Alex Hawley was the overall/abstract contest winner in our last issue. This Great Plains photographer has some great images of a part of the country that some would think less desirable to photograph. His images of the flint hills of Kansas, old ranch ruins, and wooden grain elevators bring the viewer a sense of time standing still. If you missed his winning entry for the Emulsion contest then you missed a great image. Here is an interview with Alex for those of you still trying to decide on when to subscribe. Congratulations to Alex and we hope you, the reader, enjoy this little slice of Emulsion.

Can you tell us why you like to photograph what some consider "fly over" country?

I live here, grew up here. I think I have a good understanding of the area and the interrelationship of the land and the core of its inhabitants. This core group is people like myself whose families have been here for three or four generations now, starting off with nothing, and developing a great life from that nothing.

What about the Great Plains speaks to your photographic creativity?

I don't think the region is given its due, photographically. People are entranced by snowy mountains, waterfalls, and the like. So much so that it's become cliché. But there's a beauty here that is underestimated. It's that beauty and strength, the power of the land, that grabs me. I've always likened to being at sea. If you understand it, it lets you survive and prosper. It can be very pleasant, it can be rough. It can be productive or it can kill you. I try to use a photograph to convey that beauty and strength. That's my goal.

When you set out to make an image, do you have an idea of what you want to achieve before you make the image?

Sometimes I do, if I have a specific area or place that I have seen before. Often though, I pick out an area, drive to it and photograph whatever grabs my eye. A spot I've seen before will yield other things I hadn't noticed up to that point.

What inspires your creativity? Artists, music etc.?

I can't relate that to any one single influence or even to a few select artists. For me, the drive comes from just being able to do something totally on my own, from my own head. Half of the work is trying to get the camera into a position that makes the best use of what is in front of it to make that translation onto the film.

Why do you enjoy using black and white film for you images?

The materials are simple to use, yet is can convey things that are so complex, and do it so clearly. Its something that can be done in the home with minimal fuss compared to other mediums. And nowadays, people see it as a departure from the norm. Its not taken for status quo anymore.

What do you find is the most challenging aspect of your photography?

Making that translation onto the film. That's always the tough part. I really have to work on it. It doesn't come naturally or easily. Sometimes I succeed, often times I don't. This is where I try to improve, using the composition to make that translation to the film.

What is your favorite light to photograph with?

For landscapes, its mid-morning or late afternoon, before the sun gets up high. For other things, I try to judge what the shadows will do, and time the shot based on where the shadows are placed.

You prefer to use large format cameras to make your images. Can you share with us why you have chosen that format as your creative tool?

Its mostly due to being able to look at the ground glass, with both eyes open, and see exactly how the image will appear on the film. The ground glass doesn't lie to you. You can view the composition as a whole and you can look at the tiny details. It allows me to scrutinize the image far more closely than I could with smaller formats.

Now that you have won the emulsion award, what are you plans for the future with your work?

I plan to continue on, keep trying to improve, and start contacting regional art galleries. I have a couple general projects that I'm working on. Winning an award such as this is a great confidence booster. It also establishes some credibility.