As fortune would have it, I was auditing Nancy Sutor’s alternative process photography class at the College of Santa Fe. It was a delightful opportunity to stay connected to photo community and lend a hand where possible to help the students.

When it came time for final projects, I recognized that the students all rushed to snap up the later presentation dates. I was happy to give the students a bit of a reprise before the end of the semester. I had a small window of time and It left me with a challenge. I had to act quickly.

My Aunt Sherry had shared a box of Thomas family photos. I had scanned them to be able to share with my cousins. I made digital negatives and printed these small palladium prints for a book layout. I think of this as a proof of concept for a book. 

I didn’t have a clue who my great-grandparents were or any idea about their story. I made up a story about what I saw in the photos. I set some type and made a few book spreads which I presented in class. I now want to share them now with family.