For Shuzo Uemoto, much of the art of photography is in mastering the technical aspects of the craft.

“;I think there's a lot of talented photographers out there, and nowadays it's very convenient with digital. You pick up a camera and you become a photographer,”; he said. “;But traditional photography—that's more of a craft that's being lost. The value of a hand-printed photograph versus spitting out 100 prints from a computer that are exactly the same—there's value there when you're treating each print like an entity in itself.”;

The Kapiolani Community College instructor and Honolulu Academy of Arts photographer served as juror for Koa Gallery's “;Darkness”; exhibit, on display through Oct. 10. Uemoto selected 44 pieces with the theme of darkness, in all its definitions and implications.

Naturally, Uemoto approached the submissions from a technical standpoint.

“;As a photographer, I was looking for technical qualities,”; he said. “;The lower values in the scale of black and white starts at Zone 3, where visibility begins, with 10 being bright white and 1 being so dark you can't see anything.”;

But he also acknowledged darkness' associations thematically. He rejected cliched images, “;like city lights,”; in favor of “;something more poetic, in a sense.”; The result, he said, was a broad range of works.

The project has left Uemoto happy not only that Koa Gallery is showcasing photography (”;That doesn't happen so often these days”;), but to discover the interest and “;quite a few”; accomplished photographers in the community.

“;I was pleased and surprised that the turnout was so good.”;

Koa Gallery is on the Kapiolani Community College campus. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and until 2 p.m. Saturdays. Call 734-9374 or visit koagallery.kcc.hawaii.edu.