Thomas Way: Oak City Street Photography

May 15 – July 28, 2024

Opening Reception: Monday, May 20, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

The viewer of this exhibition will be presented with a collection of candid moments and portraits of the people who make up the urban fabric of downtown Raleigh. Through the camera’s viewfinder, photographer Thomas Way is conveying a theme of intrigue in ordinary life and storytelling to allow the viewer to connect with the images. One of the goals of this exhibition is to present the true reality of the photographer’s experiences during the endeavor of this long term project. The images presented were produced using a film photography workflow from capturing light to developing the image.

Artist Statement:

I am photographer who enjoys sharing his experiences through his photographs and capturing reality as it is presented. I enjoy documenting my surroundings through the fundamentals of storytelling and striving to achieve the decisive moment when the situation shows itself. One of my main goals as a photographer is to become close with my subject matter, whether that be through conversation or in-depth research. By taking this extra step, I feel it allows me to produce not only stronger images that connect with the viewer, but to incite an extra layer of emotion to share my personal experience. I choose to use photographic film as my medium due to its unaltered nature of the entire process from start to finish. As the photographer, I have complete control of how I go about my film photography workflow, including but not limited to my choice of film, chemicals, or enlarger paper. Furthermore, I can make creative decisions within the viewfinder or while making prints in the darkroom to produce my own personal style in the final image.

Location:
The Crafts Center
Thompson Hall
210 Jensen Drive
Raleigh, NC 27606