John Nelson

I am grateful to have won awards for my photography and to have my work published in art magazines, but I am my hardest critic and shoot to satisfy myself. I utilize digital, film, and alternative analog processes and employ 35mm, medium-, and large-format cameras. I prefer to make art using the wet plate collodion process but also enjoy making and selling portraits of people who wish to own a very special and unique portrait of themselves. Additionally, I like to demonstrate the process and the beauty of the “great reveal.” Photography also lets me make connections with other people I would otherwise never meet. It is the meeting of other creatives and people interested in the photographic process that sustains my energy and need to create!

After a brief career in scientific research, I moved into scientific journal publishing and then was a magazine editor for a decade. It was in this capacity that I picked up a camera to capture images as cover art to convey each magazine issue’s contents. From this beginning, I began to shoot those things that interested me directly as well as metaphorically.

Often the choice of camera I use reflects the subject or mood I am capturing. Wet plate requires the use of a large format camera; therefore, my work in this process is usually studio-bound. That binding isn’t a hindrance to me, as I love to work with models and non-models in the studio to create art and pleasing portraits.

You’ll find most of my work on Instagram! Ready to collaborate?!

The Studio

My studio is located in downtown Frederick, and is the city’s only fully equipped rentable photographic studio. It offers:

• Set up in multiple places

• Multiple paper, muslin, and canvas backdrops

• Ceiling ranging from 14 ft down to 8 ft

• Photogenic brand lights and modifiers

  • Soft boxes

  • Beauty dishes

  • Snoots

  • Grids

• Plenty of natural light

• Vintage furniture and props

Need assistance learning how to use the lights and setting them up? We can teach you! Getting comfortable in the studio using lights is much less daunting than it seems to be. When you need to control the light and outdoor or natural light isn’t giving you what you want, it’s time to come indoors!