Photographic Center Northwest's Annual 2023 Chase the Light: Memories Captured on the Diana Instant Square

Located in Seattle, Washington, Photographic Center Northwest (PCNW) is a photography education hub that welcomes everyone to explore the photographic arts. From classes and workshops to space rentals and exhibitions, PCNW provides many resources for creatives to learn, celebrate their work and connect with each other.

This past June, PCNW held its annual summer fundraising and friend-raising event Chase the Light. With hopes to bring together a large community and celebrate photography, the event called for everyone to create and submit photos within a 48-hour photo weekend. Photos were then selected by a panel of industry professionals to be displayed in their in-person pop up gallery!

Thrilled about PCNW's mission and Chase the Light's concept, we sent over a Diana Instant Square so they could capture the night's memories in a classic instant fashion. Learn more through our conversation with one of the organizers, Paulo Gonzales, and check out their photos!

How long has Chase the Light been running? What sparked the idea for this annual event originally?

Originally named Long Shot, Chase The Light started as a 24-hour photo marathon, usually occurring on or around the summer solstice, with a few folks in that first year or two making the effort to photograph every hour; as part of the marathon component. Participants were encouraged to fundraise by seeking pledges as you might for an event like a marathon.

Chase The Light eventually evolved into what it is now: an annual summer fundraising and friend-raising event celebrating photography and community. Participants around the world make a photograph in a 48-hour time period, and we celebrate with a pop up exhibition in our gallery.

Was there a theme for participants' submissions?

While there was no specific theme, participants had a time frame of 48 hours to make a photograph and submit them. We also had awesome programming like photowalks, alternative processes workshops, and photo collage workshops during the the weekend of the event.

How were participants’ work reviewed for selection?

Participants can submit up to five photographs for Chase The Light. The images were then juried from a panel of industry professionals, and one image was selected to hang on our gallery walls for our pop-up gallery. We had an awesome juror panel this year! I want to shout out their names: Karen Irvine, Thom Sempere, Richard Renaldi, Julia Dolan, Kris Graves, Alanna Edwards , Elizabeth Ransom, and Inti St. Clair.

How did the pop-up gallery community celebration turn out? What were guests’ reactions?

The pop-up gallery was a success and we had a big turnout this year. Our Gallery and Public Programs Coordinator, Erin Spencer, did an awesome job of displaying the photographs in our gallery.

We had a DJ, food, drinks, and most importantly we had a lot of fun. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement, and community members appreciated each other's photographs. It was a smash!

“I love continuing to participate in Chase the Light because it's an excuse for me to take photos and have fun with things I may not have tried before or just to let go of my expectations and remember the joy in photography. And the pop-up exhibition is always a great community event where we all get to share what we made and celebrate each other and the Photo Center!”
- Jenny Riffle, Chase the Light Founder, and PCNW Faculty

“I look forward to Chase the Light every year for many reasons, but most important among them is the reminder that photography is fun. The parameter of making photos during a specific 48-hour period not only prevents one from getting too precious about the Meaning of One’s Work, but also allows for deeper engagement with whatever homes into one’s field of vision. Chase the Light gives me expansion within limits photographically. But let’s be real—the pop-up exhibition is really just an excuse to have a fun photo party. And I am all for that.”
- Rachel Demy, Participant and PCNW Faculty

Thank you, Lomography, for being a sponsor and adding an extra element of fun and creativity to our event.

Thank you PCNW for sharing with us! Keep up with PCNW through their website and Instagram.

written by kaylalew on 2023-08-16 #gear