Photographer uses old-fashioned techniques

November 25, 2017

12:00 AM

Stephen Takacs

Stephen Takacs is a modern-day photographer with a penchant for the techniques of the past.

But don’t try to box him in too much. He’s cultivated a diverse portfolio, and despite his preoccupation with antiquated crafts, he envisions a future filled with possibility for himself and his art.

Takacs’ passion for photography started locally, when he studied in the commercial photography program at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center. Upon graduating high school, he briefly took courses at Antioch College before illness forced him to take time off to recover.

But what may seem like a step back turned out to be a serendipitous twist of fate. He embarked on a road trip with a friend to the fledgling Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival that turned into a three-month backpacking tour documented with a trusty Holga.

“Even when I shoot landscapes, I’m usually looking at how humans interact and engage with an environment, rather than trying to create an unrealistic and pristine version of the world.” - Takacs

Takacs further honed his craft at the Oregon College of Art and Craft for his undergraduate degree before bringing it back home to The Ohio State University for graduate school. He’s stayed local, maintaining a studio at 400 West Rich, a collaborative artist space in Franklinton.

He draws much of his inspiration from people, but not just as portraiture. He looks to capture the way people leave their mark on the world in some of the most unexpected ways. The people he has met and places he has seen in his travels find themselves woven into his art in a stunningly truthful way, and it’s clear that many of his subjects have had a profound impact on him.

“There’s something about being on the road that lends itself to looking at the world a little differently,” he says. “Even when I shoot landscapes, I’m usually looking at how humans interact and engage with an environment, rather than trying to create an unrealistic and pristine version of the world.”

His work is a study in detail, sometimes speaking ironically or commenting on the oddities that humans manage to inflict on their spaces, but other times reveling in what we create, where we go and how we use methods other than words to communicate.

In a time where industries are feeling the continuous shift from traditional mediums to increasingly digitized methods, Tacaks recognizes the rising importance and relevance of digital work. His portfolio reflects an enthusiastic dive into everything the digital world has to offer. But his true passion lies in the exploration of vintage photography techniques.

“There are great things about digital: being able to work faster, shoot high ISOs and see what you’re doing as you shoot,” he says. “But there’s something about the physicality of print and film that I feel value in. I like the directness of it, the tintypes and ambrotypes. What you see on the wall is literally on the back of the camera. No negative. It’s the final thing.”

He is forever focused on the idea of preserving methods and crafts that are becoming lost or obsolete. It’s more than a bout of nostalgia or a passing interest; it’s a common theme throughout his personal projects and a journey he’s deeply invested in.

This passion for bringing new life to the old methods is most prevalent in two of his current projects. The first, called Brownie in Motion, is currently on a national tour. Picture a 1940s Brownie Target Six-16 camera, and expand it by about 17 times.

STakacs_BrownieInMotion_Genoa.Colorado_1.jpg

Stephen Takacs

Brownie In Motion project in Genoa, Colorado. July, 2014.

The traveling installation doubles as a functional camera obscura and dark room, truly integrating the user with every step of the creation of a single photograph defined by the finite detail and striking image quality you can only get in black and white. Takacs particularly tries to focus on the other people he encounters, who are working with their hands to practice disappearing trades and crafts.

Locally, Takacs is participating in the In Our Own Image exhibition at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio. The whole exhibit is based on combining legitimately old work with pieces by contemporary artists using obsolete processes.

His contribution is an interactive series he calls “A Case Study of Stephen.” He describes it as a reimagined 19th century photo studio, complete with a camera outfitted with ambrotypes that produce completely unique images. Through that lens, he plays with the idea of drawing visual connections within a group of people, and how they can connect back to him.

On select dates, he participates in the exhibit himself, setting up shop to take photos of people in an environment similar to what people would have experienced in the early 19th century. It comes complete with apparatuses to hold the subject’s head in place in case he or she gets tired of waiting for the exposure, just like in days gone by.

Takacs is creating a collage of tight, macro shots that focus on the parts of each participant that he finds special or striking. In one photo, it’s the folds of lines and wrinkles in a woman’s skin that tell the story of a life spent smiling and laughing. In another, it’s an unyielding stare piercing out from below an impressive eyebrow. And in yet another, it’s simply an eclectic earring that speaks surprising volumes about the woman’s personality.

In Our Own Image is at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio through Dec. 31.

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