Eben Ostby

For many years, I have been fascinated by the storytelling possibilities of panoramic imagery. The eye can read a panorama like a sentence, or a paragraph, or a poem; the form can suggest many things – space, of course;  sequence; time;  and rhythm. Sometimes it seems like the only way to capture the breadth of an experience through a photograph is with a broad image. I’m drawn to places where man has left an evanescent mark. These six images are from Iceland, Japan, and the deserts of the western US.

As do many photographers, I work in the space where art and technology converge. For me, the camera itself can be more than a recording device;
it can determine how I see the world, or it can be an artistic creation of its own. Similarly, the print can be more than a reproduction of an image. I seek the warmth and character that a hand-made print brings to any kind of picture.

The images you see here have elements of both modern digital photography and chemical-based photography dating back to the 1800’s. The images were shot on film on a swing-lens panoramic camera of my own manufacture. They were then captured and enlarged digitally. The prints are van Dyke Brown prints, or gum bichromate over van Dyke.