This past week has been a bit of an off time for me. I took a break from a lot of my normal life in order to get everything ready for the holidays.
I feel empty at the end of the day when I don't pull out a camera. I feel empty at the end of the day when I don't have an image to share.
That's not to say that I'm considering another 365 days project, though. The project is tough. It sometimes means early mornings, or late nights, just to make sure that I can find something worth sharing. I want to save up some money and get a nice set of lights so that my work is able to become a bit more versatile before I even seriously give another 365 a thought.
If there is one thing I have realized, it's that self portraits are becoming more interesting. Not exactly easier to take or more fun to work with, but more wholesome. I think that Cindy Sherman was really onto something. It isn't about being completely self-absorbed or about loving to look at oneself; it's about availability, location, and movement.
I'm still searching for a personal style with my work. Perhaps it won't be long. Or perhaps my style is a lack of personal style. Perhaps my versatility and ability to create a variety of images is a style in itself.
Let's take a walk.
26 December 2010
16 December 2010
Empty, Alive, and Full
Yesterday was the first day in over a year that I didn't pick up or look at a camera. It crossed my mind a thousand time, though. "Oh man, what if I forget to take a picture." What if, indeed. But nothing. No consequences, no guilt, no itching feeling at the end of the night when I know I have mere minutes before my mind turns off.
Just calm.
Just life.
And now, without further ado, it is time for this blog to turn into something real, something far.
Do the short poems also end with this blog post? Do they cease to be necessary? Do they cease to exist anywhere but in my mind?
Or do they exist everywhere but in my mind?
And as long as we're on the subject, what is the mind? Where does it come from? If I roll across the ground, will my mind turn to Jello?
Reaching for the highest branch,
I try to catch the lark.
I see him sitting in the light,
I watch him hide from the dark.
Just calm.
Just life.
And now, without further ado, it is time for this blog to turn into something real, something far.
Do the short poems also end with this blog post? Do they cease to be necessary? Do they cease to exist anywhere but in my mind?
Or do they exist everywhere but in my mind?
And as long as we're on the subject, what is the mind? Where does it come from? If I roll across the ground, will my mind turn to Jello?
Reaching for the highest branch,
I try to catch the lark.
I see him sitting in the light,
I watch him hide from the dark.
15 December 2010
14 December 2010
Day 364/365 - Tools of the Trade
Monday, December 13.
Just one more day. A little excited. A little nervous. A little anxious.
Here goes nothing.
Just one more day. A little excited. A little nervous. A little anxious.
Here goes nothing.
12 December 2010
11 December 2010
Inevitability in the Mind and the Image
When you begin something, you are inevitably (whether knowingly or unknowingly) accepting that at some point in the future it will come to an end.
Since the beginning of photography, it has always been the goal to change and further the way that it can be used and understood. Films have changed; they have come and gone. Gone are the days of 127, 616, 620, etc. If it wasn't for the accessibility of chemicals, wet plate photography would have also gone down the same road. And it's at this time that we wave a final farewell to Kodachrome, perhaps the film that made the Kodak name. It had amazing contrast and saturation and was, at one time, the single most used film for print media. But now that era has ended. Gone are the days of the King. After December 31, there won't be any labs left that can process Kodachrome film. Sad, yes. But a time to move on. Sorry Paul Simon, but they've finally taken your Kodachrome away.
All this talk about ends. My 365 project is about to reach its end. After today's image, I will only have three days left. Three days. And then it'll be the end. The end of a year. The end of a project. The end of (dare I say?) an era.
This doesn't mean I stop shooting. It only means that I will be more particular with my subjects. No more late night, low light photographs taken to merely prolong the end. I welcome the end, now. I can look back at what I've accomplished, how far I've come, where I'm sitting. I think differently, look differently, and capture differently. I live my life in the world, but dream through the viewfinder. I often see the world backwards, and, occasionally, upside down.
I decided that I was going to use this blog as a way to share my thoughts and images; moving forward, I will be using it as a way to share equipment, artists, images, and thoughts on photography. I want to make it more of a resource than a biographical journal.
Remember, like film and the dodo, the image itself also has a natural shelf life. How far are you willing to go to make sure that your images will live on when you can't?
Dropping through the clouds,
along the surface of the sky.
Taking breaths of rain,
during the morning dew.
Since the beginning of photography, it has always been the goal to change and further the way that it can be used and understood. Films have changed; they have come and gone. Gone are the days of 127, 616, 620, etc. If it wasn't for the accessibility of chemicals, wet plate photography would have also gone down the same road. And it's at this time that we wave a final farewell to Kodachrome, perhaps the film that made the Kodak name. It had amazing contrast and saturation and was, at one time, the single most used film for print media. But now that era has ended. Gone are the days of the King. After December 31, there won't be any labs left that can process Kodachrome film. Sad, yes. But a time to move on. Sorry Paul Simon, but they've finally taken your Kodachrome away.
All this talk about ends. My 365 project is about to reach its end. After today's image, I will only have three days left. Three days. And then it'll be the end. The end of a year. The end of a project. The end of (dare I say?) an era.
This doesn't mean I stop shooting. It only means that I will be more particular with my subjects. No more late night, low light photographs taken to merely prolong the end. I welcome the end, now. I can look back at what I've accomplished, how far I've come, where I'm sitting. I think differently, look differently, and capture differently. I live my life in the world, but dream through the viewfinder. I often see the world backwards, and, occasionally, upside down.
I decided that I was going to use this blog as a way to share my thoughts and images; moving forward, I will be using it as a way to share equipment, artists, images, and thoughts on photography. I want to make it more of a resource than a biographical journal.
Remember, like film and the dodo, the image itself also has a natural shelf life. How far are you willing to go to make sure that your images will live on when you can't?
Dropping through the clouds,
along the surface of the sky.
Taking breaths of rain,
during the morning dew.
04 December 2010
Counting Down to the End
It appears as though my 365 Days project is coming to an end. I looked at the calendar yesterday and realized that I only had 11 days left. Needless to say, I grabbed a couple exposed rolls of film and took them to Colortech to get the developed in time to post them; they'll be ready on Wednesday.
The remainder of the project (the last ten days) will all be shot on my good ol' Nikon D200 that I finally get back from Kara, who was borrowing it this semester for her photography class. Looks like I'll have to learn how to use it all over again.
I already have my final day planned out. Tom's going to help me with the setup and shooting since I'll be using strobes for it. Go big or go home, right? I can't wait to finally shoot it. I also have another day planned out that will give a tip of the cap to the most important things that I needed for this project, the cameras themselves. It will most likely be a goofy self portrait, but fun to do.
I'm pretty hooked on strobing now that I've gotten a taste of it. There is so much more that is possible when one can control every aspect of the lighting in the photograph (aside from ambient light, of course). I've been watching some Joey L. videos over the last week and he explains his uses of lights. Really cool. And Tom and I enjoy poking fun at some of his choices.
Don't remember if I shared, but I'm building a darkroom in my basement. I have the space all sized out and am beginning to make sketches and plan everything out. I already have the enlarger, a ton of trays and chemicals, and enough paper and film to choke a donkey. Just have to toss up some walls. We have a sink in line and just have to pick it up and hook it up. It's all coming together. Oh yeah.
I'm also going to be putting together my UV light box soon. And that means more Gum Bichromate prints will be on their way. I just can't wait!
It's getting better all the time.
Dancing on the stairs,
you feel your head start to spin.
You can sit down at any minute,
and prop your knees under your chin.
The remainder of the project (the last ten days) will all be shot on my good ol' Nikon D200 that I finally get back from Kara, who was borrowing it this semester for her photography class. Looks like I'll have to learn how to use it all over again.
I already have my final day planned out. Tom's going to help me with the setup and shooting since I'll be using strobes for it. Go big or go home, right? I can't wait to finally shoot it. I also have another day planned out that will give a tip of the cap to the most important things that I needed for this project, the cameras themselves. It will most likely be a goofy self portrait, but fun to do.
I'm pretty hooked on strobing now that I've gotten a taste of it. There is so much more that is possible when one can control every aspect of the lighting in the photograph (aside from ambient light, of course). I've been watching some Joey L. videos over the last week and he explains his uses of lights. Really cool. And Tom and I enjoy poking fun at some of his choices.
Don't remember if I shared, but I'm building a darkroom in my basement. I have the space all sized out and am beginning to make sketches and plan everything out. I already have the enlarger, a ton of trays and chemicals, and enough paper and film to choke a donkey. Just have to toss up some walls. We have a sink in line and just have to pick it up and hook it up. It's all coming together. Oh yeah.
I'm also going to be putting together my UV light box soon. And that means more Gum Bichromate prints will be on their way. I just can't wait!
It's getting better all the time.
Dancing on the stairs,
you feel your head start to spin.
You can sit down at any minute,
and prop your knees under your chin.
16 November 2010
14 November 2010
Tom Schaefer
Looking back in my archives, I found this Polaroid I took of Tom. Tom has become my go-to shooting buddy. He's always up for photography and is great to talk to about it. His work is really awesome (check out his website if you have a chance). He has quickly caught up to me in his use of both his view camera and his Mamiya. He also recently just upgraded with his digital work by purchasing the Canon 5D Mark II. Best of luck with that, Tom.
This Polaroid film is really cool to work with. It expired in 1985, which gives you an idea of when it was supposed to be used. The process is slow and specific, but I feel that the results are definitely worth it. It's a rush to get the image (almost) instantly - after taking the photograph, it requires a 60 to 90 second development time depending on age of film, temperature of the environment, etc. This is awesome, considering most 4x5 takes much longer - depending on when you can get it to a lab or process it yourself.
It's a simple image; I wasn't expecting much. Because there was temperamental sun, some areas are more properly exposed than others. I think it just adds a bit of mystery, though, and requires that you look a little bit closer to see what is happening.
When I bought my 4x5 camera a few years ago the Polaroid back came with it, but I never really expected to use it. Polaroid film was always so expensive, and I never knew where to find it. But, I finally caught an interest in it and found myself searching for it everywhere, trying to find a decent price. I eventually bought this pack, a 20 pack, on eBay. All together, it came out to almost $2.50 per sheet of film. When I think about it now, that isn't so bad. If I bought slide film, the film and processing cost would be higher than that. So I guess I'll just wait for spring/summer to roll around again before I start using more of this film. No need to waste it during the winter.
Experimentation is key.
A tip of the hat and a slip of the tongue;
Say what you mean.
Because when it comes to chances,
you'll only get one.
This Polaroid film is really cool to work with. It expired in 1985, which gives you an idea of when it was supposed to be used. The process is slow and specific, but I feel that the results are definitely worth it. It's a rush to get the image (almost) instantly - after taking the photograph, it requires a 60 to 90 second development time depending on age of film, temperature of the environment, etc. This is awesome, considering most 4x5 takes much longer - depending on when you can get it to a lab or process it yourself.
It's a simple image; I wasn't expecting much. Because there was temperamental sun, some areas are more properly exposed than others. I think it just adds a bit of mystery, though, and requires that you look a little bit closer to see what is happening.
When I bought my 4x5 camera a few years ago the Polaroid back came with it, but I never really expected to use it. Polaroid film was always so expensive, and I never knew where to find it. But, I finally caught an interest in it and found myself searching for it everywhere, trying to find a decent price. I eventually bought this pack, a 20 pack, on eBay. All together, it came out to almost $2.50 per sheet of film. When I think about it now, that isn't so bad. If I bought slide film, the film and processing cost would be higher than that. So I guess I'll just wait for spring/summer to roll around again before I start using more of this film. No need to waste it during the winter.
Experimentation is key.
A tip of the hat and a slip of the tongue;
Say what you mean.
Because when it comes to chances,
you'll only get one.
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