Stephen Gilson Jr.
Calendar Editor
The Ground Floor Gallery in Miller Hall is currently showcasing the exhibit “Elemental Opposites,” featuring simple-yet-engaging black-and-white photos taken in various settings.
The photos, taken at Yosemite National Park and the surrounding area, are by junior photography major Christopher Rogers, who used an old-fashioned wooden pinhole camera for all the photos in the show.
He also made another pinhole camera, which he fashioned from a scuba tank and other materials, but that camera was not used for this exhibit.
“Color is a modern technological advancement of photography,” Rogers said. “Photos were originally taken in black and white, so I wanted to stick with the basics of photography, (hence) a pinhole camera.”
One photo in the show features bundles of wood smoldering with flames – in the middle of the woods; a tree stands alone in the middle of the flames, and finds itself shrouded in a hazy cloud of smoke. Another photo shows a small waterfall surrounded by trees and rocks.
Although the pinhole camera is low-tech, this camera is able to create a visually satisfying effect of smoothing out the motion of the water, evoking a silky-smooth aesthetic.
“It was a lot of trial and error, but I built the pinhole camera with a scuba tank and some photo paper,” Rogers said. “I fell in love with the look of it; it is super-soft focused.
“The exposures ranged widely, the shortest being two seconds. But the longest exposure time for a photograph for this exhibit was about 12 minutes,” Rogers added.
He also explained the processing effort involved.
“These types of photos have to be developed in a darkroom,” Rogers said. “There were some days where I would spend almost five hours in a pitch-dark room just developing the prints.”
The focus on both water and fire create the combination that inspires the name of the exhibit, “Elemental Opposites.”
The relationship between the two elements is designed to cause viewers to reflect on what they find important.
“It also makes me think about the deforestation happening in the world and how nature is dying out because of human civilization,” said Liberty Garcia, sophomore photography major.
Other viewers shared their impressions.
“I see a very serene environment when I look at the water in the pictures,” said Audrie Pagano, sophomore sociology major. “Although water can move in different ways and can be extremely powerful, I find these pictures to be very peaceful and calming.”
Rogers had help putting the show together.
“All of this starts quite simply with an idea,” Fred Brashear Jr., adjunct professor of photography. “At the end, what we hope to do is to display all of the prime shots that the photographer has created in their body of work.”
Rogers is looking forward to more ambitious projects in the future.
“I would like to see my work end up in a professional gallery some day,” Rogers said.
The “Elemental Opposites” exhibit will run in the Ground Floor Gallery through March 18.
Stephen Gilson Jr. can be contacted at stephen.gilson@laverne.edu
Stephen Gilson Jr. is a senior journalism major with a concentration in broadcast journalism. He is the arts editor for the Campus Times, a staff writer for La Verne Magazine and a staff photographer for both publications. He has previously been a staff writer, assistant editor and LV Life Editor for the Campus Times.
Chris Rodriguez is a senior photography major and photo editor of the Campus Times.
