During his work as a writer and editor, Harting made his way to the camera as a comfortable accessory for the pen. Working in publishing with photographers he soon understood the need to complete his seeing in a darkroom. The discipline and limitations of film photography continue to concentrate his vision. The results have been included in publications and exhibits, including two one-person shows in recent years.
Statement
As a photographer I have always been drawn to trees, their majesty, their solitary station, their strength. Within the camera's finder I choose one from among many and capture it.
Sometimes the chosen tree will fill the frame. Sometimes it stands alone. It can be anywhere, it may be planted on an urban sidewalk or mark the edge of a farmers' field or dwell in a thicket; it may be youthful and smooth or old and weary. Trees are everywhere. They may even be a nuisance for some, but for me they are divine.
As I look through my camera I imagine the finished product, which will be a black and white print. Framed by the viewfinder, with a click the subject is committed to film and to the longer process to extract the print from the negative.
And finally the finished product. I have chosen to present these prints without a frame, flush mounted, without even a border, just the image itself: the immediacy of a photograph with nothing between the viewer and the image.
