Jens Mauthe, an amateur film photographer based in Richmond, Virginia, has concluded a long-term photography project built around strict limitations and repeated execution, reinforcing a method rooted in routine, documentation, and physical printing. The project, which developed over many months following a fixed structure, used the same cameras, lenses, film stocks, and darkroom setup throughout, with no new tools introduced once shooting began. This approach, detailed in his online archive, aimed to control variables to better understand how small changes in light, exposure, and printing decisions affect final photographs.
All photographs were made on black and white film using fully manual 35mm and medium format cameras, with exposure decisions made without automation. Mauthe recorded notes at the time of exposure to track conditions and intent, maintaining consistency through identical development processes for each roll. Film was developed by hand in a home darkroom with constant developer type, dilution, temperature, and agitation timing, allowing changes in negatives to be traced back to exposure rather than processing. Every roll was contact printed before enlargement to evaluate density, contrast, and framing.
Printing played a central role, with Mauthe treating the darkroom as the primary site of decision-making rather than the camera. Each selected negative moved through a sequence of test strips and work prints, with exposure times adjusted in small increments and contrast filtration refined step by step. Final prints were made on fiber-based photographic paper using traditional enlargers and archival chemistry, then washed, dried, flattened, and stored according to archival standards. Mauthe evaluated prints as physical objects under consistent lighting rather than relying on scans or screens, retaining only one final print per image.
The subject matter remained restrained, depicting quiet interior spaces, transitional architecture, and utilitarian surfaces found throughout Richmond while avoiding recognizable landmarks, people, and staged scenes. Many images show empty rooms, corners, walls, and structural details, with locations revisited repeatedly to reduce novelty and emphasize familiarity. This repetition shifted attention toward execution, making subtle differences in light direction, surface wear, and tonal response the focus, favoring consistency over variety.
The completed project is now published within Mauthe's online archive, where each image appears alongside its contact sheet and technical notes, including exposure settings, development records, and printing decisions. Failed frames and rejected prints remain visible, presenting the work as a complete process rather than a curated selection. Mauthe views the archive as a working record focused on accuracy rather than presentation, documenting how analog photography functions when treated as a discipline rather than an outcome.
This project matters because it demonstrates an alternative approach to photography in an era dominated by digital immediacy and endless options. By embracing constraints in tools, locations, and materials, Mauthe's method offers a model for photographers seeking deeper technical understanding and artistic discipline. The emphasis on physical output and archival documentation provides valuable insights for those interested in long-term improvement through repeatable methods, particularly in educational or preservation contexts where process transparency is essential.
The project was completed without commercial intent, with photographs not for sale or produced for exhibition deadlines, marking the conclusion of a defined phase rather than a final statement. Constraint remains central to Mauthe's approach, allowing deeper attention to process as he works slowly, often producing only a small number of finished prints over extended periods. Future projects will follow the same framework of fixed equipment, defined subject range, full documentation, and physical output, building on previous records to form a cumulative archive of decisions made over time.
