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Within the trucking community, the phrase "seeing the black dog" is used to describe hallucinations that occur as a result of sleep deprivation.
"When truckers see black dogs scampering across the highway they know to pull over and get some sleep," says photographer Michael Massaia, who made the hunt for the black dog a personal photographic project, spending many a night at New Jersey Turnpike truck stops.
When an 18-wheeler's engine fell silent and the trucker climbed into the cab to slumber, Massaia would haul his 60-pound large-format camera from the bushes, close in, and capture the moment "the dogs melt away."
Massaia grew up in New Jersey and much of his work – including that of dormant fairgrounds – is influenced by childhood memories. He remembers watching from the back seat of the car the constant movement and hectic industry of the Garden State. He had always thought of truck stops as places that are part of a larger romantic notion of the open road, but it took him a long time to figure out how to shoot them.
When Massaia, who suffers from insomnia, learned of the peculiar phrase "seeing the black dog," he realized it referred to the same ebb of energy and haze he experiences.
"Sleeplessness is one of the problems I've had in life; it's where the connection for the series lay," he says.
"You can be quite productive when you don't sleep for four days," jokes Massaia, who manages his irregular rest well and used it to his advantage by making all of the exposures between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Seeing the Black Dog demanded productivity; Massaia doesn't use photo labs in his analog workflow, but does it all himself. He shoots on 8x10 black and white sheet negatives. In the darkroom, Massaia manipulates Pyro staining developer, similar to the process used by now long-deceased photographers Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. Last, he hand-makes platinum contact prints.
"There are huge technological advantages to using an analog camera," says Massaia. "They're still far superior to digital camera-backs. All the movements the 8x10 offers me prevent distortions."
Massaia wonders if his labor-intensive approach is worth it for New Jersey subjects, to which people may not pay attention.
"New Jersey is uncharted territory, in a way. I look for things that people haven't taken a second glance at," says Massaia. "When you grow up in New Jersey you're tagged for life as a moron, but I love it here. It's challenging and it makes you really work and think."
As for his trucker-subjects, Massaia says he was never really at ease loitering around vehicles as drivers slept inside.
"If they saw me only feet away with my huge camera they'd probably be alarmed. I was in the dark and under a sheet; if I saw someone doing that, I'd get out and punch someone!"
Thankfully, no physical altercation ever occurred and later as a guest on the Road Dog Trucking satellite radio station, Massaia was able to explain to the trucking community the project and his interest in the elusive hallucinations.
"I think they were moved by it. They thought it captured the mystery."
All images: Michael Massaia
