The Camera Eye

I am the daughter of a photographer.

My father has been taking black and white photographs for almost four decades. It is a rare moment when he does not have a camera. In many ways the camera has not only become an extension of his eye, but his being. It is a fundamental part of who he is.

I grew up around film and the darkroom. My father built a darkroom in the basement. When I was a little kid I used to sit on a stool and watch the timer for the developing trays. It seemed like magic to watch the print emerge in the murky depths of the darkroom, lit only by the amber glow of safety lights.

My father would emerge after hours in the darkroom with a dripping wet print in his hands to show my mother and I. We were both critic and audience (and his most avid fans).

My father still works with film and enlargers and chemicals and paper. He is a traditional photographer and a purist. His camera of choice is a Leica, a quiet and beautifully designed German rangefinder. He is also a left-eyed photographer. A rarity. I like the way he sees the world, one shutter click at a time.

Camera Studies
(Leica M6, Nikon F2, Kodak Brownie, Bessa-R, and Twin Lens Reflex)
sketchbook
pen and ink, various sizes

copyright Kate Castelli 2008