Site Specific Cameras combines photography and land art. We build large cameras out of materials found in the landscape and then use the cameras to photograph that landscape. If we want to photograph the forest, the camera is likely made of materials such as logs, sticks, leaves and dirt. We always use a found aperture, something with a preexisting tiny, roundish hole.  In this way the physical components of the landscape, feedback into the character of the camera and the final photograph. The cameras are also large enough for one of us to fit into. We act as the mechanical parts of the camera, like the shutter and film advance. We have spent the last few years using this process to catalogue the varied landscapes around the San Francisco Bay Area: redwood forest, oak woodlands, rocky and sandy beaches, and grasslands. We have exhibited the work extensively in the Bay Area but the project has evolved since David moved away from the Bay. Our new approach is to document specific locations via road trips throughout the US. For this journey, we are trying to raise additional money to fund a small documentary film crew to join us and help tell our story.

We have been working on this project since 2012 and have exhibited the work in places throughout the Bay Area including the Kala Art Institute, The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, Rock Paper Scissors Collective, and Rayko Photo Center.

Short Summary

This spring we are planning on traveling to the South West to build cameras along the Rio Grande River,  from the western panhandle of Texas through New Mexico and into southern Colorado. We are trying to raise enough money so that Matthew Brown and Mario Casillas can join us on the journey in order to record our endeavors and create a documentary film. Matthew and Mario are both artists, photographers, and film makers in their own right. Matthew has volunteered to direct the documentary with Mario acting as his sole assistant. Unfortunately, David and I can't afford to pay them for their generous efforts but we are hoping to fund their trip through this campaign so there is no out of pocket expenses for either of them.  

The Rio Grande River follows a course set by a geologic rift that began forming about 35 million years ago.  The rift valley has acted as a conduit for the movement of materials and life for thousands of years and it is fairly analogous to the rift valleys of East Africa. Within the scientific field of paleoanthropology, the most widely accepted hypothesis is that anatomically modern humans originated in East Africa. Both of these rift valleys opened up numerous ecological niches in otherwise broadly homogeneous and harsh landscapes. Humans have had a long history in both rift valleys. Early humans evolved in East Africa and the Rio Grande Valley has acted, and continues to act, as a conduit for humans moving north and south from present day Mexico and the central United States. Our goal is to document these histories and landscapes by directly interacting with environments along the valley.

 You're generous contributions will help fund the trip and the money raised will be used for airfare, travel expenses, and the materials we need to make the work. Without your help we won't be able to afford the trip.

What We Need & What You Get

Adam, Matthew, and Mario currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area and David resides in Houston, Texas. The money will help with airfare so that the trio can meet David in Texas where they will begin their drive west into New Mexico.  Money raised will be used to cover Matthew and Mario's expenses such as airfare, food, lodging and camping fees. It will also be used to purchase some gear they need to make the film such as memory cards, camera batteries, and hard drives to back up footage. Any additional money that is raised will be used by David and Adam to cover some of their own travel expenses and on the photographic materials they need like Fuji FP-100c instant film, direct positive silver gelatin paper, and x-ray film. Our goal is to only use photographic materials that create one of a kind positive processes.

We will be offering some of these unique prints to the kind people who contribute to our campaign! By contributing you can get a one of a kind print that was created with a camera built from the earth. In addition, you'll have an insider first look at the film Matthew and Mario create! 

Here's a breakdown of our estimated costs

Flights:                                                                                                                   Three Round trip flights from Oakland, CA to Houston $380 each                               Total: $1140

Car Rental: Enterprise                                                                                           Economy Car: $650

Gas: Two Cars                                                                                                       Estimated Total Drive: 819 miles                                                                                         Estimate miles per gallon: 30mpg                                                                                     Average price of gas in New Mexico: $1.50                                                                        Total: $810

Food: Four People                                                                                                         $35 per day for 14 days:                                                                                                               Total: $2000

Hard Drives: Lacie Brand                                                                                            Two 2TB: $400

Memory Cards:                                                                                                                   6 High Speed 64GB Scan Disc CF at $70 a piece                                                           Total: $420

Extra Camera Batteries:                                                                                           $400

Fuji FP100c: 30 Boxes                                                                                               $500

Hotels: Two Rooms for Seven Nights                                                                      Estimated Cost: $1400

Grand Total: $7,720

Creating Community

As artists, we believe in community, collaboration, and sharing. Creating this documentary as a product of our work allows us to demonstrate our artistic process. Our audience is a part of the process and a witness to how we all function creatively. We do not believe that creating art should be a solitary act - without support from other artists and art lovers their is little to no purpose in creating. This campaign allows us to raise money for a project we are passionate about and it also allows to reach out to more people and share our experiences and our work! By donating to our campaign you get to participate and become part of the project and our team! 

Other Ways You Can Help

We understand that not everyone has the means to contribute money to our campaign but there are other ways you can lend a hand. Help us spread the word about our project! The Indiegogo share tools are a quick and easy way to tell others about our project.