The creative minds behind the lens

Opening the doors to photography's most intimate creative space

When I started Darkrooms, I was fascinated by a simple question: what happens in that mental space where photographs truly begin, before any technical execution, before the shutter even clicks?

Each of us carries an invisible darkroom within our minds, a personal creative laboratory where we first decide how to translate the world into visual conversation. It's where vision precedes technique, where the essence of photography lives.

Today, I'm expanding this exploration with "Darkrooms Uncovered". A new interview series revealing the creative processes of photographers from all walks of life.

Why this matters

The questions explore the intimate creative journey every photographer experiences, from the personal rituals and habits that spark creativity, to strategies for overcoming creative blocks and breakthrough moments that shift perspective. I ask about the recurring themes that naturally draw them in, the non-photographic influences that shape their vision, and perhaps most revealingly, which of their own photographs feels most personally significant and why.

These aren't technical questions about cameras or settings, but rather an exploration of the mental and emotional processes that happen before any equipment comes into play, the invisible work that transforms how we see the world into how we capture it.

I reached out to several photography friends whose creative processes intrigue me, and their responses have been fascinating. Here's a glimpse of the answers they shared. Click on the names to read the full interview:

Alain ASTRUC
”There’s something magical about capturing something I didn’t expect, something that feels both mine and outside of me.”

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Donn DOBKIN
”The idea is just to build creative muscles, not necessarily to create 10 perfect ideas or solve problems.”

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Mark FOARD
”I keep a running list of potential projects and pull from that whenever I need inspiration.”

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Matteo FRANCHI
”I guess, however, that my brain records what I see, listen to and read and then mixes up everything regardless I want it or not.”

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Alex KUSTANOVICH
”Warm bath and Mexican food. Nothing works better.”

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PERFECTLIGHT
”Creativity is like an alien that eats me from inside screaming to get out.”

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Giles THURSTON
”For ages, I have been trying to put my finger on who I am creatively and what my style of photography is.”

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These initial conversations confirm what I suspected: every photographer's mental darkroom operates differently, yet there are beautiful common threads that connect us as visual storytellers.

An open invitation

This series isn't limited to established photographers. Whether you're just starting out or have been shooting for decades, your creative process matters and deserves to be shared.

The questions explore your creative rituals, how you break through blocks, moments of photographic surprise, recurring themes in your work, and what photograph of yours feels most personally revealing.

For email readers: The complete collection of interviews lives on a dedicated page you can bookmark and return to as it grows. New voices will be added regularly. Check out Darkrooms Uncovered

Want to participate? I've created a simple form where you can share your own creative insights. Your perspective could inspire fellow photographers and become part of this expanding archive of creative approaches.

Together, we're building something special—a library of diverse perspectives that illuminates how photographs truly come to life, starting in that most essential space: your mental darkroom.

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Thank you for being part of our community!

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Till next week,