when did you get started in alt & why?

I took an Experimental Darkroom class with Christina Z. Anderson at Montana State University in 2015. I was immediately entranced with alt and the premise that you could create with abandon— it’s visceral. I still use digital, but nothing compares to alt. Every new process I learned became a favorite, every “mistake” print I made became a mark of learning.

 
 

how’d you end up in montana?

My family went on a trip up to Glacier in 2012— we stayed in northwest Montana for a week. On the flight back home I couldn’t help but feel like I was leaving somewhere I was meant to stay, so as soon as we got back I researched universities. It was between University of Montana and Montana State University. MSU had the more comprehensive fine art photo program, so I applied and got accepted two weeks later. It was the only school I applied to.

I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. I didn’t know anything about alt, I had only done basic 35mm black and white. I found myself surrounded by a group of wildly talented professors and peers, and I never looked back.

 
 

what’s your darkroom setup & how does it work?

If you’ve perused the diy darkroom, you’re probably familiar with my darkroom shed (if not, my darkroom is in an 8’x12’ wood shed). It’s pretty basic— one outlet, no running water, and it locks from the inside because the wood doors have a tendency to pop open. It’s a pretty fly by the seat of your pants setup, but it works.

The catch is that I’m up in Montana, 90 miles from Canada, which means I have to work around cold winter months. For the cold season I move just about everything inside and set the darkroom up on 2 Costco tables. Since I prep & process prints in a bathroom, I usually just make cyanotypes for a few months. The nice part of the winter setup is that I have direct access to running water, which beats toting gallon jugs out from the house.

I do have a UV lightbox now, but for my first year in the shed darkroom I did sun exposures (cyanotype, gum salt). Your workspace doesn’t have to be top of the line to be functional!

 
 

what do you know about x/y/z process?

I’ll happily answer whatever questions you have about alt to the best of my ability! Feel free to drop me a line. If you’re really deep diving into alt, I will always recommend Chris Anderson’s books as a steadfast resource.

 
 

do you teach workshops?

I do! I currently have a Salt & Cyanotype workshop at Photographer’s Formulary in Condon, Montana. Some other potential workshops are on the horizon as well, but if you happen to have a workshop space and are also perchance looking for an instructor, let me know! I’m 100% down to travel and teach (seriously, put me in, coach). I’ve worked with students from ages 6 to 92, so there’s no problem with making alt accessible to students of different ages, abilities, or backgrounds— alt is for everyone.

 
 

have you done any process videos?

I haven’t, but it’s on the radar! I want to make alt as accessible as possible to as many people as possible, and youtube would be a great way to do that. I am, however, not always so great in front of a camera— it’s the true achilles heel of many photographers. If/when I get around to it, they’ll for sure be up on my website!

If you follow me on instagram, I sometimes post process clips to my story and then save them to my highlights, so you can check them whenever! They’re simple, but they cover the basics.

 
 

do you do custom work?

I tackle commissions on a project-by-project basis, for both printmaking and design. If you’re interested in more information, don’t hesitate to reach out!

I currently do custom design (branding, logos, web design) and commissioned alt prints. I do have open commissions for cross stitch patterns, but custom cross stitch/embroidery pieces are also on a project-by-project basis.

 
 

so, what’s montana woman magazine?

Montana Woman is a statewide publication (one of the few statewide magazines in Montana!). I’m the owner, editor, and designer. I also manage our online presence and ad contracts— it’s one of those businesses where you wear all of the hats at the same time. I never imagined myself becoming an editor at 24, but I also didn’t imagine teaching my first workshop at 23. Life happens whether you’re ready for it or not.

. . .

Montana Woman is a platform. It’s a place to celebrate our achievements, a place to support each other, a place to acknowledge the resilience of the women of this state. It doesn’t necessarily matter where you’re from, you’re here now. In your loudness, your boldness, your fearlessness— you are here. We’re here, together.

We all have a story to tell.

 
 

what’s up with the cross stitching?

Yep, I do have cross stitch patterns in my shop! I think it’s important to enjoy different creative disciplines, so I practice what I preach. I started cross stitching in December 2019, and I now make my own patterns. It’s fun, it’s easy to cover up your mistakes, and it’s way cheaper than alt process printing or photography.

I also took up painting in 2019 by following my weird dreams and finally following a Bob Ross tutorial. I will be the last person to claim that I’m a “painter painter,” but it’s fun! I don’t know what all of the painting rules are, so I paint however I want. It’s important to have creative outlets that allow you to run wild.

 
 

who did you build your website with?

I use Squarespace! It’s been a long process and it’ll probably never be truly done, but that’s how websites usually go. My website is completely different from when I first built it in 2015, and I’m sure it’ll be completely different again in another 4 years.

(update: Redesigned it as of December 2019. A website’s work is never done)

(update ii: redesigning it again in April 2021 because I can’t help myself)

 
 

what’s your spotify account doing on here?

I mean, I’m a photographer, not a musician, so I get it. But I think it’s a different way to get to know someone. There is a real person on the other side of this screen, and she loves curating the perfect, oddly specific playlist. Alt isn’t something that everyone understands right from the get-go, but we all understand music (maybe not the really obscure stuff, but you get the idea).

* Also, now that I’ve finally updated my shop, I’ve added songs that go with specific pieces! Some inspired the work, others just go together.

 
 

so, 1995 or 2005?

I fully acknowledge the merits of the 1995 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, but Matthew Macfadyen and Keira Knightley are A+ together (also, the cinematography and the score and the overcoat in the fog). 1995 is closer to the book, but 2005 is near and dear to my heart and that is the hill I will die on.

(also, if you dug through my website enough to find the source of this question, thank you. I appreciate you and your attention to detail)