About Brett Deacon

As far back as I can remember, the natural world has been a source of fascination and reverence for me. After moving to Minnesota in 2001 and spending weekends backpacking on the Superior Hiking Trail, photography became a serious part of my interaction with nature. Unsatisfied with mediocre photographs that failed to do justice to the splendor of Minnesota's North Shore, I invested in a 35mm camera system and began my evolution into a serious nature photographer. In the process my way of seeing the world was quite literally transformed.

Since moving to Laramie, Wyoming in 2004, the scenery I formerly dreamt of visiting on summer vacations now rests on my doorstep. My deep respect for the grandeur of the natural world grows with each visit to the red rock formations of Vedauwoo and the alpine lakes of the Snowy Range. Along the way, I have honed my skills with a large format camera and with the tools of the digital darkroom. The images on this website represent a selection of my favorite photographs, most of which were taken near my home in Wyoming. I hope you enjoy them, and that they impart in you a sense of wonder, respect, and stewardship for our country's wild places.

My Equipment

Photographers tend to be equipment junkies, and I'm no exception. Before describing what I use, I should note my opinion that photographic equipment is both critically important and irrelevant. The ability to understand and control one's camera is a prerequisite to taking a technically acceptable picture. An otherwise beautiful image that is blurry or improperly exposed is of little value. However, so is a technically perfect image that fails to arouse interest or emotion. A camera is just a tool, and an expensive camera does not ensure beautiful photographs anymore than an expensive paintbrush ensures beautiful paintings.

Having said this, when all other things are equal superior camera equipment will usually produce technically superior prints. This is especially true at larger print sizes where the limitations of film grain/digital noise, film size/sensor size, lens resolution, and other factors become apparent. Some of the images on this site were taken with 35mm film or 7 to 10 megapixel digital cameras and make excellent prints at small-to-medium sizes that do not accentuate these limitations. However, I've increasingly found that smaller digital and film formats simply do not do justice to the incredible detail in the landscapes I like to photograph. I like big prints, the kind that look so real and lifelike that you feel as though you can walk right into them. Short of a $30,000 digital camera, the only solution for capturing the detail necessary to make such a print is a large format film camera. Four years ago, I held my breath and made the leap from a 35mm Minolta to a 4x5 view camera. This move dramatically accelerated my development as a photographer. The large format camera is completely manual, requiring the photographer to think through a myriad of decisions (shutter speed, aperture, focus) normally made by the camera. The slow, methodical process of large format photography is vastly different, and much more satisfying to me, than the rapid-fire approach that comes so easily with smaller automatic cameras.

My primary camera is an Ebony 45S. This 4x5 wood field camera is lightweight, rigid, and allows for generous movements. My lens kit consists of the Schneider 75mm f5.6 Super Angulon, Schneider 110 f5.6 Super Symmar XL, Rodenstock 150mm f5.6 APO Sironar-S, and Fujinon f9 240A. I shoot Fuji Quickload film, primarily Astia and occasionally Velvia (either 50 or 100) for low contrast scenes. I frequently use, and absolutely love, my 6x17 DAYI panoramic back. My Sony Alpha and Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 doubles as a light meter and shooting companion for the Ebony 45S. For film scanning, I use an Optronics ColorGetter Eagle drum scanner. This incredible machine delivers 8,000 dpi of optical resolution - more than enough to resolve individual film grains - and dynamic range that far exceeds that attainable with dedicated film scanners and flatbeds. My printer is the Epson 9800, which when used with Crane Museo Silver Rag paper and sprayed with PremierArt Print Shield produces prints up to 44" wide with approximately 100 years of estimated longevity, exquisite sharpness, and color saturation that must be seen to be believed. In my opinion, this printing process is simply the best available at any cost.

On Digital "Manipulation"

Do you manipulate your images? This is a question I'm often asked, and the answer is more complex than a simple "yes" or "no." No camera, film or digital, sees the world the same way as the human eye. Each film and digital sensor has its unique characteristics and none are capable of literally reproducing the world as we see it. This fact represents a challenge to the nature photographer intent on creating prints that faithfully depict the beauty of the natural world.

My solution is to strive for each step in my workflow to maximize the ability to capture as much information as possible. I primarily shoot Fuji Astia transparency film which is known for its wide dynamic range and neutral color rendition. My slides are then scanned using an Optronics ColorGetter Eagle drum scanner to extract as much resolution and shadow detail as possible. Using a calibrated monitor and Adobe Photoshop CS I optimize the digital image by fine-tuning color, contrast, and sharpness to achieve my vision for the final print. Lastly, my prints are made with the Epson 9800 printer on Crane Museo Silver Rag semi-gloss paper using a custom printer/paper profile prepared by Giorgio Trucco.

Each of these steps requires considerable expertise, not to mention expensive hardware and software with steep learning curves. Taking compelling photographs is only one of many skills required to make a good print. I had no idea when I bought my first 35mm SLR camera that I would eventually need to learn the intricacies of film and digital photography, scanning, digital editing, printing, and color management in order to make prints that met with my satisfaction. In my case, achieving proficiency in the digital darkroom has proven much more difficult and time consuming than the act of taking pictures with a manual 4x5 camera. The result of this experience however is that I am now able to consistently produce prints that match what I visualized when capturing the original photograph.

Some photographers advertise that their images have not been digitally "altered" or "manipulated." The implication here is that modifying an image from its original appearance on film is undesirable or perhaps even unethical. Interestingly, many of these same photographers use highly saturated slide film, color filters, and/or traditional darkoom printing techniques that clearly constitute image manipulation in my book. The primary difference between these traditional techniques and those available in Photoshop is the incredible control the digital darkroom offers. For example, I can subtly tweak the colors in autumn aspen leaves, or the lavender petals of a columbine, while leaving the rest of the image untouched. Ansel Adams famously regarded the film image as the score, and the print as the performance. The digital darkroom provides photographers with an unprecedented amount of control over the performance of their prints. My ultimate goal when capturing an image on film is to create a beautiful print that maintains a respectful fidelity to the natural world and my visualization at the moment the photograph was taken. When performed ethically, digital technology is simply the best means of achieving this goal.