In the final exhibition of her 2026 artist residency at Photosynthesis, ‘From Garden to Darkroom’, Jessica Fleming explores what happens when plants become a part of the analogue photography process.

This series follows people and communities around Ōtautahi who spend their time caring for the environment, as well as the way nature and human-made spaces interact. From restoring pockets of the Port Hills to growing and establishing gardens, Fleming documents these spaces while also finding a way to bring the natural world into the photographic process itself.

These photographs are developed using polyphenols found in plants, using materials gathered from the garden to help create the images. Nature isn't just the subject of the photographs, but intertwines, becoming part of how they are made.

The work comes from her fascination with nature and a curiosity about how photography can connect us more closely to the landscapes around us.