Reviving the Craft of Plant-Based Developing by Jeff Greenwald - September 6, 2024 - Craftsmanship Magazine

Reviving the Craft of Plant-Based Photo Developing by Jeff Greenwald

Slightly more than 3 miles long, California’s Sausal Creek originates in the Oakland hills and flows on a fairly straight course toward the Oakland estuary. For centuries, Indigenous Ohlone tribes and their descendants have been gathering seeds and berries along its willowed banks. But today, walking along the Sausal on a sunny May afternoon, photographer Beatrice Thornton is foraging for darkroom chemicals.

“I love how this trail changes every day,” she says, stopping to admire a blooming nasturtium. “I really notice the life cycles of plants: what's in season, what's going to be in season.”

Beatrice Thornton, Oakland-based artist and photographer, finds more than just inspiration in nature: She also finds the wild plants she’ll use to develop her film without toxic chemicals.

Thornton is a slender, athletic woman, articulate and thoughtful. In many ways, this creek has been her muse. “When I was younger, I never paid much attention to the species of plants. It was all just stuff that grew there. But having the chance to go on this trail every day, I’ve been learning much more about the history of the area. I’m much more conscious of what is native and what is invasive.”

Today, Beatrice is on the lookout for elderberry. Aside from making a good cordial, it’s rich in polyphenols: an antioxidant compound found in all plants. These antioxidants can be used—in combination with vitamin C, super washing soda, and even coffee—to develop negatives and prints in her plant-based craft of “analog” photography…. subscribe to read full article or contact me for PDF :)