Looking at the work of Francis Schanberger is like diving into the secrets of the universe. How is it that he can show us something from the natural world that we can see everyday, and yet make us see it with new eyes? The first time I saw this photograph of an apple, I actually thought that he had artificially created some kind of galaxy or star image. It wasn't until my second look that I realized that what I was really seeing was simply an apple. 
That perhaps doesn't come across online, but in real life, this Van Dyke almost pulses with depth and life.
Francis is a master of hand-applied emulsions and shares his techniques and methods on his blog. Anyone interested in alternative photographic processes would gain a lot by checking out his work. 