New photo exhibit captures Ogden life through single-use cameras
NEWS
The Ogden Camera Project pop-up station (first photo) and photos taken by city residents and visitors with the disposable cameras provided. Provided by Ben Zack
A new exhibit featuring hundreds of photos taken by Ogden residents opens at Weber State Downtown during Ogden’s First Friday Art Stroll on Friday, Dec. 5.
Local photographer Benjamin Zack crafted The Ogden Camera Project, a free community photo project, with support from Ogden City Arts, placing dozens of single-use cameras in pop-up stations around Ogden for several weeks in October and November.
“I’m always looking for ways to build community through photography,” Zack said. “I’ve seen situations where single-use cameras are passed around or left out at smaller events, but it seemed like something fun to try at a larger, city-wide scale.”
The project encouraged city residents and visitors to share their views of Ogden through a shared camera – basic “point and shoot” style cameras from the 90s. Zack was surprised by the quick and enthusiastic response to the project, which resulted in more than 400 printed photos for the display.
423 photos to be exact. By the end of the project, there were 17 full cameras. All of the photos are in the exhibit, except for a few that were too dark or had the lens covered.
More surprises came with the film development.
“There was one really unexpected photo that I found after the film was developed. The only instructions with the cameras were to take the photo ‘nearby.’ One person picked up the camera at Monroe Park, went up and took a photo of the park from a plane, and returned it back to the photo station,” Zack said.
The photos, taken by city residents and visitors, show diverse people and perspectives of Ogden, containing bike tricks, friends, landscapes, clouds, cracks in a painted sidewalk, trailheads, and more.
The most interesting piece, for Zack, is the photos seen together. “The whole of the project is so much more exciting than any individual piece,” he said.
The Ogden Camera Project photo exhibit opens Friday, Dec. 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Weber State Downtown, 2314 Washington Boulevard, in Ogden, Utah, and will be on display throughout December. It is free and open to the public.