Obscura Land @ Metro Times
Oftentimes, the cost of printing photographic publications can inhibit their production and distribution. Digital platforms like Facebook have become the major mechanism for image dissemination, leaving a little ache in the hearts of those of us who still cherish the analog experiences of the Instamat over Instagram. Enter Obscura Land, a new Detroit-based quarterly publication, which cannily bridges the gap between virtual and IRL photographic circulation, and provides subscription tiers to meet photography junkies at every level.
The project was co-founded by two Detroit-based photographers, Noah Waldeck and Daniel Eller. Eller is a creative director at BxB Media, as well as an installation artist, filmmaker, photographer, and community organizer, including the development and documentation of Pingree Farms since 2009. He’s also a fine art photographer, curator, and expert printmaker, who received his bachelor’s degree in photography from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Waldeck is an active member of the local photographic community, and Obscura Land is an extension of his ongoing work as founder and curator of the contemporary photography gallery and publisher Subjectively Objective. Waldeck also serves as a board member at the Detroit Center for Contemporary Photography.
“Since the beginning of 2015, I’ve been doing Instagram features where I showcase a selection of 12 images from each artist,” Waldeck says. “Beginning in December of last year, I also began publishing a twice-monthly Mini Monograph series of ‘zine-style 10-page books, typically based of an artist’s Instagram feature.”