Come to the Mattapoisett Free Public Library to see Donna St Amant’s astonishing photography exhibit, called “Scanography,” from December 1 to December 31. Using a very unique process, Ms St Amant captures nature’s treasures on a flatbed scanner.
Donna’s love of capturing images began in the early ’80s with black and white film and her own darkroom where she marveled at the development process. When the digital era began, replacing film and supplies became more difficult to find, and she stepped away as the extensive time on the computer required in that new format was too close to how she spent most of her workday as an engineer. She sought out more tangible ways to express herself and found working with metal, flame, and hammer as a metalsmith gave her the perfect balance.
Now in retirement, she has rekindled her love of photography. St Amant captures the close-up detail and beauty of flowers, worn beached objects, and elements of nature on a high-resolution flatbed scanner in a process often called “Scanography.” Once used to digitize her photographic negatives, the scanner is now her ‘studio camera’ and the fine detail it captures never ceases to amaze her. Whether a single bloom or a ‘medley’ of treasures, the objects are placed directly on the scanner glass with the cover left open building depth and layers from foreground to background. Using a preview feature, St Amant can see the image as it will be recorded and can rearrange elements until it is just what she had imagined.
To St Amant, this process feels somewhat like organizing a group portrait. She places the individuals near one another in a pleasing and cohesive composition, intertwines outreaching elements to project a feeling of connection, and then captures the moment.
Overall, she says “it’s all about passion, the joy of creating … and the continuous quest to learn and grow.”