Joni Sternbach
New York-based photographic artist renowned for her timeless tintype portraits of surfers and global surf culture.
Portfolio
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About Joni
Joni Sternbach is a New York-based photographic artist best known for Surfland, her celebrated series of large-format tintype portraits exploring surfers and the communities surrounding them.
Working directly on beaches with the 19th-century wet-plate collodion process, Joni creates each photograph by hand using a large-format camera and portable darkroom. The resulting one-of-a-kind images offer a striking alternative to conventional surf photography, capturing the individuality, character and quiet connection surfers share with the ocean.
Created across the United States, Australia, England, France and Uruguay, Surfland has developed into an international portrait of surf culture. Joni’s work has been exhibited and collected by leading institutions around the world, including the National Portrait Gallery in London, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, LACMA and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Her published books include Surfland, Surf Site Tin Type and Surfboard, which Smithsonian Magazine named among the best photography books of 2020.
Working directly on beaches with the 19th-century wet-plate collodion process, Joni creates each photograph by hand using a large-format camera and portable darkroom. The resulting one-of-a-kind images offer a striking alternative to conventional surf photography, capturing the individuality, character and quiet connection surfers share with the ocean.
Created across the United States, Australia, England, France and Uruguay, Surfland has developed into an international portrait of surf culture. Joni’s work has been exhibited and collected by leading institutions around the world, including the National Portrait Gallery in London, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, LACMA and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Her published books include Surfland, Surf Site Tin Type and Surfboard, which Smithsonian Magazine named among the best photography books of 2020.
Films & interviews
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