Inside the Darkroom

Slosh. Slosh.Slosh. Under the waves of chemicals splashing over the paper, a photo appears.

What students learn in the wet darkroom is vital to digital photography, and professor Wilfredo Q. Castano expects them to know the basics of the process well.

“It’s giving birth to an idea you then print,” said Castano on working in the darkroom. “Once you print the image, it then has meaning.”

Castano, a De Anza instructor since 1989, teaches black and white photography in Photo 1 and Exploring Visual Expression in Photo 7.

Castano said that he inherited his passion for photography from his grandmother who was mystified by taking photos with her Kodak 1 camera.

Creative writing is another subject Castano is enthusiastic about,  but he said that his writing experience influences his photography in a subconscious way.

“Poetry and photography are two very different parts of me,”  said Castano.

Besides teaching at De Anza, Castano is currently working on a series of color photographs using an Epson printer.

“It’s like playing with fire,” Castano said about the process. “ When the prints come out, they will either be great or trash.”

Castano said that a basic photography course builds a foundation for the overall education.

“It’s important to be photographically literate understanding composition, light and meaning,” said Castano.

Students from De Anza College will be displaying their photographs from Photo 1, 2 and Experimental Photography classes at the exhibition “Imaginarium” at the Rayko photo center in San Francisco. It opens on Nov. 4.