• 
  A wet plate collodion photograph of Fort Mandan
• 
  Murderer's Gulch, A Wet Plate Collaboration
• 
  A wet plate collodion photograph of Clay S. Jenkinson
• 
  Front Cover of the Fargo Forum featuring Balkowitsch wet plate created at the Dakota Access Pipeline protests
• 
  "Empowerment Through Unity", A wet plate collodion photograph of the United Tribes Technical College Pow Wow 2016.
• 
  Death by Oil with Darren Thompson
• 
  Brave Heart Woman with Floris White Bull
• 
  Arvol Wilfred Looking Horse - 19th Generation Keeper of Sacred Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle
• 
  The Capsizing of Humanity^[55]
• 
  Puddles the Clown - Pity Party Tour, Wet Plate Collodion Photograph

See also

• Collodion process
• Frederick Scott Archer
• Albumen print
• Calotype
• Daguerreotype
• Tintype

References

External links

• Official website