Wrapping Up Our 52-Week Challenge
with Lisa Edney
Ed Wojciechowski is our second featured Gather Academy Artist from our 52-Week Challenge.
Where are you from?
I live in Bloomingdale, NJ, a small town in northern New Jersey. My town has a sizable state forest in it and several lakes, so I spend a lot of time shooting outdoor nature photographs.
How long have you been taking photos?
I started taking photos back in Grammar school in the 1960’s with a Kodak Instamatic camera. After I graduated from college and could afford a “real” camera, I bought a Minolta XG-7 SLR and shot mainly Kodachrome 64 slide film. Shortly after digital cameras came on the scene, I bought a Nikon D40 DSLR that I loved. Now, I’m a Fuji guy and just love my XT-2. I still shoot film and this past year bought a Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) medium format film camera that shoots 6 cm x 6 cm negatives! I also shoot Polaroids, so I’m pretty much a mixed format photographer, film. instant and digital.
How did you find Gather Academy?
I think I saw it advertised on Instagram, but I really don’t remember
What was your favorite part of the 2022 week community photo challenge?
My favorite part was seeing what everyone created and posted for the challenges. It really inspired me to go out and shoot more and explore new avenues of photography.
What goals did you set any goals for 2022?
I have a long list of goals that I started last January. I’ve achieved a lot of them, but still have many to go.
Did you achieve them? How did the group help?
My favorite accomplishment was exploring medium format film photography as it was something I always wanted to do. I love the results that I’ve been able to produce in Medium format. It’s a challenge taking these photos because the camera is 100% manual and has no exposure metering, so I have to manually set the exposure for each and every shot with the help of an exposure meter app on my phone. It’s a very slow process taking these photos, but it has allowed me to slow down and pay more attention to what I am photographing. The group was very encouraging and supportive of my experiments in medium format and inspired me to go out and shoot more film. I also really enjoyed the Film Swap with Ann Keyser. It was a ball and we got some great results!
What is your favorite part of joining the group?
I love the energy, excitement, and dedication of the group. Everyone has been very supportive in my journey this year.
Instagram account @ed.wojo.ofs
