Sta.sh
Odyssey Update 1
Do you regularly browse, comment on and collect art that's wildly different from what you create?
Having read the title, you're probably expecting this to be a journal filled with familiar information about what to do when you see a Daily Deviation that you don't believe to be worthy of a feature, or impassioned reminders about the subjectivity of art. That isn't what this is about.
Being the Community Volunteer for a niche gallery like Darkroom has been quite an experience so far. I receive comparatively few Daily Deviation suggestions, so I devote a lot of time to hunting down amazing photographs to feature and making sure that I represent as many aspects of the category as possible.
Within that one small gallery, there is huge variety. You'll see life-size reverse silhouettes on bedsheets soaked in photographic chemicals, images developed on sheets of glass painted with light-sensitive liquid, scans of film exposed inside home-made cameras built from biscuit tins, photos made from 7 different exposures of the same scene combined to look almost like paintings, pictures on instant film that transport your mind back to when Polaroid was at the forefront of photographic technology, stunningly textured images compiled in digital editing software to create a result that you can almost feel through your screen, monochrome photographs captured on film with 50 year old cameras...and the list goes on.
Because the Darkroom gallery is technique-based rather than subject-based, you'll also find a dizzying array of people, places and things which span genres and styles from horror to fetish to nature to fashion to still life to street photography and everything in between. The limit exists only in the minds of the artists who submit to the gallery, and having spent months browsing it on an almost daily basis, I can tell you there is a lot of imagination and creativity going on in there.
Experimentation is a huge part of darkroom photography. Often, photographers create pieces with unrepeatable results, truly unique photographs which cannot be replicated. A lot of the time, an artist's expertise shows most strikingly in their choice of materials - which chemicals to tone a cyanotype with, or which instant film to use to precisely create a particular mood. Some of the most valuable experiences I've had as a photographer have come from the magic and joy of working with techniques and materials developed (pun fully intended) over a hundred years ago, and these experiences continue to strongly influence the work I create today using digital methods.
Whether an photographer chooses to work with chemicals or computers, there is a sense of mystery and excitement surrounding darkroom photography. It is an astoundingly inspirational world, so whether you choose to live there, visit occasionally or just look at the postcards other artists send, make sure you take some time to enjoy the scenery with your mind open as wide as your eyes.
If you have a favourite darkroom photograph (your own or someone else's) that you would like to suggest as a Daily Deviation, you can find my detailed DD suggestion guidelines here.
Wonderful article.
I've been meaning to write something like this for ages and felt inspired yesterday.
It was a wonderful read.
This is why I love photography--it's a magical force