9 of 31 - A Post a Day in May

Yesterday I showed off a darkroom print made when I was 15. This leads into the story of how I started to do what I do.

Back in Jr. High our school had no budget for a yearbook. So a group of us decided to do it ourselves. We had a darkroom and a photography club and the reckless determination of 14 year olds.

We took all the photos and did the layout and all the illustrations. Looking at it now it looks like 14 year olds made it but we were so proud. I was part of the group doing the photos. We took sports photos, group photos, candid photos, event photos - we did it all. Then we developed the film and printed the photos in the darkroom. Some combination of us is on every single page, my grown up apologies to those that also went to this school but didn't make into any candid pages of the yearbook.

I think it's fantastic that none of us could figure out the flash sync problem. It's a pretty ironic "Photography Club" photo. ;) It is as washed out and horrible in real life as it appears here. That's me in the front holding the camera. Obviously.

The yearbook committee photo is slightly better. There I am in the front again. Who was running and hitting the button on the camera? I have a memory of it being a delayed shutter type thing. 

Here I am in my grade 9 glory. 

I really loved the darkroom. I loved the smell of it and the red glow and I just thought it was the most fantastic place.

I felt powerful when I had a camera. I was (and am) shy in a group but give me a camera and that shyness goes away.

Once High school came I didn't have access to a darkroom anymore and that love took a back seat to partying - I mean studying. I was 24 years old by the time I built a darkroom in my house and I have had one ever since. I took a refresher class with Shane Kelly and it was after the first class I felt like I remembered at all and all those great feelings came back in a flood.

I can't really explain why I enjoy it so much - I just do.  To me the developing the film and printing the photos myself is all part of making a picture. It's like the love that good cooks put into the food they make. The darkroom is the love.