Meghan Duda - Double Negative

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There is this moment in the darkroom, when you first drop an exposed sheet of paper into the developer, the timer spins and you wait. Suddenly, a faint image appears where there was once only white. The timer continues and the image darkens. This moment can only be explained as magic. At least, it feels like magic. Always has and always will.

I have wondered lately what it is exactly I am searching for with my photography. It is a noble profession - one that exposes truths and injustice, emphasizes beauty while illuminating the ugliness of the world, weaves stories of fiction, and paints a picture of everyday life. Sometimes I am completely uninterested with all of that. In these times I am on a quest for magic. Searching for the unexpected. It is one thing to photograph with intent. It is a thrilling adventure to photograph for the wonder of what you will find.

This quest always brings me back to my camera... What can my tool achieve? How far can I push the photographic mechanisms to reveal the magic in photography? The making of the images in Double Negative excites me. They are the results of playful experimentation that began as a challenge given to my students, which I couldn’t help but explore myself. I knew little of what my results would be. The magic expressed itself as I removed each sheet of film from the developing tank and held it in front of the light. And funny enough, as soon as I was able to predict the outcome I knew that the end had come. Time for the next adventure.