Through the Lens: A Film Photography Discussion

Jun 72025

archive : 2025

Through the Lens: A Film Photography Discussion

Click to reserve your ticket

Jas Leon

Join Leica Camera for an in depth discussion regarding the analog perspective in the digital age.

Presenters: Sara Messinger Chris Chu Jas Leon

Moderators: Chrys Davis

Location: St. Ann’s Warehouse

#Panel

Presented by:

In a time where the digital world is overtaking so many aspects of life, film photography remains a deliberate, hands-on craft—and it’s experiencing a powerful resurgence. Join us for Through the Lens: A Film Photography Discussion, an insightful panel discussion that brings together contemporary film photographers, artists, and enthusiasts to dive deeper into the role of film today. Learn more about the perspectives of Sara Messinger, Chris Chu, and Jas Leon as the discuss why they choose film photography with moderator Chrys Davis.

Presenter Bios

Sara Messinger

Born in 1998 in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Sarah Messinger studied photography at NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. Since then, she has been working as a documentary photographer, developing her long-term series depicting stories that focus on gender, identity, and subcultures. In 2021, she was chosen by New York Times Magazine to document the “reawakening” of New York City after a year of strict COVID lockdowns. She lives in New York.
Chris Chu

Chris Chu is a documentary photographer living and working in Brooklyn, New York. His passion for his photography has served as the perfect vehicle for his love of people and the words that they carry. From diners, barbershops, and Olympic weightlifting gyms to basketball courts, and South African Zulu villages, Chris’ photography is his way of listening to the world.
Jas Leon

Jas Leon (b. in Los Angeles, CA) is a Guatemalan-American photographer based in New York City, where the vibrant pulse of city life serves as both canvas and muse. Through her lens, Leon weaves together narratives of resilience and grace, celebrating both the ordinary and extraordinary. Her photographs are not just visual records; they are poetic eflections on the lives and voices that often go unnoticed in the

Moderator Bios

Chrys Davis

Chrystofer Davis is an award-winning fine art photographer, muralist, filmmaker, and Adjunct Professor at Montclair State University, based in Newark, NJ. Davis’ work is rooted in street and portrait photography that explores themes of culture, identity, and community through a contemporary lens.

Davis has worked and collaborated with global brands and institutions such as The New York Times, Disney, The Obama Foundation, Leica Camera, and more. He has also led lectures and workshops, promoting the value of analog photography in the digital age. Named one of the “5 Best Fine Art Photographers in Newark” by Peerspace, Davis is praised for his ability to portray Newark’s people and architecture with depth and nuance.

In 2023, he was awarded the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship in Photography. His work is archived in prestigious collections, including The Schomburg Center, The Met’s Watson Library, The Bronx Museum, Tufts University, and The Newark Public Library.

Organizations

Leica Camera

For 50 years, Leica Galleries across the globe have existed as more than mere exhibition spaces. They are places for imagination, dialogue, and connection. Since the first Leica Gallery opened in Wetzlar in 1976, a global network of Leica Galleries has grown across continents. These galleries are united by the belief that images have the power to move people and change perspectives. The Leica Galleries celebrate the art of seeing and the power of photography. They have been bringing cultures, generations, and stories together, spanning borders, for half a century—reinforcing the idea that true photography is timeless and that seeing is still a universal language.