From the moment my eyes opened my first memories were created in a place where the crystal blue waters ran directly into the sky, mirroring each other at times.
As a child only knowing in this magical land I believed that all things were possible.
As a child only knowing in this magical land I believed that all things were possible.
I first encountered the name Ian Ruhter in a casual conversation. My friend shared a story about a well-established snowboard photographer who was pushing his work forward by taking a step backward in time. He had been experimenting with the 19th-century historical process of wet plate collodion. I thought this was interesting, but did not take specific notice since working with that process was something I was only beginning to hear about with any sort of frequency. However, it was only a short time before he mentioned that this photographer was also making wet plate collodion photographs using a box truck as both camera and darkroom to create plates in a way that no one else had. Okay, my attention was undoubtedly piqued now. How was this done, and why was this done? It turned out that Ruhter had been doing some video documentation of the box truck using this process and all of the extreme e orts it was taking to accomplish such an unusual feat. I watched these on his website and became completely hooked on his project.
Not long after being wowed by what I had seen, my friend mentioned that Ruhter would be making photographs of the Fourth and Sixth Street bridges from the concrete-paved L.A. River, not far from where I lived. We could just drive down there and watch. The next thing I know, we are headed down the ramp into the river and turning north to see a small gathering of people with a faded blue box truck situated o to one side. We parked nearby and walked over just in time to see Ruhter and his assistant emerge from the back of the truck carrying a plate, as I had seen in one of his videos. During the washing process, which required many gallons of water, I took a closer look. I felt like I was seeing something historic. Never would I have guessed that someone would go to such great lengths to bring a photograph like this to fruition. I’m happy to say this memory is permanently etched in my brain.
If there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s that quite often, the career path of a visual artist is anything but linear, and Ian Ruhter is no exception. Ruhter was born in South Lake Tahoe, California, a place that would profoundly shape his life’s journey. Growing up, he struggled in school due to dyslexia, was placed in special education classes, and eventually dropped out and attended a continuation school. This left him feeling di erent, lost, and alienated, without a means to communicate e ectively with others. However, the local landscape being the winter wonderland it was, his love for snowboarding provided an initial life path, eventually leading him to a professional career in the sport during his late teens and early twenties.
Serendipity would step in next when Ruhter decided to take a photography class at his local community college. Once he immersed himself in the darkroom and started working with his hands, his world suddenly fell into place. It turns out that by gravitating towards tactile ways of working and using his hands to create, he could now communicate in a profound way through his photographs. Frustration and anger dissipated, and photography became an extension of him, making this newfound visual language precisely what he needed and comparable to his literal voice.
Transitioning from professional snowboarding, Ruhter found a new passion in photographing the action sports scene, becoming the senior photographer for Vans and Transworld Snowboarding Magazine. This career move took him to Los Angeles, where he thrived in editorial and advertising work. However, by his late thirties, he became disenchanted with the digital alteration of photographs, feeling that the art form was losing its authenticity. His dissatisfaction with current photographic methods sparked the idea of creating genuine, unaltered art. Even after so much success, he yearned for more and
soon found his savior, the 19th-century photographic process of wet plate collodion. This is a process with a steep learning curve. Yet, after much experimentation and practice, he found himself transfixed on his first successful 8x10” plate, akin to a religious experience. These plates, whether tintypes on metal or ambrotypes on glass, reflect light back at you in a way that creates dimensionality and immerses you in their hologramlike qualities. This is the method of creation he had been looking for. And now, being a creator who dreams big, Ruhter immediately wondered how these would look at an immense size. Though he was told this was likely an impossible task, his idea of using a box truck with a massive lens mounted at the back end
as a camera was born. The inside would even double as the darkroom needed for the preparation of the plates themselves.
Ruhter abandoned his career and income in Los Angeles and returned to a small cabin he had in Lake Tahoe to pursue this dream. He embarked on creating the world’s largest wet plate collodion photographs using a self-constructed camera truck. This endeavor was driven by a deep-seated need to express himself authentically, much like the protagonist in Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. This book deeply resonated with him and has had a profound and lasting impact on his journey. Just as
the young man in The Alchemist discovers his treasure at home after a long quest, Ruhter finds his true calling back in Tahoe. In fact, this very quote from the book has become a mantra of sorts for Ruhter; “Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.” Throughout this period, he remained dedicated to his craft, creating photographs that were unique and irreplicable. The process of making your own film, involving collodion, silver nitrate, iron, and various iodides and bromides, captivated him. Each plate, with its imperfections and singularity, mirrored his own life and struggles. After giving himself a budget and timeline to complete his goal of the largest plate ever,
he subsequently went over budget and two years past his timeline. However, in 2011, he successfully produced the first four-by-five-foot wet plate ever created, and made it of his home, Lake Tahoe.
The camera truck project was particularly significant for Ruhter. Working inside the camera truck, he realized that the upside-down and backward images projected by the lens mirrored how he saw the world due to his dyslexia. This profound connection made him feel at home and understood for the first time. The camera truck allowed him to create monumental wet plate collodion photographs, a feat never before achieved,
using his mind for the computations and his body as the mechanics. At their heart, photographers are problem solvers, and Ruhter was systematically checking o the boxes of all of his.
In 2010, Ruhter released the Silver and Light documentary of his journey, which brought him international recognition. His work, characterized by its authenticity and the use of 19th-century alchemical processes, was exhibited in solo shows across major cities like Los Angeles and New York and at prestigious art fairs in London, Paris, Miami, and Shanghai. He also participated in group shows at various museums, gave speaking
events, and completed commission camera truck projects throughout the U.S., Canada, and as far o as the United Arab Emirates, cementing his status in the art world.
After the initial success of Silver and Light, Ruhter focused all of his energies back on creating his book about Lake Tahoe, blending his personal experiences with the natural beauty of the area. This book you are holding, an autobiographical journey through photographs, reflects the significant events of his life, from the turbulence of his teenage years to the joys of fatherhood. Each photograph is a portrait of nature, capturing the emotional and
physical landscape of Tahoe. Even his own daughter, born in Lake Tahoe as he was before her, was named Lily, after the nearby Lily Lake. For Ruhter, everything comes full circle here in this highly personal and intimate body of work.
For the first decade of this project, Ruhter exclusively used the camera truck, producing 25 memorable photographs with it. In the last two years, he switched to an 8x10 camera to access more locations, a necessity due to the logistical challenges of moving the camera truck. The camera truck took months of set up to make a single photograph. The importance of the plates being singular objects is especially significant to Ruhter, as the process of making them is painstakingly long and arduous at that size. In addition, Tahoe had become built up through a burgeoning real estate market, so getting to a beach lot on private land became almost an impossible feat in itself. The thought of Ruhter stepping down to the “smaller” 8x10 camera is almost laughable, knowing that most photographers never even consider or try to make the transition from smaller formats up to an 8x10 camera.
It’s an eye-opening experience when you observe the scale of the larger plates that Ruhter makes. These were thought to be impossible at one time. He was explicitly told this, yet he persevered and proved the naysayers wrong. It wasn’t done simply to prove a point; however, it was done because Ruhter had a dream with a goal in mind. Perhaps at that time, what he did not know was actually perfect for this situation. Sometimes, it’s blind faith or a solid commitment to doing what you feel needs to be done. He was proving something to others but more so to himself. Being dyslexic, with early feelings of being an outlier, was met with the perseverance I have always believed necessary to gain any traction in this world. The fact that Ruhter did what he knew was a goal worth achieving without knowing how to
get there is the most accurate definition of inspiring that one can think of. These are the impulses we all should act upon.
I’ve seen these plates in person mere minutes after their creation, and I’ve seen them hung on gallery walls with jaw-dropped crowds of people echoing my thoughts. The feeling is always the same. Sheer amazement. The largest plates are something quite unbelievable, and knowing the lengths Ruhter had taken to make them is nothing short of aweinspiring. During our current days of smartphone photography and its ease of use, the knowledge and craftsmanship that we use to make photographs have too often been left behind. These photographs bring it back so we can learn from our past once again. We can slow down, take a breath, and let ourselves become immersed in these images. The intricacies of life can be found embedded in the emulsion of every one. You simply have to allow yourself the vulnerability to wander through them.
Ruhter’s project in Tahoe spans the years between 2010 and 2024. His journey, much like the alchemist’s quest, has brought him back to where he started, but with a deeper understanding of himself and his art. His work is a testament to the power of following one’s passion, the belief that true art is found in authenticity, and the courage to pursue one’s dreams against all odds. Without Ruhter’s dreams, none of these images would have been possible. But with them, an array of magical components come together to create breathtaking visual art in a form that is unrivaled in its beauty and grace. With preservation in mind, these images of Tahoe hold memories and give us the hope that these lands will remain for future generations to enjoy and forge their own memories. Everything Ian Ruhter creates is based on love. Love of the medium. Love of the land. Love of home.
Michaek Kircho
I really appreciate your interest in my upcoming book, The Lake! The books are now on there way to my studio and is expected to arrive by midNovember. Pre-orders are open now, and with each pre-order book, you'll receive a signed 8” x 10“ print. During the creation of this book, I printed a proof of each page in that size, and as a token of my gratitude for your support throughout this journey, I will include one random print from the project as special thank you!
Endpapers: 5/5 (CMYK+V) Front & Back 1/0 (Silver) Tip in: 5/5 (CMYK+V)
Foiling: Matt Silver Kurz
Finishing: Thread: Black Head & tail bands: Black
Specification
Edition: 2000
Hardcover with tip in + single color foil Size: 300 x 227mm (LANDSCAPE) Pages: 172pp
Images: 100+ (CMYK + Varnish)
Size: 113/4 x 9 inch or 300 x 228 mm
* Special Edition 20 - with original Ambrotype book cover
Materials:
Inside 1: Arctic Volume Ivory 150gsm
Inside 2: Sirio Ultra Black 115gsm
Endpapers: Sirio Ultra Black 115gsm
Tip in: Arctic Volume Ivory 150gsm
Hardcover: Brillanta Jet Black (4040)
Foiling: Kurz - One colour foiling (Rear cover & Spine)
Finishing:
Thread: Black
Sprayed Black edges
Head & tail bands: Black Sprayed Black edges
Thank you for taking the time to check out the brief preview of my book, "The Lake." The full version spans 174 pages and features a stunning gatefold, cloth cover, complete with sprayed black edges and a few delightful surprises!
This journey began 14 years ago when I created the camera truck and embarked on the ambitious task of creating Wet Plate Collodion photographs in a size that was considered unattainable. After reaching that milestone in 2011, I focused the lens of this massive camera toward the place I proudly call home—Lake Tahoe. Growing up amidst towering trees and the vast, deep blue waters of this alpine lake shaped my earliest memories and perspectives. Over the years, I have gathered beautiful memories along with the ups and downs that life presents. This book serves as my memoir, capturing the essence of Mother Nature and the changing seasons as metaphors for the seasons of my life. It was also essential for me to craft a narrative that resonates with readers, allowing them to connect with their own journey and their relationship with nature .
The title "The Lake" symbolizes a place that holds a unique significance for each individual. Just as we refer to the moon as Earth's moon, I invite readers to interpret "the lake" as their own special haven. It’s a space where cherished memories with friends and family are created. For those who may not have a specific lake, I hope this book inspires you to seek out a meaningful spot in nature that feels like your own.
Throughout the book, you'll discover alchemical symbols and quotes that you can decode using the key provided at the back or within the photographs themselves. My goal was to create a book that offers new insights every time you pick it up—a collection that transcends mere visual beauty and encourages deeper reflection and exploration, be it physically or mentally.