iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Scene at the Whipple Building the day after Renee Good was killed by ICE officer Jonathan Ross.

020

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Scene at the Whipple Building the day after Renee Good was killed by ICE officer Jonathan Ross.

020

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

I live at ground zero of the ICE occupation of Minnesota. I normally shoot film, but after losing several rolls due to my Leica malfunctioning, I’ve shifted to digital for reliability and speed. I’ll bring the Leica back out when the weather warms, but the times demand it. Time to clear the backlog.

020

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

I’ve been badly neglecting this platform for some time, for a variety of reasons. Thanks to @awarnes.bsky.social for the encouragement to rectify that. From last Friday’s march in Minneapolis, prior to ICE’s murder of Alex Pretti.

031

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

Spent some time today updating the website. I added an editorial collection and some other recent photos. The basement darkroom/lab is offline for a bit for an electrical project, so this made me feel like I was still accomplishing something!

jakegale.art

Jake Gale

Large Format film photographer and darkroom and alt-process printer specializing in landscape, family, and editorial photography, based in Minnesota, USA.

020

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

Enjoyed this piece from the NYT over coffee this morning: The Analog Allure of Photographers’ Contact Sheets www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/a...

nytimes.com

The Analog Allure of Photographers’ Contact Sheets

010

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

My platinum/palladium developer (late 2023 I think) is aging like a fine whisky. Needs a top-off, though! I’m filtering after each developing session.

010

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

I was careless recently and may have accidentally contaminated my developer (Pyro HD). I tested it but couldn’t tell if it was compromised, because unwisely I used a roll of expired 200 iso film and my Holga, at dusk. Tried again using unexpired film and my Leica M3. Seems okay at first glance?

000

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

I submitted this print to the Minnesota State Fair’s juried fine arts competition earlier this year, and learned today that it wasn’t accepted. Only about 10% of submissions were accepted last year, so it was a long shot. I’m a little disappointed but I’m glad I tried, and I learned some things.

110

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

It was nice to finally have a chance today to do some proofing in platinum and palladium of an 8x10 image I captured during a week up north celebrating my folks’ 50th wedding anniversary. This is the better of two images, but there’s a distinct scratch that I’ll need to try touching up.

010

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Developed the final rolls from last weekend’s No Kings rally, and because it’s ridiculously hot outside, and because my darkroom is in the basement and the basement is the coolest place in the house, I decided to make contact sheets. It’ll be weeks before I get around to scanning the negatives.

010

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

I did some salt printing yesterday. Two of three—the second and third—turned out terribly. Same paper as usual, same amount of chemistry. The failed prints lightened in the fixer and lost all detail in the final wash. This is what the back of the paper looked like. Any ideas what happened?

100

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Some images from the 19 April Earth Day/50501 demonstration in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It took me a while to develop and scan the film. All rolls were developed in Pyro HD, and I’m really satisfied with it so far. Lesson learned: the secret to keeping Maggie happy at a protest is chocolate.

010

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

The scene from our roof over roughly six months, captured using a pinhole (can) camera zip tied and gaffer taped to a humble vent stack. A little water intrusion but otherwise no worse for the wear!

181

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

Here’s the platinum-palladium print of the Beaver River I shared earlier, this time captured via the copy stand rather than scanner. These are handmade prints and I love seeing the way others apply their emulsion, so it’s fun to be able to share this.

030

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

Added a copy stand to the home studio…which is gradually taking over the entire basement. I don’t have access to a scanner that will accommodate larger prints, so hopefully this will do the trick!

010

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

50501 Earth Day Demonstration at the Minnesota state capitol on 4/19/25. Kodak Tmax 100 developed in PyroHD. The reel malfunctioned and I damaged the film, but I really like the chemistry. I’ve stocked up on 35mm, as there’s going to be a lot of this in my future.

040

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 19/04/2025

Trying Pyro HD as a more economical developer, compared to what I’ve been using (Ilford DDX). This stock solution (100ml) should dilute to 10L of working solution at 1:1:100, which seems crazy. Like all things film, I’ll believe it when I see it…

020

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 19/04/2025

North of University Avenue in Saint Paul, Minnesota. March 2025. Industrial neighborhoods are playgrounds for large format photography, especially on Sundays when they tend to be deserted. I loved the “marbling” on the pavement here, created by loose bitumen and salt deposits.

020

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

Found chair in ice, March. I’m disappointed in this image. I really liked the subject but I badly misjudged the metering and had to do a lot of editing to make it serviceable. I had hoped to print this, but the only way that’ll happen will be as a digital negative which I’m not equipped for!

010

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Platinum palladium proofs from an 8x10 negative made in 2023. Fast Eddie!

000

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Platinum Palladium print from an 8x10 negative on Hahnemuhle Platinum Rag, March 2025. Image made on the North Shore of Lake Superior in November 2024.

000

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

Lovely afternoon in Midway Saint Paul with the big camera. Time well spent.

020

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

Platinum palladium print from an 8x10 negative on Hahnemuhle Platinum Rag. 01:25 exposure FTW.

010

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

I have the house to myself…perfect for some quick Platinum Palladium proofing. These are the results after some test strips, with the original proof at rear. Contact print of an 8x10 @ilfordphoto.com negative using a light box and chemistry from Bostick & Sullivan.

010

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

Onion River rock, north shore of Lake Superior, January. When it gets cold enough it’s possible to hike upstream on many of the frozen rivers flowing into Lake Superior. The Onion is smaller and quite intimate once you get way from Highway 61. Coldest ever large format outing for me, -5f.

000

Jake Gale @jakegale.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

Baptism River, Tettegouche State Park, November. Time spent composing an image next to a cascading river is time well spent, regardless of the result.

031