Photos not taken with a digital camera at the Cultural Center
The Dartmouth Cultural Center took an alternative approach to their monthly show, featuring photography prints created by members of the Central Village Alternative Photography Society.
The Society, based in Westport, explores ways photos can be taken without using a digital camera. The show features 14 artists, with a total of 43 photos on display.
Some photos were created with cyanotape, which is a chemical that lightens when exposed to UV rays. By placing a piece of film [location where being put], the covered chemicals darken while the uncovered chemicals lighten to form a picture.
“It’s a very gratifying thing because it’s so fast, it’s so quick,” said Gallery Director Jill Law, who has cyanotype photos in the show.
The colors can be affected by adding other chemicals and elements such as salt, to create a brown color rather than a blue color.
Another model is using a pinpoint camera, which is done by placing film in a box with a small pinpoint hole in it. The light imprints on the film, creating a negative.
Oftentimes, the artists take film or photos and load them into Photoshop to enlarge the photos and turn the film from a negative to a typical photo.
Others used disposable cameras, which don’t have features such as focus or control over how much light is in the photo.
There are cyanotype photos by Mark St. Pierre in the show, who taught at UMass Dartmouth from 1988 to 2017.
“In the community of photographers, he’s well known,” said Law.
The show will be on show at the Cultural Center until April 25. The Cultural Center is located at 404 Elm Street.











