Bill Lemke

John Prine II, Circa 1975 & 1977

My interest in landscapes began with the many trips out west I took with my family growing up in the 1960's. Through these trips, I developed a great appreciation for the beauty offered in unique plants, water and rock formations. While in high school, I took my first graphic arts class which included a unit on photography. This class forever changed my life; I knew my life would be spent making photographs. I went on to study photography first formally, then informally while I gained experience in both fine art and commercial photography. I choose to work in black and white because it encourages me and the viewer to concentrate on texture, tonality and the emotional qualities of light. My images are created using either a 4"x5" or 8"x10" film camera. This is followed by traditional however tedious photographic darkroom processes, making silver gelatin prints. Each print is individually exposed and hand processed following archival standards set forth by Ansel Adams. All prints are photographed, developed, mounted, matted and framed myself - to maintain museum standards. My ultimate goal is to inspire viewers to develop a deep appreciation for nature and a desire to preserve and protect our environment.