Lera Nakshun 10/13/22 Lera Nakshun 10/13/22

Adventures in Black and White Photography

Before the pandemic, I was doing really great with my mirrorless panasonic camera when I spent time in Vietnam. However after returning to the US, the prospect of editing all of the thousands of gorgeous photos I took became so daunting that I dropped photography altogether.

I was also probably uninspired and overwhelmed with life. That was a time of big adjustments and when the pandemic hit, the depression and uncertainty that came with it just put digital photography into its place in the back of my mind. There’s also an element of responsibility I need to take because time management is something I struggle with especially when its coupled with mental health issues. Digital photography is still something I haven’t fully gotten back into, but of course I’d like to.

Over a year ago, I bought myself a Pentax K1000 film camera to get myself back into photography. My thought process was that film photography has the potential to take the frustration out of editing, would force me to take a select amount of photos, would help me improve my photography skills overall, and has a quality to it that is so nostalgic and beautiful.

I was lucky that one of my closest friends, filmmaker Samantha Mitchell, had already dabbled in the medium and offered a helping hand in helping me operate the camera.

A year later and I signed up for a darkroom photography course at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). The course is barely a month long, but it teaches foundational skills in black-and-white film photography and how to process and develop film manually.

On the side, I also started experimenting with color film as well and I found it was a lot more challenging to get good images with the color film over black and white.

I love the feel of having a camera in my hands. The world is so much brighter and interesting when you’re noticing details that others may overlook. Life moves just a little bit closer, and you learn to appreciate the moments and stay present. The simple nature of film photography also helps me continue to develop my photography skills without the daunting task of editing.

I still want to get better at editing, and I haven’t stopped paying Adobe a monthly fee to have access to their software. It’s something I know I need to do, but until I find the confidence and time to get back into the digital photography world - my Pentax K100 will make do in the meantime.

The photos in this post were taken at the Cylburn Arboretum in Baltimore, Maryland. The photos above were taken by me, Valeriya “Lera” Nakshun, of Samantha Mitchell. The photos below were taken of yours truly by Samantha Mitchell.

Lera Nakshun 10/12/22 Lera Nakshun 10/12/22

Reflections on Connecting with Nature Through Jewelry

In August of this year, I attended a workshop at the Baltimore Jewelry Center. It was called Connecting with Nature through Jewelry and was taught by artist-sister duo Luci and Emily Jockel, a metalsmith and a ceramicist respectively.

In August of this year, I attended a workshop at the Baltimore Jewelry Center. It was called Connecting with Nature through Jewelry and was taught by artist-sister duo Luci and Emily Jockel, a metalsmith and a ceramicist respectively.

*Concept sketches with partially-finished pieces*

The workshop was rather inexpensive and I almost decided not to go. I had recently recovered from Covid and prior to that, I traveled to Israel to attend a funeral for my father-in-law. It was and still is an incredibly difficult time for my husband and myself, and we had been through a lot in the last several years when we moved from Israel to the US.

All that aside, I’m grateful for the fiery spirit inside me that told me “Just go. Who cares if you’re late? You may experience something profound.” So I did.

I’m not sure what I’m looking for in terms of my metalsmithing journey - I am still very much a beginner, but with each class and workshop, I find that things are starting to make more sense. I’ve found that I can build upon my skillset using the knowledge that I have under my belt coupled with curiosity and problem-solving skills.

I don’t know what it was about that particular workshop - maybe it just happened at the right time in my life. I almost felt like I could just let go and let creation happen intuitively without overthinking.

A clay and brass pendant that came out of the workshop.

What I loved was the dual nature of the course with the sisters and their respective disciplines. I was always a generalist and found that multi-dimensional artwork resonates with me and my particular taste. I loved the idea of creating a single work that integrates elements that seem unrelated.

Emily taught us how to use air-dry clay and Luci taught simple tab setting. They also brought in beautiful organic materials from walnut shells, to acorns, to muskrat bones, leaves, flowers, and even butterfly wings (still have to figure out how to use those).

*Hammered copper tab set mouse skull pendant*

*Before image of tab set fine silver piece. See below for finished piece.*

While each technique was simple and beginner level, I was able to integrate them into the knowledge I had already built up from the previous courses in metalsmithing.

In short, I really love the results and am discovering new ways to put various materials together. I don’t know if I’ll always use organic and fragile natural materials in my work, but I’m still creating pieces inspired by that workshop and I wonder where that will lead in the future.

I’ve already thought about incorporating my works on paper, painting wood and tab setting it, maybe learning to use resin and preserving the butterfly wings.

I’m not sure if all of these ideas will come to fruition but if not, these ideas will spark other ideas that just might!