ABOUT THIS DOMAIN
Welcome to Makeshiftdarkroom.com, the photographic domain of Ron Medeiros. Photography has always been one of my passions, here is where that passion is collectively assembled. This ad free website showcases my finest photographic works and represents the sphere of all that is "Photographically" Ron Medeiros. If you can tear your attention away from social media long enough to enjoy a good photo blog, my long running Featured Photograph page is updated daily.
It is my firm belief that creative photography, in its truest sense, should include the use of the available controls within the entire system of photography. These controls include, not only the camera, but the all important refinement of post-production. It is through the use of these controls, in their entirety, that the creative photographer critically executes the fine finished image. Using this approach, the photographer's unique personal vision is entirely involved in the art of "making" a photograph, from start to finish. Each photograph in my gallery has been painstakingly refined to represent my highest standard of image quality.
ABOUT THE NAME
FINE PRINTS OUT OF MAKESHIFT MEANS
The name Makeshift Darkroom points back to my earlier formative years of practicing photography in the darkroom. The memory of those days gives me a wonderful sense of nostalgia which fans the flame of passion I have for photography today. It was those early adventures with films, papers, and chemistry that was the spark that ignited that passion.
No better word than "makeshift" could be used to describe every home darkroom I have ever had, With only the bare essentials I would mix chemistry and undertake printing sessions that would last late into the evenings. This is where I honed my skills and learned the art of fine print making. Old-school printmakers who have spent years with their hands in the developer are a vanishing bread in our rapidly changing digital age.
I chose the darkroom theme as it best reflects my "creative control" approach to photography. The darkroom is where creative control lives; it is where photographs are made. The darkroom has always been my favorite part of photography, making up most of the creative process. I have spent thousands of hours working under the safe light, both as an amateur and a professional. Custom printing my own photographs, to me, has always been quintessential to the photographic process and to achieving the "fine print." Master photographer Ansel Adams once wrote, "Perhaps the most important characteristic of my work is what may be called print quality."
For many years now, digital photography has been my medium and I have applied this same approach to digital post-production work. The hard-earned skill of print making, that defines my work today, has come out of the countless hours spent rocking trays in the makeshift darkroom. I have fond memories of all the late nights in the amber light watching the images emerge in the developer. The name "Makeshift Darkroom," therefore, serves as a suitable title to encompass all that is "photographically" Ron Medeiros.
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
I became interested in photography at the early age of twelve when I saw a clip art advertizement in a department store flyer for a Minolta SRT mc II 35mm camera (which I soon acquired). This led to adventures in the home darkroom and a determined love for photography as an art form. After high school I studied at Rhode Island School of Photography and went on to do my share of freelance work. I prefer not to use the term "professional photographer" – all that really means is that someone earns a living with their camera. Instead, I like to refer to myself as a true "amateur" photographer. The word amateur is from the Latin verb, "to love" (amo, amas, amat) and it's original meaning has to do with motivation and not quality. "Amateur" does not mean, inferior to professional. An "amateur" is a person who does a thing simply for the love of it – and it is desire that best fuels excellence. As an amateur photographer I am free to make the pictures I want to make and produce a body of work that defines who I am as a photographer. The definition of a photographer may be as simple as, "one who makes photographs." This is how I think of myself.
While browsing a bookstore in 1982 I discovered a book entitled, "The Portfolios of Ansel Adams." I remember being stunned by the quality of the photographs and immediately became aware of just how bad my photographs were. At the same time I was instantly inspired to raise the bar with regards to composition and print quality. Many photographers have been inspired and influenced by earlier photographers, and for me it was Ansel Adams. His photographic style really struck a chord with me and helped define my direction in photography. Over the years I have developed my own style, but much of my work today still reflects this early influence.
With a resume of photographic experience spanning more than four decades, I am a throwback from an earlier era of photography. I have learned from masters of photography and was schooled in the days of photography's golden era when Kodak was King, and when film, paper, and chemistry were the sole medium of creativity. Melding this background with the latest advances of the era of digital photography makes my work unique among this present generation of photographers.
My subject matter is somewhat diverse, including human documentary work, but I am best described as a scenic and natural landscape photographer. I have always been, an avid outdoorsman and free-spirited enthusiast with a love for making photographs. In terms of credentials, my work speaks for itself, because all that matters to me, with regards to my photography, are the pictures themselves.
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