Black and white silver salt reprint urban space! Polish photographer Bogdan Konopka hides the beauty of elegance in light and shadow.

The texture of a photographic work can be seen in its overall composition, color, mood, and lighting, with color setting the tone for the work from the first impression. However, in the colorful world, some people are fascinated by black and white images. Polish photographer Bogdan Konopka, who started photography in the 1970s, has created many profound and mysterious black and white photographic works.

Recently, Hong Kong photography platform “PhotogStory” and photography gallery “Boogie Woogie Photography” brought their solo exhibition “Darkness & Light”, allowing us to discover the delicate beauty hidden in black and white silver salt through their lenses.

This exhibition brings together a total of 26 black and white works, all borrowed from his widow. Bogdan Konopka was born in Poland in 1953 and moved to France in the late 1980s. His footsteps extended from Europe to China, and for many years he has been using images to record his experiences of living in different cities. This collection includes his early life in Poland, with street scenes from cities such as Wrocław and Kraków, as well as architectural spaces he photographed after moving to France, including the Théâtre de l’Odéon in Paris.

Bogdan Konopka tells a story about light in every photo, disregarding the combination and balance of colors. The photographer uses only black and white, as well as different shades of gray, to compose the image, allowing people to focus more on the contrast and transition of light, as well as the well-arranged contours of objects. This simple and clean way of expression undoubtedly injects additional depth and emotion into the image, highlighting a deeper meaning in the work and providing viewers with more possibilities for interpretation.

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In order to present the captured images with the best effect, the photographer will personally use the “contact printing” method in the darkroom to produce silver salt photos. This method refers to the contact printing of the film and the photographic paper, where the image on the film negative will be directly printed onto the photographic paper in a 1:1 original size. As a result, the size of the photo will be relatively small, and the audience will need to get closer to appreciate the details in the photo. At the same time, using the silver salt printing technique can bring out a more delicate and natural layering and texture, just like bringing the photo back to the essence of photography.

In addition to the elegant architectural works, this exhibition also features Konopka’s portrait photography, which adds a unique perspective and storytelling element to the works. Everyone is welcome to visit the gallery and appreciate them in person!

“Darkness & Light”
Date: From now until March 4, 2023
Time: 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM (Wednesday to Saturday)
Address: Room A, 8th Floor, Yee Wah Industrial Building, 56-60 Wong Chuk Hang Road

Image source and learn more: “PhotogStory“, “Boogie Woogie Photography“