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Stephen Takacs

@brownieinmotion

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professional photographer | educator | artist
Columbus, Ohio.

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Find some time to find your forever art.

#614art
#614artist
#columbusart
#columbusartist
#artforsale taken in Columbus, Ohio by @brownieinmotion

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3 days ago

Help us officially kick off Momentum, the 2026 Midwest SPE Conference, at the combined Welcome Reception and One Shot Opening Reception next Thursday, October 15th from 6-8 pm at Shot Tower Gallery.

Conference registration will be stationed at the reception and there will be official conference merch available for purchase.

Shot Tower Gallery is located on the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center campus at 546 Jack Gibbs Blvd, near downtown Columbus.

One Shot brings together generations of lens-based artists whose creative foundations were shaped by the Photography Career Program at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center in Columbus, OH. Established in 1979, the program has long served as an incubator for emerging image-makers, equipping students with both technical expertise and the conceptual tools to explore photography as a form of artistic expression and storytelling.

The artists in One Shot span multiple decades, professional paths, and creative approaches. Some have pursued careers in fine art, commercial photography, journalism, and filmmaking, while others have carried their visual training into entrepreneurship, education, music, food, and family life. Collectively, their work reflects the enduring influence of a program that encourages experimentation, collaboration, and a deep engagement with the photographic medium.

By foregrounding these varied trajectories, the exhibition highlights the transformative power of arts education and the ways creative mentorship can shape lives, careers, and communities. The Fort Hayes Media Arts Programs stand as a rare and vital model—one that merges vocational training with artistic inquiry, enabling young people to see themselves as artists, skilled professionals, and active contributors to cultural life. Together, these works offer a living archive of creative possibility, tracing the lasting impact of a program that has quietly yet profoundly shaped the photographic landscape of Columbus and beyond.

The show is part of the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial: The Long View and will run from 10/15 through 12/10. Support for this 2026 FotoFocus Biennial exhibition was provided by FotoFocus and Midwest Photo. by @brownieinmotion

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7 days ago

This summer we had a blast working on #liminalbingo during @brownieinmotion ‘s dry plate tintype workshop at @penlandschool in North Carolina. Thanks to @heypatyeah for the refreshing inspiration and thanks to everyone that participated! taken in Penland School of Crafts by @brownieinmotion

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2 months ago

(and ambrotypes) Stories from @penlandphoto.

Students in @brownieinmotion’s recent workshop learned historic photographic processes using large-format cameras, creating dry plates, ambrotypes on black glass, and tintypes.

Along the way, they photographed one another, recreated a portrait made during @sibelley’s first time teaching at Penland, made a 12-hour exposure from the back porch of the photo studio, and convinced clay instructor @sanamemami to sit for a portrait that became something much more personal.

Swipe through to see the photographs—and read the stories behind them. taken in Penland School of Crafts by @brownieinmotion

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3 months ago

Pictured here is @celsphotobooth and @blisspresident, both students at @fhcc._photo. I took these portraits a couple weeks ago when @brownieinmotion (fellow alum and fantastic photographer) had me in to do a talk /demo for his photo students at Fort Hayes High School, my alma mater.

The photo class as well as other Fort Hayes career center programs are open to any student in the Columbus public schools district and the surrounding suburbs. It is free, but there were only 20 spots, so it is hard to get a spot. I was fortunate to attend as a senior in the commercial photography program, taught by @rick.kocks and @ed.elberfeld, in 1998-99.

I learned more about photography (specifically studio portraiture) from Rick Kocks in just one year than I did in the following five years getting my undergrad from Ohio State. Additionally, to my knowledge, there are more of my Ft. Hayes classmates still practicing photography or some form of the arts than my classmates at OSU.

To this day I follow the creative trajectories of my dear fellow classmates @brookelabrook, @underaurora, @t.amato81, @lindseyrome, @hristina_panovska, @nikkinicole424, @prentler, @jwitherow1, @stephanie_lehnert, and @sotoeyester (and more who aren’t on IG).

So many of my core memories and oldest friendships were formed that year. On top of that, the bands and films and art I was exposed to largely shaped who I am as an artist. One great memory was half a dozen of us packed into the darkroom (featured in slide 14). It was @angrybangry ‘s turn to be DJ and he put on the new CD Keep It Like a Secret, by @builttospill. It immediately became one of my still-favorite songs and records.

Last slide is a hand-filed negative carrier that I and everyone else also wanted to use because using it meant that your photo would be surrounded by a uniquely-shaped black border. Using a full-frame negative carrier was a sort of visual mic drop, with the photographer essentially telling the viewer that they didn’t need to crop in order to make a successful image. It was and still is a mark that I stride for. taken in Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center by @brownieinmotion

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5 months ago

This is the final weekend to view the Fieldwork exhibition at the @dairybarnarts in Athens. This show - organized by the amazing Lexie Stoia - brought together artist alumni from the Appalachian Forest Stewardship Residency including @jaromir.stoll @oliviaeshe @natelarsonphoto @jaynestruble_art taken in The Dairy Barn Arts Center by @brownieinmotion

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7 months ago

Thanks goes out to the Greater Columbus Arts Council for their ongoing support of local artists! This organizations commitment to supporting the arts in Columbus is a major asset to our city! #artmakescbus taken in Columbus, Ohio by @brownieinmotion

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a year ago

Block by Block in the Short North Part II
In-camera filtration with a broken pint glass

#bbbshortnorth taken in The Short North by @brownieinmotion

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a year ago

This summer I had the pleasure of participating in several Block by Block photowalks. During one of my favorite walks, I accidentally arrived with a dead camera battery (amateur!) So, I ended up improvising with an iPhone and a part of a broken pint glass I found in the street and made some of my favorite images.
#bbbshortnorth taken in Big Fun Columbus by @brownieinmotion

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a year ago

Upcoming Workshop Announcement!
Cyanotype Tote Bags with Mat Marrash and myself will be happening next weekend at Scioto Gardens Nursery, just north of Columbus. The workshop is $55 and you’ll leave with a one of a kind Prussian blue bag that will be the evy of your friends!
Sign up info is in my bio link tree!

#cyanotypes #columbus #sciotogardens #worksshop

First photo by @graciebeckercam by @brownieinmotion

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2 years ago

My cousin’s band Evanoff is headlining tonight at @thesummitmusichall Come on out, and support a traveling band on tour from Colorado!

#livemusic by @brownieinmotion

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3 years ago

I was just listening to @wcbe905fm and they played the song Spare Parts by Lui. Last year I had a blast working with Carly creating the art for that song using the dry plate tintype process . If you wanna give it a listen you can stream on Spotify.

#artmakescbus #dryplatephotography #experimentalphotography taken in Columbus, Ohio by @brownieinmotion

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3 years ago