Kale Ivy Institute discussion

~RP

For the development of photos.

Lucas found solitude in the low lighting of the dark room along with the smell of chemicals around him. He was developing a few pictures he had taken just a few days before coming back to school in Aruba that he hadn't had the chance to develop. His favorite was perhaps the picture he had taken directly after the sunrise. And then the one he had taken of the old cottage house at midnight. There were a few others he liked but he could dispose of them if they weren't to his standard of liking. Lucas pulled out the photos from the tray of chemicals and hung them up on the wire above to dry.

Lucas nearly dropped his last picture back into the chemical as he heard the door open behind him. Luckily he didn't and it was hanging safely on the wire and drying. He turned and eyed the girl who stood before him, ignoring the comment she made. Neat was an understatement. If she was going to compliment him on his photographs it would do her some good to, at the very least, utter a word better than 'neat'. It was almost worse than 'good'. "You do not belong here." He said simply, making his way to the sink to wash his hands of the chemicals. No one but Lucas was supposed to be in the Dark Room at the moment actually. He had signed it out for at least the rest of the class and no other student had photographs like his. Most in his class had pathetic digital cameras. And this girl. She wasn't from the class. In fact Lucas hadn't seen her on campus before. So she was either a freshman but she didn't look like one. She looked older than him. So either a junior or senior. A new one at that.

Lucas rinsed off the soap on his hands and pulled the paper towel out of the dispenser to dry them off. He threw the used paper into the trash and turned, taking the girl in as she spoke. Unlike many of the plastic doll like creatures at the school, the girl seemed more of a tomboy than anything. "Lucas." He replied simply as she asked her question making no further attempt at an actual conversation. Instead his eyes looked at the skateboard against the wall for a moment before directing themselves back at his photographs, scrutinizing them as they developed. Picking out which ones were worth keep and which could be torn and trash. Lucas continued to ignore the girl. Not completely intentionally, well yes he did want her gone. But he wasn't in the mood for some needless chit chat that would go no where. The girl seemed to have no interest in his photographs or photography for that matter and he had no interest in her casual apparel or skateboard. What she hoped to get out of the conversation seemed to only be a mystery to him.

Lucas noticed the smile but like most of everything else she did he chose to ignore it. He was as the photos started to appear. All in black and white, which had been his preference for this particular set. He'd seen other similar photographs all in color and decided he'd experiment by developing the film in black and white giving all the photographs a completely different feel than if they had been printed in color. "At the very least thirty minutes but if I were to enlarge these" which he would for a few of the ones he liked "then that would take a few hours depending on how large I wish to make them." He said, already eyeing the photograph of the cottage house at midnight. The photograph to most would come off as unsettling or unnerving perhaps. But to Lucas it was neither. The picture was more calm in his opinion. Still standing with nothing to disturb it. And the way the clouds formed in the sky and in the background gave the appearance the the cottage was hiding some treasure behind it. And it was if a person thinks of a cliff point which has a view of the entire beach and villa as a treasure. He waited for the girls response, slightly less annoyed by her as she was at least attempting to make a question about photography. Most others would come and talk nonsense. That didn't mean he wanted her to stay. In fact if he had a sign that read "Leave." He would put it in her hand and push her out the door.

((hehe. Yes! I love him too. <3 ))

Lucas's hand twitched with the urge to snatch the photograph from the girl's hand and put it back on the wire. But that would end up ruining it. He relaxed his hand after she put it back, with no damage done to the photograph, fortunately. He showed no other signs of having been irritated by the action other than the twitch of his hand. He was able to keep his emotions under wraps as always. "You enlarge them by using the original film. You place it on the enlarger which projects the image onto the easel. The image is focused to liking before placing the photographic paper on the easel and exposing the film and leaving it there for a certain amount of time. After it's exposed it can be developed or saved to be developed later. This process usually takes longer than the actual developing of the film." Lucas said having nodded to her last comment before speaking. At least she had a good eye with her. That still didn't make her any less irritating than the others though.

Lucas scanned the photographs as he listened to the girl speak, although he could have chosen to simply ignore her voice. But seeing that she was attempting to actually hold the conversation with what interested him he listened. Unlike all the others who occasionally came in and spoke to hum about pointless little things like the latest gossip or stupid team rivalries, he appreciated her attempt to not do that. Though he acted otherwise. But she also may have acted this way because she was new and would soon be morphed into one of the other pathetic girls who pranced around campus. He certainly hopes not. The school could use something different. Lucas scanned his pictures, picking out which ones to trash, like the one he took of the clear water where the stones and wheels and sand could be seen underneath. He took it off the wire as he spoke. "There is nothing I would deem my favorite to take pictures of. I take a photos of what catches my eye and has a story to tell. Something with meaning." And the picture in his hand held had none of that. It was boring. Lacking in depth and the intriguing qualities he other photos held, though to others it may have been beautiful.

"No it does not." He said, as he continued looking at the picture, making notes on what he could have done better. How he could have improved it. Perhaps if he had gotten a bit more of the view of the horizon more of the water in general than just what was in the water. He ripped the photograph in half and throwing it into the recycling bin under the table. If he were at home in his own dark room he wouldn't have dared to rip the photograph. But here at Kale there were always people who went out of their way to plagiarize someone's work. There really no one that could be trusted. He looked back up at the pictures, trying to find the five he liked best out of the remaining nine which were still hanging. "Both can hold equal meaning. It depends on the photograph." He said, taking off three more photographs. He ripped those as well and through them into the bin.

"I find fun in solitude." Lucas stated matter of factually. He looked through the pictures, carefully taking them in and examining them. It was always the final six he had trouble with. Finally he picked the picture of the sun rise from the view point of the cliff. The sun's light was just bringing light over the water. And all the way to the right little houses of the village could be seen. Also accepting the sun's rays. It was a beautiful picture. The way the sun's rays were just amazing. It was a shame he wouldn't keep it. Lucas took out a pen from the breast pocket of his blazer and signed his initials on the right bottom corner. "I hope to accomplish this." He said, glancing at the pictures then taking them down and putting them in a manila envelope. He handed the girl the picture. "Welcome to Kale. Good luck." He said as the bell rang. With a nod he moved past her and left the room.