Tim Kelly Looks Back to Go Forward

chase. It’s good for business and good for
me as an artist.”
Kelly, who has a portfolio of award-winning
work from 45 years in the business, is
pointing both his business and artistic compasses
toward galleries and print sales, both
of which had long been sidebars to his studio
business. By his estimate, Kelly is spending a
quarter of his time “honing my ultimate
portfolio,” with an eye toward a new exhibit
and book. He’s gone back to the darkroom to
reprint his collection in platinum-palladium.
“Platinum has no enemies; the prints last
forever,” he says. “It takes more skill and labor
to do it, but those prints are highly valued.”
Kelly’s ideal clientele includes collectors
and galleries in addition to studio customers.
“I’m already making clients happy, so I’m
working toward a body of work that will go
on after I do,” he says. Even with the cut in
volume, he figures his studio work will yield
a half-dozen images a year that could end up
among his collectible prints.
NEW AGAIN
Kelly was an early convert to digital photography,
but when it became ubiquitous,
he found a new competitive edge: “I’m
going back to what I love most, handmade
work.” Black-and-white prints became his
primary product about three years ago.
Then he built his own wet darkroom so he
could produce silver and platinum prints.
In addition to his 4x5 Gowlandflex twinlens
reflex camera, another key piece of his
“new” equipment is something he bought
as office decor about the time he went filmless:
an 8x10 Century No. 7 Studio Camera.
He had the lens and shutter serviced and a
flash sync added.
“I’m not a gear hound at all. I use what
works,” he says. “If I don’t use something in