There are 2 types of black in photographs. The pigment, such as tires, black cars, burned wood, etc. Then there is the black that is caused by there being no light. It was the second type of black this photography workshop explored.
Instructor Dick Garvey explained to the students how to use absence of light to give depth, texture, form. How to cause wonder. Why this "negative space" can be a positive in our endless quest to mess with people's minds.
Karla Locke,That Photo Shoppe of Anacortes, and instructor, Photographer, Dick Garvey chose to hold the workshop at the Northern State Hospital in Sedro Woolley. This location was chosen for it's history, run down buildings, and reputation among other photographers. What was unexpected was the 'intensity' of the location and how it would affect the participants.
Imaginations ran wild as everyone walked the grounds. The eeriness of the history and what might have happened there years ago added to the photographs captured. The photographs portrayed a mix of emotion and history. Some photographs revealed the loneliness, the desolation, and the despair. Yet some found beauty amongst all of it.
Most participants found this workshop very challenging. Not only in the subject matter, but in the location. Emotions can usually play a large part of photography. As a workshop coordinator, this was the first workshop where the 'location' created such an intense feeling amongst everyone. I originally thought it would be an interesting place to photograph but did not expect it to impact everyone like it did. The element of the 'feelings' of the location became a vital part of the workshop and showed up in everyone's work.
