SpelHouse Homecoming Portraits!

SpelHouse Homecoming Portraits!

I’ll be making portraits of Spelman and Morehouse alumni and students during Homecoming week, celebrating the legacy and pride that live in this community.

This project is personal for me — so this space and its stories mean a lot.

The portraits will be made in studio Oct 16-17 and are part of an ongoing body of work documenting Black life and culture across Atlanta. They may later be used for a self-funded exhibition and included in my portfolio for reviews and publication opportunities (think The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, etc.). This project is personal for me and I’m it treating with a special amount of care, I was born and raised in Atlanta, and my grandmother lived and raised my father and his siblings across the street from Spelman/Morehouse campuses. My daughter graduated from Spelman in 2024 and I was born and raised in Atlanta.

If you’re a alum or current student attending Homecoming and would like to participate, I’d love to include you.

Thinking about opening up the project to all HBCU alumni attending SpelHouse Homecoming.. if you’re interested sign a note below.

004: My Ritual of Film Developing

“The Developing Process Step-by-Step”

My Ritual of Film Developing

There’s something magical about developing film—a process that feels equal parts science experiment and meditation. For me, it’s about getting hands-on with the craft, taking control of how my images come to life, and letting the unpredictability of analog photography surprise me every step of the way. Let’s break down my process in a way that’s real and relatable.

I usually work with Kodak Tri-X 400 film, one of my go-tos. I rate it (or push it) to 800 ISO to give me that extra flexibility when I’m creating images in low light. But here’s the twist: when it comes time to develop, I treat it as if I’ve shot it at 1600 ISO. That push gives the negatives that extra contrast and grit—the kind of texture that makes analog photography sing.

For my developer, I ride with Kodak D-76. It’s a classic, tried-and-true formula that gets the job done. I pair it with Ilford Stop Bath and Ilford Rapid Fixer to keep the process smooth and consistent. And honestly, my little helper in all of this is the Dev it! app. It’s my guide for nailing those times to the second.

Here’s how it all goes down:

• Developing: 10 minutes and 20 seconds of immersion in D-76. It’s all about agitating at just the right intervals to let those shadows and highlights breathe.

• Stop Bath: A quick 1-minute rinse with Ilford Stop Bath to halt the development process. It’s like hitting pause on a record—you don’t want the music to run away from you.

• Fixing: Anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes in Ilford Rapid Fixer. This step locks the image in, making it permanent and ready to handle the light of day.

• Washing: A thorough 3-minute wash under running water until every trace of chemical is gone. There’s something so calming about this step—just watching the negatives clear up.

• Final Touch: Kodak Photo-Flo 200 for a streak-free finish. It’s like the cherry on top before I hang the negatives to dry and let them do their thing.

Developing film is more than just chemistry and timing; it’s a dialogue between you and your images. The process forces you to slow down, be intentional, and appreciate the journey from exposure to final frame. It’s a ritual, a moment of stillness in a world that moves way too fast.

This isn’t just about creating images; it’s about connecting with the medium, the history, and the story you’re telling.

So, the next time you see a finished print or scan, remember that it’s more than just an image. It’s the culmination of light, time, chemistry, and care—and there’s nothing quite like it.