Ashley Doedens stands with one of her photos during the recent opening of her exhibit at EOU called âThe Art of Veterinary Medicine.â The Observer/DICK MASON

The sunlight dancing through the windows of this EOU building is helping awaken an art many thought had experienced its sunset.

The main lounge of the Hoke Union Building is the site of a new

photo display attracting fans of black and white film photography and

those with a passion for animals.

The exhibit is the “Art of Veterinary Medicine” by EOU senior

Ashley Doedens. It features eight framed black and white images of

veterinarians and their staff members at work. Staffs at veterinarian

clinics are shown doing surgical procedures, examinations, lab work and

more.

All are in black and white, a forgotten medium in today’s age of bright digital hues. Doedens chose to take black and white rather than color photos because she wants viewers to see the people and animals in her images, and not be distracted by blood and other elements.

“I want people to see what is going on and not be scared by it,” Doedens said. “I did not want to make things look too gory.”

The use of black and white images softens some elements in the display while adding energy.

“Black and white gives (the exhibit) a more dramatic feel,” said Doedens, who is from Lynnwood, Wash.

The Eastern senior took her photos with a film camera rather than a digital camera. Doedens prefers film because she said it is easier to enlarge a film image and maintain its sharp focus and definition.

“You get higher quality images with film,” she said.

Doedens spent long hours in the darkroom developing her prints. She said this was necessary to bring out the striking contrasts.

The EOU student made the exhibit for her senior capstone project. Doedens is a liberal studies major who is minoring in animal studies and art. She chose to do the exhibit for her capstone project because it “combines two of my passions – art and animals.”

Doedens wants to start a career as a veterinarian technician. She has applied for admission into a veterinarian technician certification program in Washington.

She decided to pursue a career as a vet tech in part because she liked her experiences while working in veterinary offices in Lynnwood and Edmonds, Wash., where she took her photographs. Doedens enjoyed her experiences at the animal clinics but found that working at them is more work than people realize, something she wants people to see in her exhibit.

“People think it’s fun and games. It’s not cute and fuzzy – it’s hard work,” Doedens said.

Cats were among the animals she worked with at the clinics, but there are no photos of them in her exhibit even though she is a feline fan.

“They are hard to photograph because they are nervous and always trying to hide,” she said.

The senior’s display includes a notebook with detailed technical information about the medical procedures shown in her exhibit. Doedens’ display will be up at Hoke through Jan. 30.