Mark Vercammen

Mark Vercammen has been working as a photographer since the 1990s. His camera of choice is the Leica. He explains that the “small and unobtrusive size” of the Leica allows him to explore the personal worlds of both strangers and friends. He enters the realm of his subjects on a very intimate level, often shooting close up portraits and nudes. He searches for the deeper, truer human emotions that exist beyond first glance. The male nude is a frequent subject for Vercammen. He explains that this form “has proven an excellent venue for this emotionally-charged style that renders my subjects in a most honest and vulnerable way.”

When printing his black and white film, Vercammen uses toning and diffusing processes that create visual textures, making the photograph appear shaded as if drawn in charcoal. Vercammen continues to work and experiment with his printing processes. Currently he has been using lith chemistry and gelatin silver paper, a combination that results in unpredictable outcomes. Vercammen prefers to take such a risk because the successful pictures are more unique than any predictable ones.