About, Etc…
Someone once told me a very long time ago that my photographs reminded them of memories they didn’t know they had. That’s honestly what I’m after at the end of the day. Photographs make up the collective memory of our time, I’m searching for a small piece of that.
I was born on a Monday in Wyandotte, a small suburb of Detroit, and spent my entire childhood in Southeastern Michigan. My fascination with photography began quite young, my first camera was a Fisher-Price / Kodak 110 at seven years old. At thirteen, I borrowed my father’s Minolta X-700 and never gave it back. I still have it today.
I attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco during the industry-wide shift to digital capture, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus in Documentary Photography. I tried my hand at digital photography for some years, but eventually realized that I had no desire to ever think about custom white balance or camera firmware. I returned to film and the darkroom as my medium of choice.
Something about a printed image has always intrigued me as far back as I can remember. I am drawn to analog processes and the tactile nature they possess. There is a certain depth and permanence that has been lost in the digital world, and I am of the firm belief that a photograph is not finished until it has been printed.
I began teaching almost by accident around 2008, and to my surprise found it quite fulfilling. I’ve spent the last 15 years teaching photography and lighting at the Academy of Art, as well as hosting regular workshops and writing curriculum.
I continue to live in San Francisco today, working on various personal projects and the occasional freelance gig.
Please send all lucrative opportunities to:
email [at] josephszymanski [dot] com / or contact me directly here.
Self Portrait, San Francisco