Water is a fluid canvas; the moon a celestial paintbrush.
Click any image for more info and to browse the portfolio.

MOONTRACKS
A complete portfolio of 15 prints and 1 DVD
Edition:  31 complete portfolios, all printed in 2008 after 2 years of work
Currently showing at Southern Light Gallery, Amarillo, Texas (thru January 9, 2012)

The earth, moon, and stars dance to an ancient rhythm.  MOONTRACKS are ultra-long exposures of the moon as it reflects and plays on the surface of water.  Ranging from 4 to 12 hours long, each photograph records the choreography of the moon dancing its arc across the surface of various water bodies.  Still, flowing, frozen; water varies from season to season, moment to moment.  So too, the moon varies its brilliance, pitch, and arc monthly and seasonally.   

Each image is exposed on film—4x5, 8x10, or 8x10 Polaroid.  I have found that film provides all the qualities necessary to capture the phenomenon of MOONTRACKS.  Careful planning is also required to coordinate the camera’s pitch, height, and aspect with the moon’s grand show.  After an exposure is made and the film is developed properly, I scan the negative or Polaroid and work with the image in a digital workflow.

MOONTRACKS is a complete body of work consisting of 15 prints, essays, and a DVD with three short time-lapse videos made during the project.  The photographs are bound together in a portfolio which allows the removal of any or all of the images for framing and display.  The complete edition of 31 portfolios (the number chosen to coincide with a full month or moon-cycle) was printed and assembled in 2008 after two years of work.

I enjoyed my time spent on MOONTRACKS immensely.  A tremendous combination of technical and physical challenges presented themselves in this project.  Working diligently to access remote photo locations and execute the technical exposures was exhilarating.  Not to mention that many of the images were exposed in winter when the nights are long, but often painfully cold.  Finally, presenting MOONTRACKS as a limited edition of portfolios satisfied my drive to create a unique body of art from my photography.   I hope you enjoy the result.

Chris Conrad
Moab, Utah
November 2011

Complete Portfolio:  $1,500
This includes all 15 images bound in an elegant, black portfolio. 
I will mat any image of your choice to 16x20".  The DVD with 3 short videos is also included.
MOONTRACKS is a multi-media piece of art.

Limited AP's are available for $425 each, matted to 16x20"

Edition of 31 Portfolios;  01-13 are sold as of November 2011.
All 31 portfolios were printed by me in April and May 2008.

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