Natalie McComas

Seeing my images printed brings me so much happiness! You’ve blown me away with your support of my art making in 2025 - I’ve printed & sent out more orders than ever. Thank you x Link in bio for my online store or please reach out if there are any of my images you would love to see printed and framed in your home.

Inspired by a quote encouraging you to look for "glimmers" in your day - Midday Galaxies was captured whilst meditating on the ephemeral, luminous, almost cosmic patterns created by sunlight as it reflects and refracts across the water with my Nikonos ii / a 35mm film, all-manual focus and exposure underwater camera that is fully mechanical (no batteries), made by Nikon between 1968-1975. My Nikonos does not advance consistently between shots, creating layered negatives and, as a result, random, abstract, in-camera collages. It also advances with a little tension, occasionally scratching the negative - which appears as bright yellow lines streaking across the prints. Each image border isn’t perfectly straight - it’s watery and soft; reminiscent of a bumpy, wind blown horizon (a nice observation that I love from @harrycormack ). Together with the occasional dust mark and water droplet, I am still adoring these imperfections !! They're evidence of the intricacy of my photographic practice; creating in real time, with my heart and hands and sometimes, error too. The more AI encroaches on our visual world, the busier I get shooting digitally and the more time I spend on a screen, the more I am enjoying and being grounded by the anticipatory and tactile nature of working with film and traditional photography processes. For me Midday Galaxies has been a return to & celebration of, my artist self, but also a conscious rebellion against the speed and perfection of computer generated photography & art. Everyone has received this work with so much love & appreciation - thank you. I've had many people say that when they see sparkles on the ocean they now think of me and I could not be more touched by this nice sentiment! Another big thank you to @atmosea_ for their support in making this a special exhibition and to @sandyprints1 for making these stunning prints ✨ You can purchase prints from my exhibition catalogue linked in my bio x

I was fortunate enough to spend a day printing in the darkroom with @sandyprints1 for Midday Galaxies. The quality of detail transferred into a large scale print from a tiny 35mm negative never ceases to amaze me. The C-Type prints on the wall of my exhibtion were hand printed from the original negative using traditional darkroom exposure methods by Sandy who is based in Lane Cove, Sydney. Sandy uses a Durst 2501 enlarger, circa 1980, named Miss CC, and Kodak Matte, Silver Halide Chromagenic Paper - a stock that is now obselete as Kodak no longer focuses on producing traditional darkroom materials. Several tests strips are carried out; testing the exposure and colour temperature and once within ballpark, the final print is prepared. Each negative is dusted thoroughly before being placed into a thick rectangular cartridge that slides into the Durst. The image is projected onto the wall and focussed. The colours are dialed in and the paper size is then mapped out. At this point all lights are switched off - as this photographic paper is extremely sensitive to any light. Even the light of the Durst keyboard is covered with a black plastic whilst the image is exposed. After the exposure is made, Sandy works by feel, navigating the darkness whilst transferring the paper to be developed. The paper is washed, dust marks are hand painted and then the prints are trimmed to size. She also keeps a hand written record of the “recipe” used to make the correct exposure for future reference. It is the first time I’ve seen prints created at this scale in the darkroom. It took a couple of days for Sandy to make seven large images and multiple 8x12” prints for the exhibition (thank you Sandy!) and they’re truly beautiful. I hope you can make it into the @atmosea_ store before the 19th of September to appreciate them IRL.

Hand printing these images and selling them online this year has honestly been the best. Thank you so much for all the support — the likes, comments, shares, and orders. If you’ve purchased a print this year, I’d love to see where it’s ended up in your home. Send me a pic : ) x

Untitled Galaxy #1 A trippy, glassy wave captured on film at New Brighton, Byron Bay then hand printed in the darkroom by @sandyprints1 for my Midday Galaxies exhibit @atmosea_ last year (a few BTS pics of its creation here). This original big print was sent off to its new home not long ago : ) I decided to make a series of mini prints / 8x10” size @bayou_film recently. It took an hour of testing to get that deep ocean blue hue just right / it is stunning to see IRL. The big print is in a limited edition of 15 and I’ve only printed 5 in the baby size for now. Link in bio to shop these and more ; )

BACK IN STOCK - FLANNEL FLOWER HANDPRINTS. I’ve been dreaming for a long time about building my arts practice and regularly selling photographic prints. The response to my new online print store in January completely blew me away — it sold out in just three days. I could not believe it. Over the past couple of months, I’ve been back in the darkroom, steadily rebuilding the stock by hand and now the store is restocked with B&W flannel flower handprints - some faves and some new 8x10”s. Each print is one of a kind, shaped by the imperfections of a slow, hands-on process / A full day to make a handful of prints, a day to dry, and days more to flatten.

Waves for Days - a dreamy scene I photographed on film at Walgun/ Wategoes and have handprinted on archival silver gelatin paper in the darkroom recently. Only one of these left in my online print store atm but am open to making more (will be making one for myself : ) #darkroom #filmisnotdead

quite a challenge to get these decisive moments on film from the recent punchy swell at Snapper Rocks /// printing a few in the darkroom soon : ) scans : @bayou_film @surfing_queensland

self portraits @ wategoes, 2021 / recently hand printed @bayou_film

self portraits for dreamy collab with @blyss_studios // our convo about my creative processes/ thoughts & feelings linked in my bio : )

The most beautiful collab between @blyss_studios & @natmccomas 🪲 We asked Nat if she could name the feeling of what resonates when wearing Blyss. ‘Creative ignition, expansion, radiance’. ✨✨ #blyssstudiosxnatmccomas

Recently I spent a day hand printing colour flannels & Tassie blue gum blossoms for the first time in the darkroom @bayou_film Each print is made in complete darkness as colour photographic paper is sensitive to any light. Working by touch feels strange at first but gets easier after a little while. I make several test prints on colour, contrast and exposure before making the final prints. The process of finding the flowers on my hikes, shooting on film and printing by hand in this way, feels so special for me to share with you. I’ve only made 2-4 copies of each and quite a few have sold already ** visit the link in my bio for the online store. Hoping to print more soon!! If something has sold out I can take pre orders for when I print next : ) just send me a DM