MORNING DUNES © 1983

While hospitalized in 2024, I found myself reminiscing about a dune scene I had captured in August of 1983. Niki and I were at Cape San Blas, where the sea oats, light, and clouds aligned perfectly, compelling me to photograph it. At that time, I was using color film. However, upon developing the negative at home, I found the colors unsatisfactory, so I stored the negative away and forgot about it. During my hospital stay, I began to contemplate the possibility of reinterpreting the scene in black and white. When I returned home, I retrieved the old negative and converted it to black and white. A few months later, in 2025, I printed it in the darkroom for the first time—42 years after I took my very first photograph in Florida. I’m grateful I took the chance. Now, stripped of color, the image resonates with a newfound clarity and satisfaction. This photograph is hand-printed in Clyde’s darkroom on fiber-based paper, selenium toned, then mounted and matted to current archival standards. The photograph is a limited edition and signed by Clyde. Disclaimer – Cropping, contrast, and image density may vary. To learn more about the darkroom printing process, click here.