Photograph of Watauga Lake by JP Jackson. It will be part of the 2026 Krappy Kamera Show at the Soho Gallery in New York, NY.
MOUNTAIN CITY, TN—The Johnson County Center for the Arts congratulates local photographer JP Jackson for having two of his images accepted in the 28th annual Krappy Kamera Show at the SoHo Gallery in New York, New York. The show receives 1,000 image submissions annually, and this is the fifth time Jackson has had work accepted and the fourth consecutive year. All of his submissions were images of Johnson County.
The philosophy of the Soho Photo Gallery and the Krappy Kamera show is that, in the hands of any artist, great photographs can be made with basic equipment, even with toy and pinhole cameras.
In an era of digital images and smartphone pics, Jackson is renowned for his use of traditional photography equipment and film cameras. Asked what inspired him to use toy cameras, Jackson said,“There are the challenges of limited camera functionality; less than perfect optical resolution and using photographic film to gather images; these aspects of the process inspire me.”
Part of the mastery of photography in the past was not only at the lens end of the camera but also in the development of the film and making of a print. Most people today share images electronically and if they want a print, they send the file to a desktop printer. Jackson maintains an in-home darkroom for developing his own film, making prints and even etching copperplates. Asked what drives him to keep his photography analog Jackson replied,“There are subtle and discernible differences in the quality of prints that are made using photographic film and analog printing methods; which I find rewarding. It’s also a challenging and slow way to make prints.”
Jackson mixes most of the chemistry used in his darkroom and makes the tissue used for the photogravure process. He has worked on making the process safer,“certain‘chrome salts’, are considered carcinogenic and require careful consideration when using them,”Jackson said.“I have worked out a method that uses only one third the amount that I was using before, which was a very small amount to begin with.”
If someone is interested in doing analog photography Jackson said,“it’s not difficult to acquire the materials I use, the number of choices is more limited than in the past. There is a lot of information available online and Youtube videos can be helpful.”
Jackson continued,“using photographic film and chemicals is comparatively slower than digital photography. The uncertainty and slow tempo involved in gathering images using these methods and materials suits me.”
You can see Jackson’s work at the Johnson County Center for the Arts’Gallery on Main at 129 W. Main St. Mountain City, Tennesseeor at the Krappy Kamera Show in the Soho Gallery, New York, New York. The showopened Thursday, March 5.
