Gretchen Ann Graham

I seek to communicate the essence of Place in my work; and to communicate our need for each other. I began photographing at the age of 16, and after pouring over a Christmas gift, Ken Heyman's "All the World's Family," in 1983, I knew my camera would never be far from me! I work primarily in 35mm format, using silver-based film, and making my prints in a wet darkroom. Since 2011 I've included my cell phone—currently a Galaxy S4—as part of my tools. Beginning with the writing and photography programs at Wesleyan University's Center for Creative Youth in high school, I continued to take formal classes in photography and darkroom technique throughout college. Upon graduating from New England College (NH) I moved to Washington DC, where I assisted a studio photographer for three years, gaining experience in studio and darkroom management, and lighting technique. I have been an active and exhibiting photographer/member of Washington Street art collaborative since 2008, making my art almost exclusively in the darkroom. As a member of The Art Connection Boston, I currently have photographs placed at TILL (Toward Independent Living & Learning) in Watertown, MA, Roxbury Community College, Bridgewater State University, and the Eliot Community Human Services in Malden. I exhibited in TEDxSomerville 2012, and am currently Coordinator of the Somerville Open Studios Volunteer Exhibit.
Ken Heyman, Eugene Atget, James Nachtwey, and Mary Ellen Mark are my photographic mentors.