Photographer uses chemistry to create 'Dust Shaped Hearts'

ByMatteo Iadonisi Localish logo
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Photographer uses chemistry to create 'Dust Shaped Hearts'
Artist and Air Force veteran Donald E. Camp converts photographs into larger-than-life prints called 'Dust Shaped Hearts.'

Philadelphia, Pa -- Donald E. Camp, an artist and Air Force veteran, has mastered a unique style you'll have to see to believe.
The youngest sibling in a family of artists, he developed a passion for photography between the ages of 15 and 20.
Around 25 years ago, he wanted to create a project to depict the faces of Black men that could last for hundreds of years. It has expanded into a massive project he calls, 'Dust Shaped Hearts.'
Camp starts by photographing headshots of his subjects. Then, he creates a paint-like solution by combining casein, which is a protein from milk, and earth pigment, such as burnt umber.
He uses that solution to coat a blank piece of paper, which is then exposed to a film negative using ultraviolet light. The solution becomes hard where the light hits it, and soft where it does not.
Camp then uses water to wash away the soft parts to reveal the image.

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