By Margaret Haynie

‘Seeing the silver lining’ is the expression used to describe finding the light even in the darkest circumstance. The film used for film photography contains silver particles, and while the process is hard work, it pays off with a beautiful piece of artwork. On the evening of March 15th, 2018, the intermediate film photography students at Florence University of the Arts displayed their work from the semester so far. The wide range of work was intriguing and showed off each student’s talent and uniqueness. The students Gregg Casazza, Jenna Johnson, Lara Kranny, and Lauren Reheuser all had their work included in the exhibit.

In Corridoio Fiorentino, two intriguing displays were set up: one showing the actual film used in film photography, and one showing the process of developing photos. The event was catered by students of the Apicius Culinary Arts School at FUA, who served a delicious Aperitivo and champagne. To begin the night, the Intermediate Film Photography professor, Marco Gualtieri, introduced his students and gave a little insight into the film photography process. He states that working with film photography is a way to “slow down from the digital world,” and is an art in which you embrace the accidents.

Jenna Johnson, a student from Michigan, exhibited her series named ‘Florence Unobserved’ and captured life in Florence while no one was watching. Jenna said she wanted to explore her appreciation of the less obvious beauty in Florence, and really focus on the unnoticed aspects of the city. She enjoys film photography because, “every picture, no matter what you take, turns into art.”

Lauren Reheuser, of Virgina, went in a different direction with her series which focused on working with double exposures. This is a process where you take multiple photographs, choose two that are somewhat similar, and place them on top of each other to then be developed. It is not until the piece is finished that you know what it will look like, and Lauren enjoys the element of surprise that this process entails. Lauren also said that she likes that the double exposure process requires patience and work, unlike the immediate results of digital photography.

This night of the Silver Lining opening was special— guests got to witness the rekindling of the lost art of film photography, and see the unique passion each student has. The event staff, artists, and guests were incredibly friendly, and it made for a very enjoyable evening.

Future editions of this course can be consulted at the FUA academic schedule.