Jessie Swimeley Photography at Jax Joon
Jax Joon
5338 Ballard Ave NW
jaxjoon.com
Opening Reception June 11th 6pm - 9pm
Artist Bio:
Thirty-one years ago my father handed me a camera, I was six years old. I have taken more photographs than I can count, some of them amazing and some of them pretty terrible.
I grew up in the darkroom my dad built in our garage, the smell of stop bath and fixer always on my hands. I loved the chemistry. I loved the way I knew how to manipulate light. The transition to digital photography is not one I made gracefully. The art I loved was dying a slow death, to be replaced by crowds of people with an instant way to take picture; each one of them calling themselves a photographer. This sparked anger in me because, I felt like I was losing something dear to my heart.
Digital photography had one thing going for it. I could take all the photographs I wanted and skip the time consuming and boring process of developing the film. I could see my photographs instantly. I knew I had to switch and not look back. To this day countless rolls of undeveloped film lurk in the nooks and crannies of my father’s darkroom, endlessly waiting for someone to develop them.
I started my blog, 6005photos.blogspot.com, in 2013 as my way of completely embracing digital photography. I am posting at least five photographs and one self-portrait every day for 1001 days.
I currently live in Portland, Oregon, with my other half, Joel Delight; the world’s most awesome cat, Inky; three parakeets: Artemis, Opal, and Fish; and two betta fish, Mr. Pants and STARLORD.
