Day One Darkroom
1976, freshman year in high school. The late afternoon was peaceful. Cocooned in darkness, the only sounds I heard were the sounds of the circular print washer running water freely over my new prints. The acrid smells of the chemistry permeated the air. I was happy. Although this was my first stint in this particular darkroom, I was already comfortable in it’s stygian confines. In 5th grade, I’d taken a rudimentary photography class that taught me how to develop Black and White film. In 6th grade my family got me a Bogen T35 enlarger and put together a make shift darkroom. This particular darkroom, although bigger and more advanced, was still an extremely comfortable place to be.
The Omega’s electronic timer buzzed and dinged to a halt. Lifting the paper out of the easel carefully, I walked the two steps to the developing tray. The Dektol felt cool as I dipped the exposed paper in and out. I stopped with renewed interest as I watched the image of my classmates appear before my eyes. Smiling to myself, I ran the freshly minted print through the rest of the chemistry. Into the circular washer went the print. I’d noticed that many of my prints were missing. Concerned, I rushed out into the brightness of the light side of the darkroom. My photography teacher, Mr. Swayne, had taken several of my prints out of the washer, stuck them to the wall, and was examining them.
“Ariel. Are these yours?”
I nodded.
You have done this before. I explained that I had a darkroom at my house, but it was no where near as nice as this one.
He smiled. “You are in Photo 1.”
Nod.
“Why?”
“I figured, that I could learn something different, something new.”
Mr. Swayne reached into the print washer, and pulled out my most recent print. He asked why I printed this one. I replied that I just liked the way my friend Mike was surrounded by two girls.
Mr. Swayne’s bushy mustache crinkled as he thought.
“The first girl, the one in the foreground is out of focus. Mike in the center is sharp and well exposed. The girl in the background is in the shadow and also slightly out of focus. This composition leads the eye to the guy in the center and stops the viewer there. This is a very good picture. Did you think of this when you shot this.”
Embarrassed, I nodded no. “I just thought it was going to be a good picture, so I shot it.”
“Well Mr. Shaw, it is a very good picture, and I want to use it in the High School Yearbook. In fact, I want you to shoot for the yearbook. What do you think? You get all the free black and white film you can shoot.”
“Uh well, what am I supposed to shoot?”
“Anything relating to your classmates. Shoot everything. Trust your instinct. Trust you eye.”
Proud, beaming, I nodded again. Thus began a lifetime and a lifestyle of photographing anything, everything. Camera raised to my aging face, poised to shoot, I still can see with better eyes.
Mr. Glen Swayne, my friend, my teacher, my mentor gave me the courage to create freely. Though, I haven’t spoken to him in years, I still miss him.
