ALL PHOTOGRAPHS:  COPYRIGHT DAVE LABOSSIERE, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Dave Labossiere

Dave Labossiere sent us some terrific, mature B&W work, which shows a great feel for light and form. We hope you enjoy it. He tells us a bit about his work, and his life in photography, below:

How much of your work in is B&W?

I shoot about 75% in black and white. 

What does working in B&W mean to you?

Form, tone and shape have remained more interesting to me than the amazing color palette that surrounds me here in the Rockies.

When I started shooting in the early ‘80s, I was immediately drawn to black-and-white photography. I took a darkroom class, and was also fortunate to have access to a darkroom. In my job, I traveled a lot in the summer and would shoot all over the country, and then process and print in the fall. With my family growing and me getting busier professionally I put the camera down for a few years. In the late ‘90s, I purchased my first digital camera and began to shoot again. My passion was rekindled and when I retired in 2008 I moved to Colorado and found a great group of local photographers, and began to shoot even more.  To this day, black-and-white photography is my choice even though I am surrounded by amazing and colorful landscapes.

Where do you find inspiration? Who are you photo heroes?

I was initially drawn to architecture. I loved shooting the great urban landscapes to which was exposed while traveling. Over time, I began to narrow my focus and became enamored with architectural detail. When I moved to Colorado I began to shoot some of the great natural phenomena that surrounds us here. I recently began a project closer to my architectural roots and I see myself returning to this topic. I have been inspired by many, but Ansel Adams, Ralph Gibson, Bill Brandt, and Julius Schulman remain favorites. I’ve been influenced by American painter Edward Hopper as well.

Technical: camera, lenses, film, digital or darkroom approach & materials.

I use a Canon 40D with a 17-40mm and a 28-135mm as my two main lenses. I also shoot a Panasonic Lumix TZ-5 and have begun to work with an Apple I-phone 4, which has been a pleasant surprise.

Do you have your own darkroom?

My darkroom days are over, however, I have been enjoying applying concepts that I use to utilize in the traditional darkroom to my digital darkroom.