Preparing “Unknown Country”From image to wall at the Orcas Island Public Library

There’s a moment when photographs stop living on a screen and start becoming something else entirely. Prints that you can walk up to, stand in front of, and spend time with.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been preparing a selection of images from my Unknown Country series for exhibition at the Orcas Island Public Library. The show will be up for the month of May, with an opening reception on May 1st from 4–6pm.

Choosing the photographs

Selecting images for an exhibition is very different from choosing images for a website or a book.

On a website, each photograph tends to stand alone. In a gallery space, they have to live together. I started by laying out a larger group of prints and living with them for a few days. Some images that I initially thought were essential didn’t quite hold their place when seen alongside others. A few photographs began to feel more important.

In the end, the selection became less about individual favorites and more about creating a sense of my photographic journey through the state so far, starting at the coast and moving inland.

Printing the work

I print everything myself, which is both satisfying and occasionally frustrating. What looks balanced on a screen doesn’t always translate directly to paper. Each image usually takes a few test prints. It’s a slow process, but a necessary one. At some point, the print begins to feel right.

Matting and framing

I mat each print with simple white mats, consistent borders, nothing that pulls attention away. The frames follow the same idea: neutral, consistent, and quiet, although I try to avoid the standard black gallery frame. With over twenty prints in different sizes and aspect ratios, keeping that consistency matters. It helps the work sit together as a whole rather than as a collection of separate pieces.

If you’re local, I’d love for you to stop by and spend some time with the work. The exhibition runs through May at the Orcas Island Public Library, with an opening reception on May 1st from 4–6pm.