Precious metals, light and water; it feels like alchemy.
The digital revolution changed photography, and image-making exploded with new forms and unprecedented ease. Camera phones and apps made “cool” images instantly sharable. So why, in this digital age, are film sales increasing and more people returning to the darkroom?
Photography has been a part of my life since childhood. The camera opened new worlds and insight into the people, places and events that caught my attention. Coming from a family of artists and woodworkers gave me a love of working with my hands, and simply getting a roll of film back from the lab or adjusting digital files on a computer left me unsatisfied. I wanted more then just the image, I wanted to make something and hold an object of tactile beauty in my hands.
My return to analogue photography reawakened the excitement and joy I felt as a kid, and the simple act of processing the film, making contact sheets and prints, reconnected me with my love of image-making. It offers uninterrupted time away from computers and smartphones, a chance to work with my hands, and a way to make something I felt worthy of sharing, because I worked to make it.
At our studio we work with people who are seeking to merge image-making with craftsmanship and the simple pleasure of working with their hands.
Quinton Gordon is a Victoria photographer, who operates Luz Studios : Modern Analogue with Diana Millar. They offer workshops, darkroom memberships and photographic services all based in analogue photography.