By Jennifer Saavedra
Kremer, along with 18 other photographers, was chosen for the organization's new residency program, a program that lends a hand to emerging photographers by giving them use of darkroom facilities for one month and then exhibits their works at the end of the residency. The photographers are chosen by a panel of judges who review the applicant's portfolio and mission statement.Kremer's current photograph is part of a work-in-progress based in her home county of Henry, Iowa. “I'm interested in documenting and photographing how agribusiness is changing the community,” Kremer said. This subject hits very close to home because not only did Kremer grow up on a farm, she said, but her family owns one as well. Luckily, her family's only source of income is not the farm, because she said nowadays small farming is not very lucrative because of agribusiness and most individuals are selling or leaving their farms to get higher paying jobs.For this reason, Kremer said, she is interested in photographing the adaptation process for these agricultural workers. Specifically, she said, “I'm interested in the groups that are left behind.”As her exhibited photograph, “Abandoned Stair, Henry County, Iowa 2006,” depicts, much of what is left behind are abandoned farm houses.With such overwhelming emptiness, how did she choose what to photograph?”It's instinctive. When you're walking around for a couple of hours, you're just drawn to something, like an open door leaning against the dark staircase,” Kremer said. “To me, you could almost see the person walking down the steps and imagine what it was like when people lived there.””Selections from the Camera Club of New York's Darkroom Residency Program” is on till March 10 at the Alfred Lowenherz Gallery of The Camera Club of New York, 853 Broadway, between 13th and 14th Streets. 212-260-9927.Another artistic photograph of Kremer's, sponsored by the Camera Club and part of the same series focusing on Henry County, Iowa, will also be on display at a window at Saks Fifth Avenue (corner of Fifth Avenue and 50th Street) from Tuesday Feb. 13-26.
