Among The Trees - My latest issue of Monochrome Mania

 I've been publishing Monochrome Mania since January 2020, and every issue has had a different focus.  My latest, Among The Trees, is the 11th issue, and I've put a lot of thought into it.  First of all, I limited it to images made since 2018, which certainly made choosing the photographs a lot easier, and not having to go back over 20 years for source material. Secondly, most of the images have been made within an hour of where I live in NC, with a few from SC.  Among The Trees is a personal journey, but I also hope that it resonates with others that find the forest to be a place of solace, inspiration, and enjoyment.  

Putting this issue together has been sort of an ongoing project with different starts and then set aside. I realized that I had to narrow my focus to recent material, because I've been so inspired by the forests here.  Once I narrowed it down, the writing became easier, and more personal in nature.  I grew up at the edge of the Adirondacks in northern NY, and the woods were my playground when I was a kid.  I hunted and fished there when I was older, and went to the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry for my B.S. and M.S.  In short, I've been a naturalist for a good part of my life, and in moving to NC, my affinity for the mountains and the forests has tapped into a reservoir of knowledge and the marvels of the area.  A walk on a forest path quickly sharpens my perception, lowers my blood pressure, and I become more attuned to my surroundings.  That immersive experience is a central tenet of the zine,  

Almost all the images in this issue were shot on film, and I provide the information for each at the back of the issue, as well as selected references that are mentioned in the text.  My choice of films were primarily Kentmere 100/400, and Fomapan 100/400.  The Derevpan 100 also gets some use.  The cameras were largely Nikons and Spotmatics for 35mm;  Hasselblad, Lomo LCA 120, Yashicamat 124, Agfa Isolette and Pentax 6x7 for medium format.  

I really enjoy living in Western NC, and living close to the Blue Ridge Parkway certainly has its advantages.  I had so much source material from the past 4 years, that I may end up doing some new zines and just call the Among The Trees or something like that. Here are a few samples from this issue:

Among The Trees is 8.5 x 11 inches, 36 pages plus covers.  It's available at my Etsy store (link in sidebar), as well as at Ball Photo in Asheville, NC.  A direct link to the zine is here. The price is $10+ shipping.  

I'll leave you with a few images that didn't make the issue...