Darkroom Dynamics

HIGH CONTRAST

J. Seeley

Before a photographer can begin to create personally meaningful images, he must estab­lish a relationship with his materials and techniques. Perhaps because I came to photography from printmaking, I felt the need to slow the photographic process down. I wanted to generate my images in stages.

Working time is a crucial factor in my creativity. Typically, with conventional photography, the game is over in one-sixtieth of a second. After that initial instant of exposure, the photographer’s efforts are directed almost exclusively towards its preservation. The image has been recorded and the photographer has, while developing ...