Measuring Time: Pärnu Photo Club Analog Photography Exhibition, FotoFest2026

When we take photographs, we capture a moment with light. To achieve the desired result in analog photography, we adjust the amount of light largely by measuring time: the exposure time when photographing on film, the film development time, the paper exposure time, and the time spent in developer and fixer. Continuous measurement. We measure in seconds and minutes, yet it takes hours for an image to come into being. The image itself lasts much longer. The exhibition brings together frames captured on film by members of the photo club over more than half a century. Moments captured on film and paper offer a way to measure time by comparing and assessing events and changes, and to reflect on whether time stretches or rushes, is long or short, disappears or seems never to arrive. Time is intertwined—everything becomes one long day—like an elusive wonder.

The participants have very different levels of experience with analog photography. Several of us took our first photographs on film in childhood and have now rediscovered this playground. For some, the world of analog photography belongs only to years gone by. The more experienced have continued to photograph on film and prefer it to digital. The exhibition also includes one participant’s first-ever photograph printed on paper in a darkroom. All the exhibition photographs were captured on film with analog cameras. Some of us also undertook the process of making prints on paper in a darkroom. The other photographs were digitized from film and printed.

Participants: Rein Holtsmann, Henn Soodla, Ave Höövel, Lii Krass, Leles Luhse, Jaanus Muruõis, Aiki Järviste, Aiver Oja, Rein Jänes, Kersti Järva and Liivi Pihlasalu.