Byron Bay-based photographer and film developer Dan Marsh of Bayou film has a style entirely of his own. Shooting industrial exteriors as though they were human faces, the prodigious talent has spent years crafting images in bold, unashamed black and white. Now, excitingly, all that skill – that raw, monochrome talent – is on proud display in a zine included in this copy of the BRAG, a part of the Jägermeister’s Meisterpiece project
An astonishing piece of art in its own right, it’s a striking collection of work by Marsh, who returned to his hometown of Melbourne to pursue the assignment. Spending several days exploring the Victorian capital in search of inspiration, the final selection of brooding, black and white shots expertly capture the city’s stark, edgy architecture – images that are at once as gritty as they are graceful.
Operating in an exciting and fruitful field entirely of his own, Marsh demonstrates a love of showing wide, open spaces and landscapes across the zine’s pages.
It’s all part of Jägermeister’s new Meisterpiece project, a series of collaborations between the iconic German brand and some of Australia’s most talented makers and creatives, in celebration of the brand’s long history of craftsmanship. As they point out, photography is “a craft that requires a delicate blend of ingredients. The exposure. The subject. The framing,” and this combination of elements that goes into Marsh’s work makes him something of an alchemist.
“One of Germany’s finest and most beloved exports, Jägermeister is best served as an ice cold shot.”
Marsh’s photography zine is the third in the Meisterpieces series. It follows projects with the likes of Sydney-based custom motorcycle builders Sol Invictus – who built and designed a one-of-a-kind café racer – and Melbourne typographical designer Tristan Kerr, who created a custom artwork inspired by Jägermeister founder Wilhelm Mast and based off German traditional and modern fonts.
A dedicated darkroom artisan, Marsh is passionate about not just the act of taking photos themselves, but the precise art of print-making. So much so, in fact, that, Bayou has developed a one-of-a-kind darkroom to produce this very task. Now Marsh runs workshops on all aspects of film photography and photo processing by hand, and the space has recently begun holding exhibitions of local talent. Facilitating opportunities for photographers of all skill levels to come together and learn is all testament to Marsh’s devotion to the craft.
“Marsh’s photography zine is the third in the Meisterpieces series.”
For Marsh and Jägermeister, much of the project’s impetus was highlighting the skill and attention to detail that’s an essential aspect of both of their crafts. Marsh hopes that the zine lets people see what can be achieved with time, effort and passion inside the darkroom, and the beauty of the developing process. “There’s something special about seeing hand-printed photos,” he explains inside the zine. “You’re taking a blank piece of film and using traditional processes to make an image out of nothing. That’s pretty special.”
Whether it’s carefully brewing Jägermeister in Germany or deftly putting together the perfect photo on the other side of the world, the zine is an example of what the right ingredients and a commitment to quality craftsmanship can do. Raise a glass and take a look.
