Your cart is empty

    Shop now
    Courtesy of Adali Schell | DER GREIF
    Courtesy of Adali Schell
    Courtesy of Adali Schell | DER GREIF
    Courtesy of Adali Schell
    Courtesy of Adali Schell | DER GREIF
    Courtesy of Adali Schell
    Courtesy of Adali Schell | DER GREIF
    Courtesy of Adali Schell
    Courtesy of Adali Schell | DER GREIF
    Courtesy of Adali Schell
    Courtesy of Adali Schell | DER GREIF
    Courtesy of Adali Schell
    Courtesy of Adali Schell | DER GREIF
    Courtesy of Adali Schell
    Courtesy of Adali Schell | DER GREIF
    Courtesy of Adali Schell
    Courtesy of Adali Schell | DER GREIF
    Courtesy of Adali Schell
    DER GREIF
    DER GREIF
    DER GREIF
    DER GREIF
    DER GREIF
    DER GREIF
    DER GREIF
    DER GREIF
    DER GREIF

    Adali Schell

    Artist Blog by Paloma Dooley

    Lately, I’ve been especially drawn to photographers who incorporate color darkroom printing as an integral part of their practice. One artist whose work stands out is

    Adali Schell, a Los Angeles-based photographer, shoots color film – primarily 35mm, with some medium format – at home in LA and with his extended family in rural Ohio. His recent series, “Car Pictures”, explores how he and his friends connected with each other and their city through their cars in the aftermath of the intense isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, his ongoing project, New Paris, documents his family life – particularly his mother, sister, and grandfather – in the wake of divorce, illness, and loss.

    Adali’s practice is energetic, dedicated, and unflinching. This intensity extends beyond the way he shoots – it’s reflected in the way he prints and presents his work. Recently, he has fully embraced the color darkroom, choosing to print his images by hand rather than scanning negatives and making inkjet prints. I’ve watched him spend countless hours meticulously refining his c-prints, adjusting colors by just a couple of points at a time, moving from messy test strips to flawless exhibition prints. His patience and commitment to the craft are inspiring, and the results are stunning.

    His enthusiasm for the analog process (and the beauty of his prints) motivated me to return to the color darkroom for the first time in five years. I had forgotten how satisfying it is to make contact prints from my 8x10 color negatives – their thin black borders and sharp details feel so tactile and alive. Now, I’m looking forward to seeing Adali finalize more prints as he prepares for his big solo show in LA this April.

    Paloma Dooley is part of Issue 17 by Guest Editor Torbjørn Rødland.

    Check out her Artist Feature Borrowed Landscape.

    DER GREIF
    Paloma Dooley

    Paloma Dooley grew up in New York and earned a BA in photography from Bard College. In 2016, she completed a monthlong residency at the Vermont Studio Center. She shoots exhibition photography for museums, galleries, and artists, and shoots editorial assignments for Bloomberg Businessweek, The New Yorker, Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles, and the New York Times Magazine, among others. She currently lives and works in Los Angeles, where she recently completed a four-month residency at Quinn Emanuel Artists in Residence. She is a recipient of a 2024 Puffin Foundation Artist Grant. She uses a large format view camera to photograph predominantly in the landscape at home and on the road.