Artist Uses Wet Plate Photography to Portray Native American Indians–and the Photos Are Stunning
Stumbling across an archaic photography technique known as “wet plate,” artist Shane Balkowitsch began a 20-year project to portray the Northern Plains Native Americans in the modern day. The nostalgic process would allow the North Dakotan photographer to display their spirit, pride, and enduring culture in a manner like no other technique.
Balkowitsch’s series of 1,000 portraits called “Northern Plains Native Americans: A Modern Wet Plate Perspective” is being donated in its entirety to the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Inspired by photographer Edward Curtis, whose dry plate photography immortalized Native American culture at the turn of the 20th century, Balkowitsch’s first series subject was Ernie LaPointe, the great-grandson of Sitting Bull. The image remains the artist’s favorite to this day. It set the tone for his future endeavors.