Artist Focus: Robert S. Porter

Photographer Robert S. Porter began working in a black-and-white darkroom many years ago, focusing mostly on landscapes and found images. Then, in the early 2000s, as his wife’s clothing line gained traction, he started doing her fashion shoots, which he soon discovered was quite different. “Quickly realizing my lack of skill with artificial light, I began practicing lighting techniques using flowers, fruit and other everyday objects, which were easier to obtain and much more patient than human models,” Porter explains.

Peonies and Shells, color photo, 16 x24"

“However, these studies soon took on a life of their own, and still life became my passion. My goal is to capture the beauty in beautiful things in all their shapes, textures and colors. My inspiration is classical painting, both in its original form and as interpreted by photographers such as Robert Mapplethorpe and Jan Saudek. The north light in my current studio naturally provides the look of the Old Masters.”

Wisteria in Brass Pot, color photo, 16 x 21"

Recently Porter has developed a photographic variation of an ancient technique called Verre Églomisé, in which gold leaf is applied onto an image painted on glass. When the glass is flipped over, the image appears on a golden background. “Although a few contemporary photographers gild images printed on plastic film or semi-transparent paper, I transfer a sepia-toned image onto clear glass using dye sublimation,” he explains. “Then I apply real, 23k gold, which is gently burnished and given a protective coating. Unfortunately, photos of the gilded images do not fully capture the glorious metallic sheen of the true gold, which in person glimmers like a daguerreotype, even more vibrant than a metal print.”