Alice Magazine NYC - Chapter 3

Scott Irvine, a Williamsburg based photographer, has been in the industry for over
twenty years and, during his career, has primarily focused on traditional darkroom
techniques. Irvine has experimented with manipulating his photographs, both digitally
and with film, in order to create a storyline through nostalgia and evoke an uneasy
emotion by displaying an exposed beauty in decay. Alice Magazine got a chance
to chat with Scott about his start with photography, his journey in finding his own
unique technique, his professional relationship with his wife and their projects, and
what the future holds for him.
Alice Magazine: What first got you interested in pursuing photography?
Scott Irvine: My first interest in photography actually stemmed from exploring old
abandoned factory buildings near where I grew up in Connecticut. I loved going in to
the spaces with friends and photographing the architectural decay. I was using 35mm
film cameras. I then began to get interested in photographing bands and friends. In
College I learned traditional darkroom techniques and started learning and working
with larger format cameras. It was really when I moved to New York City I begin
actively finding people to photograph, and start working for music magazines photographing
a lot of bands.
AM: The majority of your images bare a very heavy film noir aesthetic, from where did
you originate this style? And over the years what have you done to make it your own?
SI: From the very beginning of my exploration with photography, I was always drawn
to black-and-white. It just made sense to me. I loved the mood and texture that you
can create. And I loved the play between light and shadows that can be so much
more dramatic than most color photographs. I think my overall style of photography
emerged from being in the black-and-white darkroom, and really experimenting with
contrast and mood.
AM: How and when did you start using dark room manipulation on your images?
SI: Well, like I said, I really started to learn traditional darkroom techniques in college
at RIT, in Rochester New York. When I began learning, digital photography did
not exist yet. Any kind of manipulation to the image had to be done somehow - either
manipulating the film or the paper or both. There was a lot of experimenting with
things like scratching film, printing techniques, trying different photo printing papers,
chemistry. All these different elements could be implemented to create different
effects. Over time, I developed a look or style that felt was like my “visual voice”.
AM: In 2014, you published the book “Vietnam” in collaboration with Kim Meinelt.
How long did you spend working on this project and what was your goal in capturing
this image series?