Alex Bond
He continues to use sheet film for its slower pace, because it’s tactile, and for its inherent aesthetics. Alex practices traditional darkroom printmaking using fibre
“Alex Bond knows when not to take a photograph. His approach to capturing the WA landscape on film is based on patience and attunement. The results have found a worldwide audience.”
Steven Scourfield, The West Magazine
While everyone else had a real job I spent more than 25 years hiking and camping in southwest Western Australia. With my trusty wooden field camera and a few sheets of film, you can find me out on the coast, in the bush or exploring some peak.
I enjoy going for long walks. It gives me time to become immersed in my surroundings. In my backpack, I carry my field camera, film, tripod and sometimes a tent and food.
I find landscapes inspiring, whether it be a grand scene or an intimate detail. The West has a unique and ancient landscape. Our quality of light is as hard as it is voluminous. It provides me with a continual challenge to reproduce that quality within the limitations of a photograph.
Film cameras and light sensitive photographic paper
My introduction to large format film landscape photography was in the era of film cameras and light-sensitive photographic paper. Film cameras such as my field camera are very simple and robust. I am frequently working outdoors in rain, dusty or salty conditions. My wooden 4×5 film camera does not require any batteries and is lighter than a digital SLR.
Hand Crafted Silver Gelatin Photographic Prints
I develop my film in a tank and print my photographs in a traditional wet darkroom. By today’s standards, it is neither fast nor easy. But it is a process I maintain to this day. It works alongside my digital workflow.
Printmaking by hand is the final and possibly most important act in this creative cycle. This level of involvement gives an unquestioning intention and authenticity to a photographer’s works.
Stormlight Publishing
In 1989 I founded Stormlight Publishing as my publishing imprint. Its purpose, to produce high-quality West Australian landscape images for publication and promotion. My publishing began with postcards. Unlike other card publishers, I am the only photographer and independent publisher to create a series of postcards dedicated to Western Australia’s national parks.
I started with the Leeuwin Naturaliste Series from the Margaret River region. These proved highly successful and was followed by Southern Forests Series of Pemberton and Northcliffe, the South Coast Series of Esperance, Albany, Denmark and Walpole, and the Stirling and Porongurup Range Series.
Over the years Stormlight Publishing produced greeting cards, gift cards, posters, calendars and books.
Stormlight Publishing has received both State and National Print Awards for excellence in print. In addition to these awards, Stormlight Publishing has been recognised internationally. In 2009, Stormlight Publishing was twice awarded the best Australian publication in the Paris Gourmand Awards, for Pemberton Wine Region Western Australia.
I have contributed freelance photographs to various publishing houses. These have been reproduced in books, posters, diaries, magazines and promotional material for natural history, environment, conservation,
In 2016, after a quarter of a century of publishing and distributing, I decided to cease publishing and distribution and transition towards an arts practice. I am returning to my first passion for large format landscape photography and traditional print making.
In 2017 I published Stormlight Publishing 25 years of
Retail postcard orders cab be placed online here Margaret River Region and Pemberton Walpole Denmark Stirling and Porongurup Range.
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