Photomanipulation nominee

This photograph is part of my ongoing exploration of analog photography through experiments with contrast, chiaroscuro, and abstraction. My practice deliberately moves away from the iconic image or polished realism, seeking instead a more enigmatic and dreamlike space.

For this work, I used Ilford Pan 400 ISO film, intentionally “pushed” to 1600 ISO. This technique heightens both grain and contrast, creating an atmosphere where the image seems to drift away from reality. I am fascinated by how these technical choices allow chance, imperfection, and distortion to shape the final outcome. Blur, for me, is not a flaw but a conscious gesture — a way of resisting the smoothness and perfection of digital images that dominate our visual culture today.

The print I present was hand-crafted in my own darkroom. I value the solitude of this process, which feels like a meditative dialogue with time and material. The silver gelatin print carries a tactile presence and uniqueness that no reproduction can replicate.

Although taken in daylight, the play of backlight and contrast gives the illusion of night. This ambiguity between seen and imagined, clarity and obscurity, lies at the core of my work. The photograph is less a record of reality

I am an emerging artist working primarily with analog photography. My background, however, is not rooted in the arts but in psychology. I work as a clinical psychologist, and for several years I have been offering workshops in film photography, printing, and darkroom development to my patients in psychiatry. Through these sessions, I witnessed how the slow, tactile, and uncertain process of analog photography could foster attention, imagination, and self-expression. This experience deeply influenced the way I approach my own artistic practice.

My personal work in photography is driven by a fascination with abstraction, chiaroscuro, and the potential of imperfection. I experiment with contrast, grain, and film processing techniques such as push development, embracing the role of chance, error, and unpredictability in shaping the final image. I seek to move away from the smooth and perfected surface of digital images, and instead to create photographs that resonate with ambiguity and depth.

Currently, I am preparing my first exhibition, which focuses on the forest as both subject and metaphor. These works reflect a meditative process — wandering, observing, and later printing — where the forest becomes a space of encounter between the outer world and inner landscapes.