Our Projects

Welcome to the official page for the documentary film 

In Lorton's Darkroom

In Lorton's Darkroom is a documentary short that tells the story of incarcerated men who come of age in DC's Lorton Prison during the early days of mass incarceration, and their journey of self discovery. It speaks to the need for diverse image-makers in criminal justice, and offers lessons the project contains three decades on.

You can now purchase our film on Vimeo (click here)

Please take a moment to view our trailer:

Empower hour

WPFW-FM Radio host DeShuna Spencer interviewed Karen Ruckman and Calvin Gorham on emPower Hour. The engaging discussion on social justice can be heard below:

In Lorton's Darkroom News & Updates

Reviews

"Congratulations to you and the entire team for winning the Best of Fest Documentary short at the Richmond International Film Festival. It's projects like yours that keep me going and inspired throughout the year."

-Heather Waters, Richmond International Film Festival Director of Programming

"These men are very much like the men in the projects I have conducted, and today most of them are dead.  Your students have produced a wonderful body of work, which helped them keep their sanity while incarcerated.  For what you did, the film was well edited to reflect the inner feelings of the men, and the impact of the project.  Your years of effort have produced something of value that you and the photographers can be proud of. 

Looking back, I'm glad that I could contribute to your project. Here's wishing you continued success in all your endeavors."

-Roland Freeman, Documentary Photographer

“This photo project was extremely rare and as far as I know the last program of its kind in an adult mens prison in the United States. The film depicts what we have missed in the past couple of decades. Despite this, the film radiates hope and shows us the bright spots on the yard. It fires the imagination.”

-Pete Brook, Prison Photography Curator, Writer, and Educator

“This film did a fantastic job in representing people, which is something I would love to show my students who at times want to tell stories or represent people that may not be in their context. Just hearing the incarcerated men speak about themselves and their visions as humans and creatives is amazing. I have had many incarcerated people in my family and it really touched me.”

-Mtume Gant, Filmmaker and Educator at Purchase College 

Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration

Marking Time, written by Nicole Fleetwood, explores how the creation of of art in prison can transform the dehumanizing experience of the Carceral System. Lorton Photography Participants, and Co-Director and Producer of Where I Do My Time, Michael Moses El and Calvin Gorham have iconic photographs included in her inspiring book.

Purchase the book here

Get tickets for the moma exhibition at this link

Watch the politics and prose interview with nicole fleetwood and piper kerman at this link

Purchase the artforum september edition, carceral aesthetics here

Read the artforum article that includes michael moses el’s photograph here

where i do my time

Where I Do My Time is a feature documentary about time, the hopes and struggles of formerly incarcerated men, and the lethal intersection between race, poverty, and the Carceral System, 30 years in the making. The film tells the story of Washington, DC’s Lorton Prison, the contentious reasons behind the 2001 closing, and what was permanently lost to the community. 

Photochange News and Updates

Press