About Me

Richard Biemann


Artist Statement

As a high school student in Milwaukee I became interested in photography building a darkroom in my parent’s basement to accommodate my hobby. When I moved to Sheboygan, my hobby became my profession as I was employed at Central Photo, a long time fixture on Michigan Avenue. As the years passed and revolutions in the photofinishing industry have caused dramatic changes in the field, I have continued to hand print black and white negatives. I now run my own custom photo lab and do some portrait work. Doing less work for clients, I find myself back in my basement with time to work on my own fine art photography.  Lately, I have spent more time and energy on digital images.



I have an interest in almost every aspect of photography, but I specialize in traditional black and white silver gelatin prints on fiber-based paper. Often, I will tone and then hand color my work to add emphasis to certain parts. Pinhole cameras are another favorite way to experiment.



My approach to my art begins with a limited preconception of the final print. I will spend much more time working at the enlarger or on the print itself than behind the camera. Very often my initial reactions to the contact sheets and test prints will change as I begin to work on printing my negatives, and I’ll find a surprise or two on each roll.



The subjects I work with are mostly nature, whether Lake Michigan or close ups of fruits or flowers. I count Brigitte Carnochan, Jill Enfield, and Irving Penn as influences.

In recent years I have become more active as a painter.  My Blog will be a place for all my artistic endeavors.