Oak in Rain

About Artist

Roman Loranc is a living, modern-day master of fine art black and white photography. He was born in the city of Bielsko-Biala, southwestern Poland, in 1956 during the communist era.  In 1982, at 26 years of age, he immigrated to Madison, Wisconsin, and in 1984 he moved from the Midwest to Modesto, California. Much of his early, better-known photographic work was created in California’s Central Valley. He moved to Northern California near Mt. Shasta in 2006 where he currently resides.

When he was 7 years old, his God-parents gifted him a small 35mm Druch (a Polish brand) camera for his First Communion.  He was immediately drawn to the magic of photography; the ability to slice a moment out of time and hold it as a print in his hands. He soon came to feel a consuming fascination with the chemical photographic process that, after exposure to light and immersion in developer, allowed grains of silver to form first on the negative and then again on a final print. It was pure alchemy to Roman, and it was fun.

At that time in Poland many books were censored, so Loranc learned photography by doing things on his own. He did not have the seminal books by Ansel Adams, or any technical manuals by Kodak, but he did have photography history books that described chemical formulas for developers, stop baths and fixers and with that knowledge he began processing his film and printing his negatives.

A few years later, an older neighbor friend, also interested in photography, taught him how to make glass plates and use a large format camera. At the time, he did not realize the profound influence that introduction to traditional large format photography would have on his future use of a view camera for his work. Read More

Artist Statement

Some photographers believe their strongest work comes from exploring their immediate surroundings. “I think of myself as a regional photographer,” Loranc says, “but that does not mean the photography cannot be understood beyond the region. Right now people all over the United States indicate to me that regionalism, born of an informed attachment, has universal appeal.” Loranc shoots most of his pictures within an hour’s drive of his home in California but he is also interested in exploring his ancestral roots in Europe. For this reason he makes occasional photographic forays into Poland and Lithuania.

“I’m fascinated by the ancient churches of my homeland,” he says. “These are holy spaces where millions of people have prayed for hundreds of years. They are places of great humility, and remind us how brief our lives are. I feel the same way when I’m photographing ancient groves of native oaks in California. I was unconscious of this when I began, but upon reflection, I think the oaks are just as sacred as the old cathedrals of Europe. They are sacred in that they have survived for so many years. I’m aware that the native people of California held all living things as divine. For me a grove of Valley Oaks is as sacred as any church in Europe.” Read More

Print and Ordering Information

As of December 31, 2023, Roman Loranc stopped printing photographs. Starting January 1, 2024 he will sell a limited inventory of photographs. 

Not all sizes are kept in inventory.
Special orders from the photographer may take 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.

Please contact us at sales@anseladams.com if you have any questions about shipping and delivery.