Meet our Teachers!
Meet our amazing staff at Gowanus Darkroom. All our teachers are knowledgable about darkrooms and film, and will guide you through your analog photography journey. Feel free to reach out with any specific questions.
Wetplate Photo by Galina Kurlat
Lauren Oliver is a fine art photographer and educator. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography from SUNY Purchase. She has worked at several New York City art galleries and cultural institutions, including as a teaching assistant with the International Center of Photography's community programs.
Her photography practice centers around sunlight, movement and metaphor. She draws inspiration from photographers like Ana Mendieta, Francesca Woodman, and Graciela Iturbide.
Lauren joined Gowanus Darkroom in 2017. Her time there has emphasized the importance of community and how it's fostered through creativity and education. She enjoys working with students who are new to photography as well as those who are looking to enhance their black and white darkroom skills.
Self Portrait by Stephanie Gonzales
Stephanie is an artist from Las Vegas, NV, and has been a member of Gowanus Darkroom community since 2018. She teaches Black & White Film Processing, Black & White Darkroom Printing, and is currently learning how to print color in the darkroom. The body of her work is made up of street photography that emphasizes on portraits and architecture.
She is also a zine maker and enjoys being a part of the zine making/self publishing community. She has tabled at many zine events including the Feminist Zine Fest, Independent Art Book Fair, and the Lone Star Zine Fest. You can find her zines at Quimby’s Bookstore in NYC, Bluestockings, Manila Books & Gift in Japan, the Las Vegas Zine Library or on her Etsy shop.
Stephanie works as a Theater Manager at Anthology Film Archives and as a Dog Walker for her company Maw and Paws to support her film addiction.
Polaroid photo by Logan Bellew 2021
Ian Lewandowski is a photographer from Northwest Indiana.
The Ice Palace Is Gone, his body of large format color portraits made from 2018-19, was published as his first monograph by Magic Hour Press (Montréal) in 2021. My Man Mitch, his body of photographs and appropriated photo material native to his home state of Indiana made from 2014-17, will be published by Kult Books (Stockholm) in 2022.
He has been with Gowanus Darkroom since 2019 and also teaches undergraduate photography courses at The New School and SUNY Purchase, with a primary interest in portraiture and historic photo processes. He manages and prints the photo work of Kenny Gardner (1913-2002).
Ian lives in south Brooklyn with his husband Anthony and dog Seneca.
Emma Backer is a Pittsburgh native who fell in love with photography as a young child at summer camp and succeeded in making it her profession. She went to Rochester Institute of Technology where she graduated with a BFA in fine art photography and art history. Since moving to New York City Emma has been able to use her photography background working throughout the photo industry including artist agencies, publishing houses, stock sites and most recently tech companies. Her work has been featured in galleries and festivals such as AnalogueNow Photo Festival, PH21 Gallery, The Stage Gallery, Vermont Center for Photography and others.