Author(s): Steven Nowakowski

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Propelled by a deep sense of connection to this country, Steven Nowakowski has managed to carve a path with large format photography, a career enabling him to remain in tune with where his heart lies. Steven's inspiration has long been drawn from true wilderness photographers, Tasmanians Peter Dombrovskis and Olegas Truchanas. Dombrovskis and Truchanas were men not only magnificently talented behind the lens but of whom also carried a quiet, yet incredibly powerful message behind their work. Similarly, their vision at the time was to utilise the printed image to highlight the immeasurable vulnerability of a region they loved dearly, places vastly unknown and unseen by most. Indeed it was the compelling Dombrovskis photograph of Rock Island Bend that touched the conscious mind of the country during the campaign to save Tasmania's Franklin River in the early 80's from being dammed. All of Steven Nowakowski's large format photography remains the work of film; to him there is nothing quite the same. Not only does the understanding of such a camera slow one down and force you to fall in tune with your surroundings, but just as importantly it is the detail, sharpness and vibrancy of the finished product that is something still unachievable by the digital camera.