ARTS
New lab continues WCC photography tradition
by Adele Balderston

In an age of snapshots via cell phones and Kodak digital, what will become of black and white photography?

Traditional silver gelatin processing is alive and well here at Windward, under the instruction of photography professor Mark Hamasaki.

“As a visual arts teacher, I want to teach my students to see the world through new eyes,” said Hamasaki. “We in the art department have decided that the best way to do this is to stay as traditional as possible.”

These methods can be difficult to teach without the proper facilities, but with the opening of a new, state-of-the-art photo lab this semester, Hamasaki hopes students will leave his classes with a different perspective of the world.

Hamasaki designed the lab in 1984 and spent the last 15 years waiting, along with many faculty members and students, for the funding of a new building.

“After Palanakila was built, I spent another couple of years ordering and setting up equipment,” said Hamasaki. “During that time, classes were still held in the old lab.”

The new lab contains two brand new 9-foot sinks, 20 enlargers (including a handicap-accessible enlarger), new negative dryers, print dryers and presses, display boards, a state-of-the-art sound and visual projection system and lots of space.

“There’s much more room,” said Art 207 student Tanya George. “No more bumping into each other in the darkroom!”

WCC students are also taking advantage of the increased capacity of the photography program. “Now that we have enough space for more students, enrollment has almost doubled,” said Hamasaki.

Students are even coming from other campuses to take photography at Windward, such as Lance Arinaga who is also enrolled at KCC.

“They only offer 107 at KCC,” said Arinaga, “and this is the only other lab in the community college system.”
While photography students are excited about the new lab in Pälanakila, many say they miss the “homey” feel of ‘Iolani 103.

Luckily for them, ‘Iolani 103 has now been converted into a community lab, supervised by instructor Kapulani Landgraf, where for a small fee, anyone can process and print black and white photos.

“We get a lab, and the community gets a lab. Everybody wins,” said Hamasaki.

As the world enters an age of digital technology, there are some who might question the need for a multi-million dollar wet lab, even if it rivals the lab at UH in terms of space and quality of equipment.

Digital may be the future, but Hamasaki knows traditional silver gelatin prints will be around for decades to come.

“The difference between digital and silver processing is what we call the ‘lag time’—that is, the time from when you take the picture, to when you develop the film, to when you make the print,” he explained.

“With digital, there is no lag time, thus, there is less planning, less thought, less skill and less understanding of the photographic process involved. This is why digital and film will continue working together, and why we need this lab.”

For information about fall photography classes, contact admissions at 235-7432. For details about the community lab in ‘Iolani building, contact Kapulani Landgraf at 236-9143.