Spiritual Applications of Photography

I teach several courses in Photography in the Department of Art, Architecture & Design. Artists like to do things the old-fashioned way. I think it has to do with working with our hands as well as our heads, but it also connects us with the senses of touch and, at times, our olfactory sense.

 One of the processes I require of my photography students is to shoot, develop, and print a roll of film. I will send them out with an old-fashioned film camera loaded with a roll of black and white film. After shooting the roll of film, I teach them how to develop it. As they hang their film up to dry, after taking it out of the developing tank, I announce to them, “You are now a real photographer.”

 The development of photography (pun intended) began in the 1820's and was initially referred to as "heliography", which meant "light writing".  The term "photography" was first used in 1839.

 According to one website, the word "light" appears five hundred and thirty-five times in the Bible. Light, and being a light to the world, are fundamental to the Christian faith. Light is a necessary element of photography. It is light that creates the image on the film. The light from a small light bulb projects the image from the film onto the photographic paper. An exposure of a few seconds activates silver salts on the surface of the paper. The paper is then immersed in the developing solution. "Immersed" can also apply to the life of a young child who is surrounded by Christian examples in his or her formative years.

 The inspiration, if I dare use that word, for this article came out of a comment I make to the students when I tell them how to put the exposed photographic paper into the developing bath. I tell them to "baptize" the paper, as it must be immersed in the developing fluid. Sprinkling nor pouring will not suffice in photography. If the actual meaning of words is important to our understanding of God's Word, then sprinkling won't suffice for the baptism of a believer. At least that is what Christendom believed and practiced for several hundred years. That is why you will still find baptistries you could walk down into in churches, or remains of churches, that were used in the early centuries of Christianity.

 There is no indication in scripture that a person must be immersed quickly, but that is what is needed for the photographic paper. The image will begin developing as soon as it touches the water, which means one does not want one end of the paper developing sooner than the other end. The idea that our development as a new person, in Christ, when we come out of the water has similar implications. When we come out of the water, we begin our development (pun intended) as a new Christian.

 What is typically associated with the photographic dark room is the red light, or safelight. I have three of them in our school darkroom. (The obvious spiritual metaphor to the three safelights is an interesting coincidence, as the darkroom is large enough to require three safelights.) Photographic paper does not react to red light, which is nice because it would be impossible to know when to take the paper out of the developer if the room were pitch black. Our culture has some negative associations with the color, red. However, it did not take more than a second for me to recognize the potential spiritual metaphor. Red is the color of blood. Just as the photographer is bathed in red light in the darkroom, the newborn Christian is cleansed with the blood of Christ.

 The film itself is sensitive to the least amount of light. However, we use photoluminescent tape to locate drawers, light switches, etc., in the darkroom. The tape absorbs photons from any light that has been on in the darkroom. It retains and emits those photons over an extended period. When the lights are turned off, the tape emits a glow. However, that glow is too weak to damage the film, unless the film is in very close contact with the tape. I like to think of that tape as those actions and words that reflect our faith, which allows others to see Christ. One might call it an invisible light to a dark world, as those who see it are not necessarily aware of the source.

 Once the image has been immersed in the developing tray and developed sufficiently, the paper is plunged into a "stop bath". Vinegar would work, as the stop bath is a dilute glacial acetic acid and vinegar is a dilute form of acetic acid. The stop bath is also the source of the smell that people associate with the dark room. It reminds me of what Christ was offered to drink while he was suspended between the earth and sky on that wooden cross, vinegar. There are various theories as to why Jesus was offered that drink. One theory is that it was an act of mercy on the part of the soldiers. Nevertheless, vinegar does not have a particularly pleasant odor and certainly not a pleasant taste. I doubt they were offering Jesus a drink that tasted good.

 The photographic paper, which has been exposed to light is a metaphor for the new Christian who is now the visible carrier of the once latent image. There is a parallel between the image on the paper and the Christian walk. In photography, the image must be treated to stabilize it, or "fix it", as we say in the darkroom. This is a very important stage in the photographic process. Without the fixer treatment the image will discolor and fade. The fixer stabilizes the image by removing the unexposed silver halide remaining on the paper, leaving behind the metallic silver that forms the image. The fixer is sodium thiosulfate, otherwise known as hyposulfite of soda. We usually refer to it simply as "hypo". An appropriate metaphor, perhaps, since we often associate sodium with salt. "You are the salt of the earth." (Matthew 5:13)

This brings up a quality in the metallic silver of black and white photographs that is very important, as it has to do with the archival quality of the image. Photograph silver prints could be expected to last for hundreds of years if they are stored away from direct sunlight. Some of the early photography, from the 19th century, were printed on glass, or metal, plates and could still be viewable when every color photograph you will ever see has faded away.  I want my students to produce art that will still be around for their great grandchildren to view...and maybe their grandchildren's grandchildren. Like the stabilized image of the photograph, it is important to reflect a stable Christian life that will endure through time, even into eternity. Just as the image on the paper must be stable to last, our Christian walk needs to be stable for our lives to reflect the image of Christ, or to last.

This stabilization metaphor can be carried further. One does not know when the "hypo', or fixer, has lost its effectiveness. When the "fixer" is exhausted the image on the paper will discolor and fade, but the damage will already have been done. The solution must be checked regularly with a few drops of "hypo check". When the fixer is no longer effective the drops of hypo check will turn milky white. White is the color we typically associate with the Holy Spirit, symbolized as a white dove in many works of art. The Holy Spirit is, for many, an ethereal presence. The milky white hypo check has an ethereal appearance as it warns the photographer that the fixing solution is no longer effective. Also, it quickly disappears in the hypo solution. Perhaps the Holy Spirit sends us a similar message regarding our effectiveness as a Christian light. Are we listening? 

I should also state that the idea of the Holy Spirit as an ethereal presence has been challenged. One internet site made the statement that fifty-six percent of Christians characterize the Holy Spirit as a "force" rather than a person. However, there are numerous references to the Holy Spirit that sound more like a person than an ethereal entity. I will leave that discussion for another day.

I hope this short paper has given you insights into how the photographic darkroom can shed light on the Christian walk in a very dark world.  For what it is worth, the eye of this photographer is always seeking good light and the beauty of God's creation.

If you are into photography and would like to read the longer version of this article, which includes some history of photography and technical information, here is a link to it.  Spiritual Applications of Photography_with history

–John Kellar