Artists are often captivated by the siren song of the St. Marks Wildlife Refuge. Local photographer Todd Bertolaet is no exception. In 1987, he began making images of the area with a panorama camera. He captured landscapes, vistas, and waterways of not only the refuge but also of the Hickory Mound Impoundment, about 30 miles southeast of St. Marks on Apalachee Bay. These images, along with several others, led to a celebrated monograph entitled Crescent Rivers published in 1998 by The University Press of Florida.

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic afforded Bertolaet the opportunity to return to these two places and revisit the forests, ponds, creeks, and hammocks with his panorama camera. Forty of those images are on display in this exhibit. They were all created between October 2020 and April 2021 using a Noblex 35mm panorama camera and Kentmere 400 B&W 35mm film.

To develop the film, Bertolaet used a formula for Agfa Rodinal, a liquid black-and-white film developer, which dates back to 1890s. Since the manufacturer no longer exists, Bertolaet compounded the solution himself. He then scanned the film digitally and used photo editing software to refine the images which he then printed onto Red River Premium Matte 60 lb. paper utilizing an Epson 4800 printer.

Though his process is complex, his images are straightforward and document the natural beauty in our midst. They capture the notion of wandering, exploring uncharted lands, and discovering out of the way places that are unique to our area. These photographs demand careful examination and serve as potent reminders to slow down, observe, and appreciate time in the great outdoors.

About the artist: Todd Bertolaet is a retired professor of photography from The School of Journalism and Graphic Communication at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida. Among the various grants and fellowships he has received, Todd was awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Memorial Fellowship along with three Individual Artist Fellowships from The State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs. His work is included in several collections and has been exhibited in over two hundred juried, invitational, group and solo exhibitions. Todd has been photographing since 1971.

The works can be seen until March 28, 2022 in person at the Artport Gallery or virtually in COCA’s Online Gallery at cocaonlinegallery.zenfolio.com.

Check out our Artist Talk with Todd Bertolaet by clicking here.

This is one of many rotating exhibitions curated by the Council on Culture & Arts on behalf of the City of Tallahassee as part of the Art in Public Places program. The Artport Gallery itself is located in the Tallahassee International Airport, 3300 Capital Circle SW, and is open daily from 8:00 am until 11:30 pm. The first 30 minutes of parking is free for both the short-term parking lot.

For more information about COCA, this program, or to sign up to receive COCA’s email blasts visit www.tallahasseearts.org. For a schedule of other exhibitions and arts and culture programs throughout north Florida, visit tallahasseearts.org.

Special thanks to COCA extern Shena Kamata for her help with this exhibition.