Darkroom Couture

For my senior capstone project, Dark Room Couture, I transformed ordinary darkroom equipment and materials into an artistic fusion of fashion and photography. Using a variety of models from different backgrounds and age groups, my goal was for each piece to convey a unique personality and experience, including athletics, sophistication, nostalgia, and folk/indie aesthetics.

I began my project by photographing and styling a darkroom spiral reel to mimic a hair tie. A spiral reel is used in the beginning stages of film development, as it holds photographic film in a secure, coiled position inside a developing tank. This ensures even exposure to chemicals while preventing the film from touching itself.

In another shoot, I created a piece that emphasized elegance and sophistication by transforming a contrast filter into a monocle. Contrast filters are crucial in darkroom photography and played an important role in the creation of each piece. Their purpose is to adjust the tonal range of black-and-white prints by using magenta (high contrast) and yellow (low contrast) filters to alter the light exposure on variable contrast paper.

Embedded and slightly camouflaged within the print of the brooch is a cutout from a contact sheet. Contact sheets are positive prints of an entire roll of film, created by placing negatives directly onto photo paper and exposing them to light. This process allows photographers to review, evaluate, and select the best frames for enlargement without making individual prints. The image I selected came from an old contact sheet from my freshman year, which my grandmother styled. Through this piece, I hoped to evoke feelings of sentimentality and nostalgia.

My final print featured a pair of glasses with negatives used as the lenses. Inspired by the outfits and ambience seen at music festivals such as Austin City Limits, I wanted this piece to reflect a more folk and indie energy. Darkroom negatives are developed, light-sensitive film strips (or sheets) used to produce physical prints or digital scans, containing inverted colors and tonal values.

-Isa A.