JONATHAN CHERRY: Has anything really inspired you over the last seven days if so, why?

BEN HUFF: The dark winters in Alaska can be difficult for a photographer. By January I start to question the reality in colors and light. The light this time of year is magical, as we are gaining eight minutes of light every day now. I find impossible to put into words the feeling that swells as the light comes back.

Also, I’m in the Midwest right now, and I’m really moved by the landscape. I haven’t lived here, my birthplace, in over fifteen years. As I ‘ve gotten older, and habitually moved further and further from home, I’ve realized how deep my roots are here. I have a constant nagging to come back and make photographs.

JC: What were the initial ideas behind ‘The Last Road North’?

BH: Initially, and even now, for me, the work is about driving. It’s about being out there.  It sounds simplistic, but as the project has evolved, I’ve tried to retain that simplicity. The photographs themselves hold complexities, and the eventual edit will have layers of dichotomies and truth, themes and lies, but the heart of my experience is about driving and finding the next person, the next vantage point. Each of these experiences will, hopefully, culminate in a rich body of work. For now, I drive.

JC: Has the project developed since starting?

BH: I think the project has developed as I’ve developed. It sounds corny, but, somewhere up on that road I became a photographer. Early on I had the benefit of being awarded a grant from the Rasmuson Foundation that afforded me great liberty to make mistakes. That funding, along with the early decision to restart the work in a new format that I had no experience in informed much of where I am now. I try to keep with me that initial urgency, and fear, of not knowing what the hell I am doing and having the backing to do it anyway.

JC: What was the last photography book you picked up?

BH: Infinite Ice, The Arctic and the Alps from 1860 to Present. Last summer I had planned to get back to a few glaciers off the Richardson Highway, but failed to devote the time. This year I will make it a priority. I’ve been going over historical photos of Alaskan glaciers for a few months for context and inspiration. Although I just got my hands on it, it looks to be a good resource as well.

JC: Whats in store for 2010 photographically?

BH: Simply, to make more photographs. I am currently in an exhibition called America Now at the Montserrat Gallery that I am insanely proud of. I couldn’t ask for a better way to start the year. When I was preparing for the show this fall I made the decision to step back and spend the rest of the year concentrating on making new work.  I’m beginning to see very clearly where The Last Road North is headed. I have my next long trip planned in April, where I will start, again, to fill in the gaps.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

BH: That question is a difficult one. I’m self taught, and recently, actually, went back to get my MFA from University of Alaska Fairbanks. I don’t know that I’m qualified to answer such a question. I will say, though, that I’ve learned over the past three years  that none of this would be sustainable if I wasn’t absolutely invested in the photographs that I am making,  and love the place where I am making them. This must trump everything else. Photography is hard work - the future would be grim if I did not love the subjects I’ve chosen.

JC: Any other thoughts?

BH: I have to say that I’m excited about the future of the medium. I know that things are in the tank in many facets of the industry, but I’m inspired by what is growing from the rubble. With every small time publisher, cooperative, and intelligent online effort that makes a strong play, I feel confident that photography has something to offer.