Some photographers believe
their strongest work comes from exploring their immediate
surroundings. "I think of myself as a regional photographer," Loranc
says, "but that does not mean the photography cannot be understood
beyond the region. Right now people all over the United States
indicate to me that regionalism, born of an informed attachment, has
universal appeal." Loranc shoots most of his pictures within an hour’s
drive of his home in Modesto, California, but he is also interested in
exploring his ancestral roots in Europe. For this reason he makes
occasional photographic forays into Poland and Lithuania.
"I’m fascinated by the ancient churches of my homeland," he says.
"These are holy spaces where millions of people have prayed for
hundreds of years. They are places of great humility, and remind us
how brief our lives are. I feel the same way when I’m photographing
ancient groves of native oaks in California. I was unconscious of this
when I began, but upon reflection, I think the oaks are just as sacred
as the old cathedrals of Europe. They are sacred in that they have
survived for so many years. I’m aware that the native people of
California held all living things as divine. For me a grove of Valley
Oaks is as sacred as any church in Europe."
"I think about how interconnected the world is," Loranc says. "When
I’m out on a crisp winter’s morning, shooting a stand of native oaks,
I see oak galls hanging from the trees. These were once used to make
the pyrogallol chemicals I use to develop my negatives. So the oak
trees I am photographing played a part in the developer I use to
process my negatives of those trees. It is healthy to remember that we
are often linked to the natural world in ways we don't even suspect."
Loranc shapes the photo from start to finish. He operates a 4x5 Linhof
field camera, shoots the majority of his photographs with a 210mm
Nikkor lens, using Kodak's classic Tri-X film, and hand prints his
negatives on multigrade fiber paper. The innate drama of the
landscapes is reproduced through a variable split-toning (sepia and
selenium) technique. All the printing, spotting, and archival mounting
are done by the photographer.
Roman Loranc was born in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, in 1956. He emigrated
to the United States in 1981. In 1984 he moved to California, and
shortly thereafter fell in love with the Central Valley.
**Majority of biography text borrowed from Black & White Magazine, Aug
2004, David Best and from Bloomsbury Review, Nov/Dec 2003, John A.
Murray
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