Developing 8×10 film can be done a few ways, in a tray, tank dipping, canister, or the easiest way with a German made Jobo processor. Art Intersection proudly owns two Jobos, one graciously donated by a member of Art Intersection and one purchased used about five years ago.
We mainly use the Jobo to develop 8×10 film and when setting up for a film developing session we found both, for different reasons, were non-functioning. So using the well known Frankenstein method of repair, both Jobos were disassembled, the best parts from both were cleaned, tested, and finally reassembled into one working unit. The working Jobo Processor also received the best “brain” labeled “Abby Normal” (unabashed reference to the movie Young Frankenstein).
Spares parts for repair of future failures were carefully packed away, and now we can get back to trouble free operations and again develop 8×10 film.
After a couple years it was wonderful to host our Exploring Photography teen summer camp again!
Over four afternoons last week, instructor Lisa Zirbel taught our students the fundamentals of photography across both digital and traditional film mediums. Students learned how to shoot 35mm black and white film with manual SLR cameras and make enlargements from their film in our photo lab. They also had the opportunity to make studio-lit portraits, which they processed using Adobe Photoshop to make inkjet prints of their photos. They even mixed film and digital photography both by making cyanotypes using negatives printed digitally from their own images, as well as by using botanicals and expired photo paper to make lumen prints in the sun during class.
To end all of our teen camps, on the final day we pin the students’ work on the wall and invite their families for a critique session to reflect on what they learned and the challenges they faced while creating their art.
Art Intersection presents Light Sensitive, our twelfth, international juried exhibition of images created using traditional darkroom, historical, and alternative photographic processes and methods. This year we are honored to have photographer and alternative photography process artisan Elizabeth Opalenik jury the submitted work.
As we have seen technology trends continue to drive digital photography and presentation, Light Sensitive highlights art from artists working in traditional and historical printing processes.
Light Sensitive seeks to celebrate, promote, and reaffirm the art of handcrafted prints that uniquely belong to the tradition of light sensitive creative processes. Each year we are in search for work that represents creativity, passion, and displays the beauty of these light sensitive processes.
Banner images by Randall Tosh, Lynn Bierbaum, Mary Nation
Awards
Choosing awards in the diverse juried selections of this year’s Light Sensitive presents the challenge to weigh qualitative aesthetics of the presentation, with the strength of the image, and technical mastery of the process. From cyanotype to platinum to ambrotype prints, the wide gamut of techniques and presentations made a formidable task to assign awards. Presenting awards acknowledges accomplishment and excellence in presentation, image, and technique, and encourage everyone to continue to push their work through into the next level.
Congratulations to the awardees and everyone juried into Light Sensitive.
First Place – Lou McCorkle Second Place – Marita Gootee Third Place – William W. Fuller Award of Excellence for Collaborative Work – Kenro Izu / Veritas Editions Honorable Mentions – Gary Baker, Chuck Davis, Sarah S. Curley, Jon Jeffery, Annie Lopez, Marek Matusz, Alyssa McKenna, Mary A. Nation, Cyd Peroni, Phyllis Schwartz, Fred Ullrich, Angela Franks Wells, Ryan Zoghlin
About the Juror
Elizabeth spun a map on a lazy-susan in 1968 and left home to the sound of peace marches and her mother saying, “I knew you were different from the time you were two.” She discovered photography as a metaphor for life in 1979 at the Maine Photographic Workshops and discovered passion and possibilities in Provence in 1983 where she later began her evolution as a Mordançeuse. Traveling through six continents, camera in hand, she connects life’s possibilities through teaching workshops, humanitarian projects and making art.
“I am a photographic artist, educator and freelance photographer traveling the world with my camera and I love it. Philanthropic projects keep me grounded and connected universally.
I believe that all good photographs are self portraits and know that my many former lives manifest themselves in my images. My heart is still in my darkroom working in the Mordançage process, but I use today’s technology when appropriate to explore all the creative paths.
My photographs are collected and published internationally and all work is for sale. Mordançage images are unique, others are silver gelatin, platinum, hand painted or digitally printed in very limited editions on beautiful handmade papers.”
Fiona Howarth,
The Trees Returned,
Platinum/Palladium Prints,
2022
Kenro Izu / Veritas Editions,
Impermanence (Edition 1 of 13),
Platinum/Palladium and Gum Over Platinum,
2020-2022 Award of Excellence for Collaborative Work
Michael C. Hughes,
Saguaro and Storm Clouds,
Platinum/Palladium Print,
2022
Michael C. Hughes,
Seashore Fence,
Platinum/Palladium Print,
2021
Michael C. Hughes,
Shore Forms,
Platinum/Palladium Print,
2022
Jon Jeffery,
Event Horizon Warehouse,
Cyanotype on Recycled Cardboard,
2022
Jon Jeffery,
Big Sur Redwoods,
Cyanotype on Recycled Cardboard,
2022 Honorable Mention
Alex Krajkowski,
Untitled, from Knots,
Unique Gelatin Silver Print,
2019
Alex Krajkowski,
Untitled, from Knots,
Unique Gelatin Silver Print,
2019
J. Jason Lazarus,
Vasquez Rocks, Agua Dolce, California,
Mordançage,
2022
J. Jason Lazarus,
Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Arizona,
Mordançage,
2022
Jen Leahy,
Queen of the Universe,
Cyanotype and Mixed Media,
2021/2022
Annie Lopez,
Not a Blue Bird,
Cyanotype on Watercolor Paper,
2022
Annie Lopez,
Too Much Like Me,
Cyanotype on Tamale Paper, Thread,
2022 Honorable Mention
Lloyd Matthews,
Ember (Edition 1 of 13),
Platinum/Palladium Print,
2020
After a couple years it was wonderful to host our Exploring Photography teen summer camp again!
Over four afternoons this week, instructor Lisa Zirbel taught our students the fundamentals of photography across both digital and traditional film mediums. Students learned how to shoot 35mm black and white film with manual SLR cameras and make enlargements from their film in our photo lab. They also had the opportunity to make studio-lit portraits, which they processed using Adobe Photoshop to make inkjet prints of their photos. They even mixed film and digital photography both by making cyanotypes using negatives printed digitally from their own images, as well as by using botanicals and expired photo paper to make lumen prints in the sun during class.
To end all of our teen camps, on the final day we pin the students’ work on the wall and invite their families for a critique session to reflect on what they learned and the challenges they faced while creating their art.
There are still slots open for our July session of this summer camp as well!
In our Exploring Photography and Darkroom Photography for Teens summer camps we experimented with all the possibilities of photography!
Our Exploring Photography students shot images on 35mm film, processed it themselves, and printed their images in the darkroom – many of them for the first time ever. They also took digital pictures, edited them in Adobe Photoshop, and made beautiful inkjet prints of their photos. They learned manual SLR camera functions like ISO, shutter speed, and aperture, which are used in both film and digital capture, and played around with composition, lighting, and varying perspectives. With these tools, our students are ready to dig deeper into their preferred photographic medium and really become pros!
Our Darkroom Photography students shot 35mm, 120mm, and even 4×5″ film, spanning the range of film formats from casual to professional. They each captured photos relating to a project concept of their own choosing, allowing them to flex their artistic muscles in finding or creating images. Once they processed all that film, they put in some dedicated time in the darkroom printing their work, even learning advanced techniques like split-filter printing. In the end, each student left with 3-4 perfect prints for their portfolio.
At the end of all our photography camps we pin up everyone’s work from the week and reflect on our successes and challenges. It’s at this time that the immense creative drive and talent our students posses really shines.
We had a blast this summer sharing our love of photography with young artists!
