Alex Bond Photography

While everyone else had a real job I spent more than 25 years hiking and camping in south west 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 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.

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 learnt to 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.

Working with silver halide materials provides a thread of continuity throughout my photography.

Print making by hand is the final and possibly most important act in this creative cycle. In my opinion it gives an unquestioning intention and authenticity to a photographer’s works.