Photographer's Statement

First, I state this as a photographer.  Not a master printer or fine art (I hate that description) photographer.  I am just a regular Joe, with a camera, a film camera, and darkroom chemicals, and an enlarger, and a darkroom with a red light.  Well, you get the picture.  I do not intend to put myself across as one of the greatest photographers in my own mind.  But it is my desire to strive everyday to better myself.  Below is my Artist's Statement and thoughts regarding my photography for the purpose of allowing you to get to know me better, photographically speaking, of course.



Photographer's Statement:

The premise of Christopher A Walrath Photography is more than just making photographs.  It is about both learning and teaching, about experiencing and sharing.   The technical part of photography is the craft.  The craft must be continually improved upon in order to gain such proficiency that there is little or no impediment to creativity.  This goes for both the camera as well as the darkroom.  The manipulations of the camera's controls should become second nature just as recognizing, readily, when changes are appropriate to be made.  In learning this, the photographer familiarizes him or herself with their process so thoroughly that it becomes second nature.  In the darkroom, becoming consistent in your processing of film and in the production of printed images allows the photographer to tap into the feeling that he or she is trying to convey to the viewer of the end goal of all aspects of photography, the fine, expressive print.

It is my personal aim and goal to present only my best possible photography and to share with others the breadth of the knowledge that I have gained and to share ideas for the mutual benefit of advancing and preserving photography, regardless of whether the capture is done by traditional or electronic means.  It is my hope that I will be able to help those who are diving into their own brand of photography.  And it is my hope to be able to learn all that I can from those who have taken the paths I choose before my time.

I will always encourage others to have the courage to follow their own paths.  No two photographers approach their subjects in the same manner.  Nor do they take the same route to arrive at the fine print.  However, there are many similarities in process and in the way that photographers think.  It is my hope to encourage and inspire others with whom I have interaction.  It is my storng desire to leave a good impression on those I meet and work with and to take only the best that they have to offer in return.  Only then will my photography be successful.


Personal thoughts:

I shoot film.  At first this choice was for the reason that I was given a camera which used film in an age when a 2.1 MP digital camera was well beyond my financial means and understanding.  Later it was for the reason that I could not afford my dream digital setup so I plodded along with my meager gear.  Now, I have been shooting with film for so long that I cannot imagine doing otherwise for more than a casual afternoon and then, very little serious work is done.  I do all of my serious work on film.

I shoot black and white.  I have found over the years that, though at times I am drawn to vivid hues in a subject, I have learned to see in a way the behooves black and white photography.  I always look for shapes and lines and forms in nature, small areas of contrast that draw ones attention.  I have been an admirer of, amongst many photographers, Ansel Adams' work.  A few years ago I perused his book that showed off his color prints.  The subject matter was very pleasing, but most of the prints were very similar to his black and white masterpieces.  Upon viewing this book, I realized just how much I had come to, not only appreciate, but truly prefer the black and white photograph.

I shoot primarily large format sheet film, though not exclusively.  I will always have a 35mm camera of some sort, probably in the form of a Minolta SLR or a Zeiss rangefinder.  I do enjoy the mobility of a smaller camera and employ one frequently.  However, my true love has become the larger formats for the sheer detail afforded throughout the subject.  I practice the Zone System religiously.  It was easy for me to learn and it fits my photographic process perfectly.  I could always shoot from the hip.  But the slow and deliberate use of the Zone System and a 4x5 view camera constitute a perfect day for me.

I process my own film and make my own prints via either enlarging or contact printing in a traditional wet process darkroom and use only silver gelatin papers.  I have fallen in love with the wet process.  The anticipation of seeing the negatives once the film has cleared in the tank.  Determining proper exposure on the baseboard, exposing the paper and watching the image darken in the developer as if by magic.  Well, there is most certainly a little bit of the dark arts involved.

I hope that through this resource I am able to inspire you in your creative journey.  Thank you for sharing this time with me.

-Chris

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