DC Film Collective opens exhibition at the Tiny Vinyl Shop
A quest to capture lightning, manipulating crystals with light, gearheads, 3D printed mods...
A quest to capture lightning, manipulating crystals with light, gearheads, 3D printed mods – this isn’t science fiction, it’s film photography. The DC Film Collective (DCFC) opened a month-long pop-up exhibition at The Tiny Vinyl Shop on November 21st. On opening night, the packed vinyl store buzzed as lights flashed from film aficionados snapping photos of the night.
DCFC is a “film photography community dedicated to uniting diverse and imaginative individuals” whose “mission is to champion local artists and strengthen the bonds within the DMV community.”
Initially, Brett Parsons, co-founder, started a Facebook group for DMV film photographers but got little traction as Facebook usage declined and the beginning of the Pandemic ramped up. Despite the delay, the group still formed a few years later. He reached out to an acquaintance at that time, Michele Schofield, to schedule a meetup; she reached out to friend Joséphine Manet to join, and there, the Collective finally began. They met at the National Portrait Gallery, cameras in tow. That was the Fall of 2022.
“To be honest, it seemed like such a big leap at the time, but now, looking back, it seems so obvious, I suppose,” said Parsons.
Since then, the group has only grown. The collective schedules in-person meet-ups, happy hours, and group planning sessions. They also feature photographers on their Instagram and operate a Discord channel to welcome newcomers, problem-solve, and share their work. This combination of online and IRL support has been pivotal for the group.
I caught up with Parsons at the opening. The shop was packed to the door, loud with music and excited conversation. We chatted outside.
“It's amazing to see how many people came out to support the photographers, which really is an underrated part of the artistic community here, where people are supporting their friends,” he said.
He explained that they are trying to engage in what he called “neighborhood arts” where neighbors create and support one another. They’ve had pop-up shows in the past, but this is the first month-long show.
“There are good people in this community, and there are people who needed an avenue to express what they've been working on.”
Parsons continued, “There's just a lot of talent and passion in the community, and this is just a way to funnel some of that and organize it. And I think that has really meant a lot to a lot of people and has enhanced the meaning and passion that these people have as well.”
One of the exhibiting artists, Caleb Hamilton, is showing his work titled AC =/= DC. The photograph captured an active Tesla coil at the Griffith Observatory using a medium format camera. He used 13 of 15 frames; this was the best one.
In the foreground of the photo is an out-of-focus black grid, creating a geometric haze. It’s the cage surrounding the coil. In the background is the yellow arched wall of the observatory that frames the top copper ball of the coil. From it, electricity erupts. In focus on the right of the coil is a white and purple bolt, splitting in two. On the other side of the coil is another mirrored strike, out of focus in the background, its purple hue contrasting the yellow wall.
“One of my goals in film photography has been to capture natural lightning,” said Hamilton. “Thunderstorms used to scare the shit out of me as a child, and as I've gotten older, I've just become enamored with them. So I said, ‘Well, let me try getting lightning in a controlled environment.’”
He was in Los Angeles and had seen the Tesla coil before, so he knew he could go there and try to get this photo.
“I didn't know that it would come out. It was just luck that I got that.
Joséphine Manet, co-founder of the collective, carried a Polaroid camera and snapped quick portraits of attendees. She said this exhibition was great because it easily allowed attendees to support small businesses and local artists.
“The Venn diagram of vinyl heads and film enthusiasts is almost a circle.”
Like vinyl, film photography has a nostalgic quality, even perhaps an element of romance. This doesn’t only come from the grain, light, and aura captured in a photograph but also the tangible, physical process. Manet explains the dedicated attention it takes to make a film photograph, which contrasts the rapid-fire pics taken on a cell phone.
“You really are involved in the making process, in creating that image,” she said. “I think that's really the key.”
In the shop, the collection of photographs is wide-ranging, some are in color, and some in black and white. They capture familiar monuments, cinematic landscapes, and people in quiet moments. From a psychic on a smoke break to blurred figures on empty streets, they all have the impossible quality of a fleeting moment caught and captured. Manet calls it the dreamy quality of film photography, channeling the feeling of “reliving a memory.”
But as Manet pointed out, these kinds of images are made through a body and mind process that requires concentration, practice, and attention. Listening to Hamilton describe his process to capture lightning and the Tesla Coil, it’s clear this pursuit requires skill and, he said, risk.
Similarly, Manet said with time comes intuitive knowledge built, in part, on failed blank film. Eventually, a camera can become an extension of the self and culminating experiences. For casual and professional photographers alike, there is a continual balance between the anxiety of failure and the potential for success. The Collective offers a community to share both.
Manet spoke about finding that community and how the internet, a common starting place, can be double-edged: on one side are almost unlimited resources, and on the other cruel, anonymous comments. But with the collective, which must take place IRL as much as it does online, that edge dissipates.
The door of the Tiny Vinyl Shop swung open and closed as more people piled in and more filed out for fresh air. Music reverberated through the chill of the night.
Manet said, “It's just nice to actually get to know people and do it as a community, because we can feel really solitary. So just knowing that we're out there.”
She said the group is diverse across all possible intersections of both identity and interest in the craft, making room for traditional and experimental artists.
“There's lasting friendships that we made. It's a really nice collaborative group,” said Manet.
Parsons echoed this sentiment, pointing out that casual beginners and long-time experts all have a place in the Collective.
“I think even if you're not a film photographer, if you're looking to meet other creative people, you're looking to meet people who are passionate about art in general, this is a great way to kind of come out and meet,” said Parsons.
That means a quest as bold as capturing lightning, a mythic hero’s journey, can actually be a method of finding people who understand the mission and may even help along the way.
While inside the vinyl store, Hamilton chatted with attendees at the opening, answering questions or talking shop.
“Even though photography is a very individual art, to meet a group of like-minded individuals and to meet other artists, is really special.”
Connect with DCFC on Instagram. The exhibition closes Dec. 21st.
