Meet Shane Martin Smith | Alternative Process Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shane Martin Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shane Martin, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting my own business, goes back to my time in film school. When I was in film school, the primary medium for film production was film. I shot my final project on 35mm Kodak and subsequently worked on only a handful of professional jobs that were also shot on film; before the digital revolution happened. Overnight, everything switched over to a digital medium of 1s & 0s. The overall vibe on a production film set changed drastically and suddenly there wasn’t as much concern or thoughtfulness. The classic saying: “just fix it in post,” became all too common. For the last 12 years and to this day, I make the majority of my living from video production work. For the last handful of years, I found myself becoming disenchanted with the digital medium of video and I started thinking seriously about switching my focus to something else. I started thinking about possibly going back to school for my Masters Degree or something else completely; I wasn’t really sure but a creative outlet was what I needed. While on a trip to Pennsylvania, I attended an art event and came upon a guy named Dave. Dave was making Tintype images on-location and I immediately signed up to have a portrait made. I had learned about the Wet Plate Collodion process in film school (also known as Tintype) but my experience with Wet Plate, was attached to learning the process in a half a million dollar darkroom/lab but seeing Dave perform this nearly 200 year old process in a parking lot; brought everything down to ground level. I started racking my brain on what I still had, what I would need and knew that this medium would be something that would captivate my extroverted brain.
When I got back home to Colorado, I located all of my old darkroom/film text books and started brushing up on my chemistry. I then converted a dirty old shed in my yard, into a darkroom and started practicing. After about a year of re-learning things, building the necessary equipment and dialing in my chemistry; I started offering Tintypes to various friends and locals in my community. Ultimately, I just really needed something else, something tangible, something archival that made me feel like I was actually creating something that people could hold in their hands. Fast forward, my fiance, Amber, and I now share a 1000′ space in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, where Amber also tattoos.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Digital Disenchantment offers: handmade, one-of-a-kind, photographic heirlooms, utilizing the same tools and practices as used in the 19th century. The equipment used in making these archival images, is very old and someone coming in for a portrait can expect to be photographed by a lens from the year, 1861-1902. Everything from my darkroom to my camera boxes are custom made. I provide an environment where clients can see nearly the entire process from start to finish and I like to offer more of an experience than a service.

It was definitely not easy getting to this point and anyone that thinks owning your own business means less work; is mistaken. Practicing this art form is expensive and every mess up is money. I think that the Wet Plate Collodion process has taught me to slow down, be more present and to adjust in the moment for any scenario.

At the end of the day, I just hope that anyone leaving my studio, enjoyed their time with me and felt seen and respected.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I actually just had some friends in town, so I’ll base my answer off of that recent experience. We started off with breakfast at home, since we live in a secluded forest area with lots of wildlife. Watching the birds and animals while we start our morning is what we enjoy most. If you want to get a coffee in town, Higher Grounds Coffee is great. From there, I would either go hiking, climbing or white water rafting, in Piedra Canyon. Then, head into Pagosa, home to the deepest hot springs in the world. Go for a soak in the hot springs and probably finish off with dinner at Meander. If you want good drinks and a quality atmosphere, the Neon Mallard is the place to go for that.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Dave Wilson, who is a Wet Plate photographer in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and who reintroduced me to the Wet Plate Collodion process; definitely comes to mind but more than anyone, my fiance, Amber, is probably who deserves the most recognition. Amber is and has been very supportive of me and my multiple passions throughout our relationship. Especially when I was feeling lost and uncertain of what was next. Amber not only supported me emotionally but also financially in helping to supplement our income, while I worked to acquire all of the equipment & studio space necessary to perform the Wet Plate process. She was also incredibly patient in sitting for me while I practiced test shots on her and although I definitely got an ear full, she never killed me for staining all of the sinks in our house while I was relearning the process ahaha Pro Tip: Don’t use any darkroom chemicals in your bathroom or kitchen sink.

Website: www.digitaldisenchantment.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digital_disenchantment/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100078343803737

Image Credits
I made all of the provided images