SPLENDID ISOLATION © 1987

Western Everglades

While out in Big Cypress with Oscar Thompson, I was looking for photographic opportunities with my new 8×10” camera, having switched from color to black and white film. The sculptural quality of a tree caught my eye as perfect for black and white. When I got home, I was eager to develop my film, but I faced a problem I had never encountered in California. There, the air and tap water temperatures were similar, making film development straightforward. In Florida, my air-conditioned house was at 73 degrees, while the incoming water was 86 degrees. This temperature difference caused the film to crack. I was upset because it meant I could only enlarge the beautiful image to 20×24” without showing the cracks. This photograph is hand-printed in Clyde’s darkroom on fiber-based paper, selenium toned, then mounted and matted to current archival standards. The photograph is a limited edition and signed by Clyde. Disclaimer – Cropping, contrast, and image density may vary. To learn more about the darkroom printing process, click here.