Aaron Packard

Aaron Packard’s work was chosen for Special Recognition in this years Denis Roussel Awards.

“This is a beautifully realized portfolio of portraits illustrating a provocative combination of intimacy and detachment. The images feel deeply personal, but the vantage point from where the viewer experiences the subjects is oddly detached from that very intimacy. Where the camera is, is where the viewer is, and with an exception, placed in the role of a child or seated observation in contrast to the taller subject. From a cinematic perspective… a more powerful presence than the viewer.

The images are beautifully done and your craft is sublime. They all fit easily into a formal photographic tradition and the hand painted borders of the sensitizer adds a layer of tactile intentionality that signifies and reinforces an impression of agency. The trace of the brush strokes, the printed edges of the analog Kodak film stock, frame each image as an elegant artifact of dedicated, and wet, studio practice where patience and craft reward the artist.

The images are portraits without context and are ambiguous in their meaning as a collection except for the fact that they are beautiful examples of their craft and your own dedication to the intimacy of the materials and process that you employ. The depiction of the subjects may be an exploration of identity, association or intimacy… possibly the politics of representation. In these ways, your portraits both reveal and conceal, and as is the case of a lot of the best work in this competition, allow the viewer to come to their own experience and conclusions about who they might want to hike a trail or have a beer with — giving the viewer the opportunity to integrate context and narrative. Like the very best of work, your images inspire questions and linger long after the immediate viewing is done.” Christopher James

Would you please tell us about yourself?

My name is Aaron Packard, I am a fine art/commercial photographer based in Vermillion, SD. When not battling existential dread, I emerge from my darkroom to create art inspired by the surrounding chaos. I create portraits that empower my subjects to be present and to be themselves in the moment. Sometimes I stage elaborate shenanigans for my compositions, and sometimes I photograph subversive landscapes. These unorthodox outdoor compositions tend to document my dystopian sense of humor while thwarting traditional photographic tropes, though I am quite serious about respecting the ideals of craft and process. After earning my MFA in photography from the University of South Dakota, I launched Fotolab No.7, a traditional analog photo lab and photographic studio.

Where did you get your photographic training?

My photographic training was a bit multifaceted. I studied under John Banasiak at the University of South Dakota for my BFA, assisted many photographers in San Francisco but spent a number of years with Doug Menuez as his first assistant, then back to the University of South Dakota for my MFA.

Who has had an influence on your creative process?

So many have influenced my process, from my art professor parents, those I have studied with, worked with, and collaborated with, I feel it has all merged into some absurd gonzo methodology that sometimes gets me confused with a mad scientist.

Please tell us about an image (not your own) that has stayed with you over time.

There are so many images that have stayed with me over time, but at this moment, I am thinking of Irving Penn’s portrait of Miles Davis, the one with his hands on his face. That intimate moment of connection, texture, and contrast is burned in my brain.

What image of yours would you say taught you an important lesson?

My first foray into wet plate photography was being given a month to learn the technique, build a somewhat back-packable mobile darkroom, and trek many miles into the wilderness of western South Dakota. My plan was to create an image of one of the rock formation within the Slim Buttes National Forest as part of a series of landscapes. I had to climb steep trails, balance my portable darkroom on top of some rocks, and run from my camera to my darkroom before the plate could dry. That adventure definitely taught me to trust my instincts and chance total failure.

Sonia © Aaron Packard

Chris © Aaron Packard

Please tell us about the work you submitted to Denis Roussel Award.

The work I submitted to the Denis Roussel Award is from an ongoing series of artist portraits. When I create portraits, I empower my subjects to be present and to be themselves in the moment so my images are authentic. The likenesses of the artists around me, and everywhere, deserve to be recorded in a manner that respects the ideals of craft and process. I have discovered that I can best immortalize people and their personalities by creating medium format portraits printed with palladium. I strive to depict my subjects epically using artificial lighting in outdoor environments while capturing the essence of their personalities. I photographed these artists with Hasselblad and Mamiya RZ film cameras so I could control the shape of the frames around the subject.

What part of image-making do you find the most rewarding?

I find every part of image-making rewarding.

How do you work through times when nothing seems to work?

I leave my studio, I go home, I put on comfy pants, I pour some whisky, and I watch David Lynch’s Dune… and then I realize I haven’t screwed up anything that badly.

What tools have you found essential in the making of your work?

I think the most essential tool I have found is to not be stubbornly stuck to one method or direction, to always remain open to trying something new or different.

Is there something in photography that you would like to try in the future?

I would love to explore photogravure, but I haven’t had the facilities/resources to try it yet.