Photographer’s Showcase – Landry Dunand

by Bill Jones

I was intrigued when I saw Landry’s work and what he used to shoot them. It’s obvious he has a real passion for his art. Below Landry describes a little about himself and his unique camera.

While wandering the dusty streets of Kabul in 2006, I came across a group of Afghan photographers taking passport-size pictures using big antiquated camera obscura boxes and silver print paper negatives. I explored every corner photo booth and shop, and found the perfect camera — my big green wooden box.

I started taking photos of my Kabul housemates, practicing how to focus with the polished glass paper holder inside the box and how to develop in a country with murky, grainy tap water and no electricity for heating the water.

Photographer's Showcase - Landry

I had to experiment with exposure times, and the only chemicals and paper I could find were Chinese made and long past their expiration dates. I also discovered that the hole for the lens was far too small and left a black ring around my photos, so I gradually filed away at it.

I then lugged the box around the neighborhood and into Kabul’s incredible old city, taking pictures of children in the Murad Khane neighborhood.

I live in Bangkok now and have started taking portraits of friends and clients, in the tradition of the old school studio photographers. Nothing digital, no electricity needed. Just a lot of light, silver gelatin paper and a touch of hocus pocus alchemy to make the images appear.

Some of my favorite images were from Kabul, because of the sharpness of the images and the depth of field. Because of the lengthy exposure times, the subjects had to remain very still, but a lot of photos just show a blur of movement or laughter.

I’ve been playing around with miniature shoots using action figures and turning the junk around my garden into make-believe scenery.

Murad Khane

Camera Obscura

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Portraits

Camera Obscura

Asheqan Wa Arefan

Camera Obscura

Buzhkashi Horses

Camera Obscura

Afghan Street Vendors

Camera Obscura

Miniatures Photos

Camera Obscura

Landry and his Camera Obscura

Camera Obscura

What’s your opinion of Landry’s work?

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5 Comments

D.A.Wagner
October 24th
Landry’s wooden camera connects him to his images in a way that no digital camera can: by communicating with his subjects while focusing, shooting (capturing?) and developing. It is obvious by the exceptional Kabul series that his subjects are also his audience.
It’s remarkable how he captures so much of the human condition and a sense of time and motion, with his hand-made view camera. Nearly a lost art.
Nicolas Wild
October 24th
On touche tout simplement au sublime. Landry Dunand est LE photographe du XXIeme siècle. (One touches quite simply with the sublime. Landry Dunand is the photographer of the 21st century. )
Louis Meunier
October 25th
In love with Landry
Clea Annecchiarico
October 26th
I am so thankful for artists such as Landry who take the time to experiment beyond the obvious so that we may all experience the gift of connection with our past.
Frederic Viennot
December 7th
Pas mal. (Not bad.)