Marty Klein is a pioneer in scanography, the art of using a flatbed scanner as a macro camera. His work is remarkable for its deeply informed connection to nature, for its wit, and for its joy in life. His grounding in photography serves him well in composing his materials on the glass.
John Caddy artist/naturalist, writer and educator
My Scanography
People with cameras take pictures. I make them. (Sometimes)
I create my scanographic images using a flatbed scanner as my camera and natural objects (many locally grown or foraged) as subjects. I have been creating images in this manner since 2005, both as an outlet for my creativity and as a different way to share my knowledge and appreciation of the natural world. My experience as a photographer, naturalist, blacksmith, gardener and forager informs and inspires my art. I strive to portray nature’s essences, forms, patterns and colors, the familiar and the less-seen details.
My scanner functions as a high resolution camera with a macro/close-up lens. To create a composition, I initially pose the subjects – leaves, flowers, etc. on the glass plate, cover open, in a roughly 8×10″ area, often rearranging them many times to get something that pleases my eye. I edit the scans in my darkroom – i.e. Photoshop, often spending many hours digitally painting in backgrounds and/or editing out the stray dust and pollen that invariably accompanies my subjects. My editing process results in images that look to be a hybrid of illustration and photography, displaying much depth (surprising, given the scanner’s minimal depth of field) and detail. Because the scanner captures the image from below, I am sometimes surprised by what appears in the preview on my monitor.
All prints are signed, dated and printed on your choice of fine art rag paper or canvas, using archival inks.
Photography
I have been taking photographs of what I see in nature for decades. Recently, I decided to include some of those images on my website. I like to travel light when I go into the forest, so I only carry a pocket sized canon Powershot camera and my Pixel phone for my photos. Like my scanography, these pictures are available for purchase in several sizes and paper options. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy creating them!
Miscellaneous
- Over the years I have had over two dozen solo exhibits of my prints and participated in many group shows, in a variety of venues – galleries, museums, libraries, cafes, etc. The images here on my site represent a fraction of my work over the past 20 years. If you’re interested in a particular subject, color, season, chances are good that I can show you additional images within your desired range. More vegetables, mushrooms? No problem! My art on your walls will bring joy to your home.
- I have many prints and greeting cards available at Salmon Falls Gallery in scenic Shelburne Falls, MA. http://salmonfallsgallery.com/
- ALL CAPS A Love Song is a short video I made using photos and scans. https://youtu.be/a2f10O7MNFQ
- Sizes
For simplicity’s sake, I have not included the available sizes for each image. Minimum sizes are typically 8×10, 10×8 and 10″ square. The larger the image, the more striking the details. Many can be printed in excess of 3 feet. Size flexibility has its limits however, constrained by the proportions of that image. Your printed images have a 2″ border on the edges, black or white, for framing purposes; so image size and paper size will differ by 4″ L/W. - Pricing
As with sizing, I have not included prices for the images, as there are simply too many options. Affordable is a word that comes to mind. Your signed and dated prints are shipped rolled in a cardboard tube. Please contact me for all purchase inquiries. (I am open tos exclusive ownership of any of my digital master files) - Please contact me with any questions or to just connect. I hope you will share my art with your friends, art and nature lovers, galleries, gardeners, designers, etc. New opportunities and exposure for the work are welcome. As are licensing opportunities and commissions, such as one-of-a-kind prints utilizing plant materials from your land. Let’s chat.
Thanks for appreciating what I see and do!
Paraphrasing a French painter – There’s always flowers for those who want to see them.
No images or other content displayed on this Website may be reproduced, digitized, stored in a retrieval system, made available via any computer or wireless networks, transmitted or circulated in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the copyright owner.