The first monograph by acclaimed American fine-art photographer Lara Porzak (born 1967), The Chemistry of Memory presents over 150 images, many never before published, in a single, definitive volume with open-sewn binding. Working exclusively with analog techniques such as tintypes and gelatin silver printing, Porzak crafts photographs that function as both images and physical artifacts. Spanning three decades of work, this book displays pastoral scenes and still lifes shaped by Porzak’s sustained engagement with the natural world. The images shift among open environments of animals, flora, celestial forms and the human experience. Together, they reflect on handcrafted photography as a way of holding on to fleeting moments of beauty and wonder.
