Polk State’s “darkroom renaissance” brings college students again to the fundamentals

The Black and White Photography class at Polk State College is way over its identify suggests. This foundational movie course is a gateway to mastering the artwork and science of pictures, providing college students hands-on expertise with 35-mm cameras, movie processing and darkroom strategies which might be distinctive in Polk County.

Under the steering of Professor Sarah Brewington, college students like Candace Knoebel, Michael Comings and Ean Pennypacker are discovering the timeless craft of movie pictures, and its affect on their artistic journeys and profession pursuits.

“I would recommend the film class because it is such a great learning opportunity as to how we got to our media today,” stated Comings, a pupil and lab assistant within the Digital Media Technology Program. “There are a lot of parallels between the problem-solving that there was 20, 30, 50 years ago, and the tools that we use today.”

A profound historical past

Brewington shared the significance and relevancy of movie pictures in an more and more digital world, citing a “darkroom renaissance” pushed by a want for the aware course of and distinctive aesthetic of analog pictures. The course bridges the previous and the current, drawing parallels between the problem-solving of early pictures and trendy practices.

“Photography is one of those magical things we have all become incredibly good at,” she wrote. “All the continually changing technology is in place to help us take wonderful, if not incredible, photos. However, photography’s profound history includes a groundbreaking industry shift from film to digital that is rarely considered, remembered or was even experienced.”

This historic perspective deepens college students’ appreciation for the medium and enhances their work, each analog and digital.

“The full integration of digital photography into today’s world means that many students here at Polk State have never experienced a world without instant image capture – some have never known photography without smartphones,” she defined. “While this photographic evolution has opened an entire world to us in the palms of our hands, it has also distanced those same hands from the tactile experience of making a photograph rather than simply taking one.”

The course’s emphasis on foundational strategies empowers newbies and seasoned creatives alike to refine their craft and demanding pondering expertise.

“[Film photography] is a really good challenge to stop and think about what I’m taking a picture of. You really have to think about the composition, and it has been a really inspiring challenge to my creativity to see what I can do,” Knoebel stated. “The skill that I’m gaining from this course is confidence in myself. It’s building me up with trusting myself and my instincts.”

Peers echoed this increase in creativity and confidence.

“There are different ways of thinking about film and digital. What attracted me to the medium was getting in touch with the old process of taking pictures and expanding my knowledge. Nowhere else would teach me how to develop film, so I was really excited to see that here at Polk State,” Pennypacker stated. “The beauty of film is that we are rolling with the imperfections and figuring out how to improve.”

Comings elaborated that the meticulous course of teaches college students to be intentional with each shot – a talent that interprets seamlessly into digital pictures and different artistic processes.

“I can really spend a lot of time trying to figure out how the lights and the shadows of my environment will impact my final prints,” he stated. “That’s hands-down making me a better photographer.”

Investing within the arts and college students

The coronary heart of the course lies within the College’s state-of-the-art darkroom, an area that Professor Brewington describes as “magic” and a “rare gem” in Central Florida. It was integral to protect the power throughout Polk State’s $16.2 million renovation of its Winter Haven Fine Arts (WFA) Building.

“It feels like an investment in the students,” Knoebel expressed. “It elevates what we are able to do and gives us hands-on experience with equipment used in the industry. It better prepares us going forward into the workforce.”

Reopened for the primary time since 2019, the Black and White Photography course was the primary of the pictures choices to achieve capability, proving a preferred alternative for college students.

“Film photography offers students across all disciplines, whether pursuing nursing, business, engineering, or the arts, a chance to slow down and engage with a truly foundational art form that translates beautifully to any field of study,” Brewington stated.

At the start of the course, college students begin with photograms by inserting objects immediately onto light-sensitive paper, exposing it to mild and chemically growing and fixing the paper within the darkroom.

“When the image starts to appear, the reaction that these students have will never leave me,” Brewington exclaimed.

Knoebel described the second she developed her first roll of movie – images of her daughter.

“It was a rush,” Knoebel recalled. “Everybody started cheering. The entire class is filled with so much kindness and encouragement.”

Honoring a predecessor

The late Professor of Photography David Woods advocated for the preservation of movie training and was integral within the design of the photograph studio and darkroom through the WFA renovation. Brewington served as an adjunct college member educating pictures in 2012-2013 when Woods was on the helm of this system.

“Despite film serving as the foundation of his photographic practice, [Woods] had fluctuating student enrollment in his courses whenever society declared film photography ‘obsolete,’” Brewington stated. “By 2009, declining interest had left our darkroom exactly that – an empty and dark room, void of student life and creativity.”

Woods told The Ledger in 2015, in response as to if he would educate movie once more, that the pendulum would swing again.

“Today, I have the privilege of helping our students experience film photography’s resurgence rather than its decline – a vindication of his patience and foresight,” Brewington exclaimed.

Now with a state-of-the-art facility retrofitted with top-tier instruments and an professional teacher devoted to persevering with her predecessor’s legacy, there’s an unparalleled alternative for Polk State college students to have interaction with pictures.

Those enrolled have referred to as the movie course, particularly, an expertise that they might not discover wherever else.

“The access that we have to great instruction and great equipment here at Polk State is amazing. You really don’t even get that at expensive colleges, and here at Polk State, it is very affordable, but you are still receiving a high-quality education,” Pennypacker stated. “I searched for this opportunity and couldn’t really find it anywhere else. I was excited to find it right here at Polk State.”

Students who’re enthusiastic about a pictures class can e mail [email protected].