TRP Obscura — The Collection, The Project, The Film
In 1994, I was working at a photo lab and going to college, a few years into my photography journey. My primary camera at the time was a Pentax K1000. Simple, reliable, perfect. In one of my photography classes, I had a classmate who was also taking medical classes. Somehow, he got access to an X-ray machine and decided to put his Canon AE-1 on the table. I wish I could remember his name. We lost touch. But I still have the X-ray.
That image has lived with me for thirty years. It’s one of the most remarkable things in my collection — not because of what it’s worth, but because of what it is. A camera, laid bare. Its mechanical soul made visible. Nobody planned for it to be art. It just was.
Over the last couple of months, I’ve been doing something I’ve put off for too long — documenting everything. Cameras, lenses, flashes, film canisters, advertisements, darkroom equipment, and yes, the X-ray. Nearly 600 pieces, catalogued and photographed. My Pentax K1000 is in there. So are six Canon AE-1s, which makes that X-ray feel like it belongs even more. I’ve built a website where you can explore the full collection. https://hub.catalogit.app/the-trp-camera-obscura-collection
But a museum that sits still isn’t the whole story. The next chapter is using these cameras. I’ve been sourcing battery adapters, film modifiers, and tools to bring dead equipment back to life. With my darkroom running I can develop my own film. The analog project is starting now — and I can’t wait to see what comes back from these rolls. Good, bad, and ugly.
I’ve launched a new Instagram account — TRP Obscura — where I’ll be sharing pieces from the collection, the stories behind them, and the results from the film experiments. That’s where the daily discoveries will live.
And yes — a TRP YouTube channel is coming. Behind the scenes. The darkroom. The whole process.
One more thing, now that the snow is gone, it is time for the open house I put off. On April 12th, from 11 am to 3 pm, I’m opening the Barn/Museum. Come see the collection in person, see the darkroom, see the print house, and my gallery. All of it, live. If you’ve ever wanted to understand what this place actually is, this is your chance to walk through the door.
📷 Follow TRP Obscura on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trpobscura/
This is where we start.
To see things the way I see them.
Welcome to TRP Obscura.
tr/trp