Photographer Cody S. Brothers:
American Film
Booth Western Art Museum
WHERE THE PAVEMENT ENDS AND THE WEST BEGINS
PHOTOGRAPHER CODY S. BROTHERS:
AMERICAN FILM
The Booth Western Art Museum welcomes you to this celebration of the enduring beauty and power of analog film photography. These black-and-white panoramic landscapes, surreal double exposures, and dreamy pinhole-camera scenes by Santa Fe photographer Cody S. Brothers offer a chance to see the American West through the lens of an expert craftsman creating timeless art.
Born in New Mexico, Brothers grew up in the Four Corners region, where he became fascinated with the wide-open spaces of the West and the traces left by people there. A photographer for over 30 years, Brothers has traveled from California to New York, taking photographs all along the way. His creative process includes careful observation, walking trails, taking notes, and waiting for the right moment when light, weather, and season come together. According to Brothers, “You have to know what you’re going for.”
You might find him standing motionless in a remote corner of the desert, waiting for a storm to break and sunlight to flood the landscape, transforming the scene into something extraordinary. Unlike digital photography, film requires every exposure to be intentional. In a world filled with cell phone cameras and instant imagery, Brother’s careful process encourages viewers to consider the patience, authenticity, and artfulness that analog photography preserves—a tribute to why film still matters today.
Using an array of analog cameras, including panoramic, large-format, and pinhole, Brothers captures many of his photos on increasingly rare infrared film. This approach uses invisible ultraviolet light to turn familiar landscapes into scenes of glowing foliage, haloed rock formations, and dramatic skies with strong contrasts. “To get the glow of the trees and the dark skies, it’s all a matter of how you filter and process the film,” he says. “Those are lost arts now.”
Each photograph is hand-processed in the darkroom at Cody’s Santa Fe studio. There, he carefully develops negatives to produce a wide range of photo prints, demonstrating his ongoing dedication to his medium and craft. One-quarter
of the works in this exhibit are new and are being exhibited for the first time.
With its infrared scenes, double exposures, and pinhole camera techniques, American Film is a call to rediscover the magic of film photography. In an era dominated by digital images, these works remind us of the beauty found in patience, precision, and craft. Brothers transforms the familiar landscapes of the American West into striking, dreamlike visions, encouraging us to slow down and truly see.
Visit The Booth
Booth Western Art Museum
501 Museum Drive
Cartersville, Georgia 30120
770-387-1300
Learn about editions and contact the artist…