RECEPTION for THINGS I’VE SEEN
Fifty Years of Analog Photography by Wayne Setser
EXHIBIT DATES
April 20 - May 22, 2026
ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
I consider myself a traditionalist. For the past fifty years I’ve worked with traditional methods and materials, using a large format field camera and black and white film. I’m drawn to the feel of a hand-crafted wood and brass camera built to last a lifetime, and to the quiet time spent beneath the focusing cloth, studying an inverted and reversed composition on the ground glass.
Part of the pleasure is the mental challenge—taking light readings and translating them into tonal values on a finished print. I enjoy the sound of a precision mechanical shutter, often older than I am, timing an exposure. The time between releasing the shutter and rediscovering the image on a beautiful 4×5-inch silver negative developed in a home-brewed formula is an essential part of the process.
Later come the quiet hours in the darkroom, watching the image slowly emerge in the developer under the amber glow of the safelight. Holding the finished print, I’m reminded how black and white photography asks us to see differently. Without the distraction of color, the shapes, forms, and textures reveal themselves in new ways
I rarely begin with a specific image in mind. Instead, I explore and wait for something to ask to be photographed—something that speaks. Sometimes I hear it clearly. Sometimes I misunderstand what it’s trying to say, and sometimes I think it may even be misleading me.
My hope is that these photographs do more than show you what I saw: they allow you to hear what I heard, and perhaps even feel what I felt in the moment the shutter was released.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Wayne Setser is a self-taught fine art photographer whose work is grounded in the traditions of black-and-white film photography. Working with large-format cameras and traditional darkroom techniques, he embraces a slow, intentional process that emphasizes observation, craft, and tonal precision.
Setser photographs primarily within the natural and rural landscapes of East Tennessee, seeking visual moments that are commonly encountered but seldom truly seen. His images draw attention to subtle relationships of form, texture, and light, transforming familiar environments into contemplative visual studies.
Influenced by the formal clarity and disciplined vision of early photographic masters, Setser’s work reflects a commitment to both technical excellence and quiet perception. His photographs have been exhibited in numerous local and regional exhibitions and are held in private and corporate collections, including the Tennessee State Museum. Through his work, Setser invites viewers to pause, look closely, and rediscover the presence and structure embedded in everyday landscapes.