Pdexposures.TV

This is going to be a much shorter post than normal, but I just had to share this today.  One of the photographers I follow, Nate Matos, released the first episode of his newest project, Pdexposures.TV today.

Nate is a Portland, Oregon based creative that has a vast portfolio of work (both client based and personal project) and has an affinity for shooting film and experimenting with different cameras.  In fact, Nate is the reason that I found the Film Photography Project.  I came across an image of a camera he donated to the FPP on his Flickr account and I was hooked (on both FPP and his photography) ever since.  Nate's been doing some really amazing project work over the past couple of years, completing not one, but two instant film based Project 365s.  You can check them out here.

Pdexposures.TV is an extension of Nate's YouTube channel where he reviews cameras that he picks up.  He's typically shot those episodes on a web cam but those constraints are gone as he takes to the streets of Portland to shoot and review cameras.  In the premiere episode, Nate reviews the Rollei 35.  It's refreshing to see a web based show about film photography launch in 2013.  Nate's got more than camera reviews planned for upcoming episodes, so it should be quite an exciting year following his adventures.  I know I can't wait to watch!

 

2013 Photo Resolutions

As with kissing at midnight, eating sauerkraut, pork and black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, the photo resolution post has been a tradition over the past two years for me.  It allows me to “verbalize” my goals for the coming year; provides me with a format to revisit my goals should I lose focus; serves as a template to review my year and allows me to progress as a photographer and as an artist. This annual post has been very instrumental in my development and I am glad I decided to do it two years ago.  This year is no different.  I feel as if I progressed the most as a photographer in 2012 and the only way to continue progressing is setting goals and working towards those goals.  I’d like to think that 2013 will be a great year for me; however, I’ve literally gotten off on the wrong foot as I’m dealing with a foot injury that is hindering my mobility.  Regardless, I’m going to set out to accomplish the following resolutions along with some non-photography related personal goals.  So, without further ado, here are my 2013 Photo Resolutions:

(1)  Continue to shoot more film-In 2011, I really began experimenting with film and I loved it so much that I resolved to shoot more of it in 2012.  I happily accomplished that goal last year, but I don’t want to stop there.  I hope to continue keeping the majority of my workflow film based; I want to shoot more rolls of film than I did this past year and I want film to be another distinguishing factor of my work in comparison to what other individuals are doing photographically.  I’ve listed the reasons that I love shooting film numerous times and I’m not going to go over them again.  However, I’ve been able to watch a project I’ve been working on for over two years come to life better than I anticipated; one main reason is my choice to shoot the project entirely on film.  I have more control over the final image by being able to select a different camera, film stock, technique or paper based on the image.  I simply wouldn’t have been able to produce the art I imagined  if I were using digital camera technology.

(2)  Rededicate myself to instant film-I fell in love with instant film in 2011 and last year I resolved to experiment more than I had before.  Unfortunately, I felt I did not live up to that resolution.  I began the year exclusively shooting Impossible Project PX600 Silver Shade UV+ Black Frame for a project.  I pushed the SX-70 and the film to the limit for the project and I was very happy with the result; however, that was the end of my experimentation.  I casually shot instant film throughout the year, trying out various Impossible Pioneer films while also snagging up old generation film and special editions.  I didn’t experiment with emulsion lifts or transparency techniques or any other time tested Polaroid manipulations.  That is going to change in 2013.  I’m loaded with a fridge of Impossible Project PX70 PUSH! and PX600 Silver Shade UV+ Black Frame film and I’m currently working out ideas for a possible project.  In addition to that, I resolve to try the new films immediately and learn their intricacies instead of purchasing them and letting them sit in my fridge until I go on a trip.  Instant film is wonderful and I want to embrace it now more than ever.

(3)  Continue forward progress with my major photo project, while also developing side projects along the way-I've been working on a major photo project for the past two years.  The first year was what I call the conception phase.  I went through source material, developed ideas, redeveloped those ideas and started to formulate a plan for creating the photographic images.  Last year, I continued to research source material, further tweaked the original ideas and actually began shooting the project.  To date, I have three completed images for the project.  I haven’t finished the final prints for those images yet, but I do have working prints which have allowed me to assess if my vision was realized with each image.  I can proudly say that I’m very happy with the direction the project is headed and I look to continue that progress in a major way in 2013.  I’ve already begun preparations for the next image in the series (I’ll be shooting test rolls in the next week or so) and I hope to be creating final prints of some of the images by the end of the year.  Besides this project, I need to continue to work on side projects that I’ve been working on for the past couple of years.  I have a few that are in various stages of development and I have some  ideas for other projects I would like to start.  For me, it’s really a balancing act.  I can’t become too focused on one project because it would prevent me from working on other things or missing photographic opportunities.  As long as I stay focused on the long term goals but not lose sight of what’s in front of me, it should be a very fruitful year for my photographic projects.  

(4)  Bring at least one project to completion-Following up on the third resolution, I would like to complete one of the projects I have in development this year.  Completion of a project for me is to produce finished, exhibition quality, darkroom prints; a book and/or a solo or joint show.  Along with that, I would like to add the work to my websites and social media pages.  I’ve had so much work in the development phase the past year that I haven’t even posted (what I consider to be) my best work for anyone to see.  If I can at least get one project checked off my list for 2013, that would be a great accomplishment.

(5)  Finally shoot something on Lomokino/Super 8-I've been dancing around this resolution for the past couple of years.  It initially started with creating a stop motion video with my photographs and evolved into shooting Super 8.  It’s now developed into the resolution that you see here.  I’ve been flirting with video in a number of ways for the past couple of years.  I’ve created, shot and edited a number of service line videos for work using a flip video camera; I shot a tutorial on the coffee pour over method for a school project; I produced a video review for the Diana F+ camera and I helped a friend of mine shoot a short film for his video production class.  It’s time I stop talking about shooting something for myself and do it.  This past Christmas I was given a Lomography Lomokino camera.  For those of you that don’t know, a Lomokino is a video camera that takes 35 mm film.  It divides each frame into four, providing you with 96-140 shots on one roll of film.  Once developed and scanned, those exposures are combined into a video editing program to make a short film.  It’s very lo-fi, but can produce excellent shorts.  As I mentioned in resolution three, I’ve been working on a major project for the past couple of years.  I’ve been batting around ideas of how to incorporate the Lomokino and/or Super 8 into that project.  I feel like I’m very close and once I have the idea solidified, I’ll be entering into the world of moving pictures.  It’s meant to compliment my work with still cameras, not replace it.  2013 is a great year to finally start and I believe there’s no better year to accomplish this resolution.

(6)  Become better in the darkroom-After accomplishing my resolution of getting into the darkroom, I feel this is the perfect time to remind myself that the work has only just begun.  Mastering a craft requires dedication and repetition and no where is that more true than in the darkroom.  If I didn’t continue darkroom work throughout this year, I would be no better than I am now.  There are so many variables, techniques and processes that I can learn to make my printing and developing better, it would be a crime to stop now.  I want to build on what I’ve started and take my photography to new heights.  The old adage “practice makes perfect” is true and I plan on exercising it in the darkroom this year.

(7)  Learn to shoot large format- Shooting large format was a resolution that I set out to accomplish last year.  Unfortunately, it was one that was lower on my priority list and I wasn’t able to accomplish it.  I’m still very interested in learning to shoot large format and that’s why I’m putting it on my resolution list for the second year in a row.  I’ve seen the detail in a 4x5 and 8x10 negative and it’s quite amazing.  Large format would be just another way for me to bring my photography to another level.

(8)  Learn at least one alternative process by the end of the year- Again, this was another resolution that was on the list last year that I didn’t get around to.  However, because I just started work in the darkroom during the last quarter of 2012, I really wasn’t able to dive into the processes used by photographers from the pioneering days of this art form.  So, with the basics under my belt and a whole year of darkroom work ahead of me, I plan on learning at least one alternative process by the end of 2013.  I really like the look of these historic processes and I believe they could enhance a few projects that I’m currently working on.  To be able to to still create art the way they did centuries before me is just an astounding and beautiful thing that I want to be a part of. 

(9)  More studio work- I’ve never been a big fan of studio work.  Not that I didn’t like the look of the final image, but I’ve never really been drawn to the elaborate lighting set ups, backgrounds and posed shots.  Maybe it’s because I have this idea of a “canned” senior picture portrait studio in my mind.  I worked with still life a great deal in 2012 and I even purchased a small beginner’s table top lighting kit.  I love natural light but I did enjoy using selective lighting in a number of my images from the past year.  I would like to expand on this; possibly picking up some bigger lights and backgrounds and doing more conceptual still life and portrait work.  I believe this could add another dimension to my photography and it’s definitely worth exploring.

(10)  Better market myself as a photographer- Over the past four years I’ve grown as a photographer.  I went from an eager beginner with a point and shoot digital camera  to amateur with a DSLR to a conceptual film shooter that works in the darkroom.  I have entered regional, national and international competitions and I’ve begun to gain  recognition among my peers in the area.  I’ve even sold a few prints.  However, if I ever want my work to be known outside of this region, I need to better market myself as a photographer and artist.  I’m a marketer during the day, so this should be no problem, right?  Part of the process is putting myself out there, which is something I sometimes have trouble with.  I need to start making better connections and networking with artists, galleries and arts councils.  I need to be visible outside of just photo competitions.  I need to have a better web presence and I need to start sharing more of my work.  By doing these things, my hope is that the images I create  will reach a greater audience.  I have a few things planned for 2013 that will hopefully help accomplish this.  Regardless, I’m looking forward and upward and that’s the only way that I’ll achieve more than what I have to this point.

I can’t think of a better way to end this post than by looking forward.  I’m grateful for finding photography and finding an outlet for this creativity and vision I have inside me.  I want to continue to improve and pay homage to a craft that has been wonderful to me these past four years.  I also want to say thank you to the readers and followers of this blog and my work.  I appreciate you and I hope you enjoy this journey as much as I do.  Here’s to another wonderful year in photography.  Cheers and keep shooting!

2012 - Year in Review

It’s December 31,2012,  even though it doesn’t seem possible.  It literally feels like I was just sitting in downtown Sonoma, California, contemplating how my year in photography had ended up and what my resolutions for 2012 would be.  I was proud of my progress over the course of that year, but I was focused on not settling for what I had accomplished to date.  As I look back at my 2012 photo resolution post, I feel like I made some lofty goals for myself.  While I might not have accomplished everything on the list, I can walk away fully satisfied with the year I’ve had and an eye for even better things to come in 2013.

To recap, here were the resolutions I set for myself in 2012:

• Shoot more

• Shoot more film

• Experiment more with Polaroid (Impossible Project)

• Begin working in the darkroom

• Start shooting large format

• Expand my participation in art shows

• Expand my participation in photo clubs

• Participate in another solo show or a joint show

• Start shooting Super 8

• Experiment with alternative processes

Again, as I look at this list, I can’t help but think it’s a lofty list.  Regardless, here’s how I fared in 2012.  When I set the resolution of shooting more, it didn’t mean to shoot more in regards to quantity.  It meant to shoot more in regards to quality and to go on more dedicated photo excursions.  As I look back through my work from 2012, I can honestly say that I didn’t come near the quantity that I shot in 2011, but I certainly increased the quality of my work.  I feel that I’m my own worst critic; however, I would select almost any of my “best” images from 2012 and put them up against what I considered to be my best in 2011.  I really feel like my photography has taken a huge step forward in regards to the conceptual nature of what I create.  Don’t get me wrong, I still have a long ways to go, but I feel as if I’m heading in the correct direction.  In regards to the second part of the resolution, I did set aside more time for dedicated photo shoots/excursions.  In addition to the three vacations we took (Seattle, New York City, Upstate New York), I went to an analog photography weekend event in Cleveland, Ohio and I set up numerous photo shoots around my area for a few projects that I’m working on.  I believe those dedicated sessions were very integral in helping me to create more quality work in 2012.  
The second resolution was to shoot more film and I can say with a certainty that 2012 was most definitely a year of film.  I have already shot more rolls of film than I did last year with a few outstanding rolls to be finished up before the year’s end. I rarely touched my digital gear, only picking it up for a few shoots.  I used it for work, a few small projects and a family portrait shoot.  The rest of my year was spent producing black and white negatives I shot with (mostly) my medium format cameras.  Shooting film has completely altered the way I approach the creation of an image and has given me a finer appreciation for the finished product - a print.  There’s something to be said for the process of using film.  It’s the antithesis of immediate gratification.  You’re limited in the number of frames you have to shoot with and you can’t see the result instantaneously.  There’s a bit of anxiety involved, but the feeling of pulling your film out of the developing tank and seeing the images you took for the first time is something that absolutely can’t be replicated.

The next resolution was an extension of the shoot more film resolution.  It involved my continued experimentation with instant film.  I developed a love for instant photography in 2011 and I looked to continue that in 2012.  This was a resolution that I feel I didn’t fully accomplish.  I shot a lot of instant film over the course of the year, but I didn’t feel that I explored it’s full creative potential like I hoped for.  While I experimented with new types of film released by the Impossible Project, loaded up on their older formula films and started a project that had been in the conception stage for a year with their silver shade black frame film, I didn’t spend a great deal of time doing emulsion lifts, transparencies or reclaiming my negatives.  This is something I hope to rededicate myself to in 2013, but I’ll leave that for my 2013 photo resolutions post.

My fourth resolution involved a different type of experimentation - the traditional darkroom.  For me, this was the most important resolution of 2012.  I felt as if I couldn’t take my photography to the next level until I learned to work in the darkroom.  Darkroom work didn’t start until the third and fourth quarter of 2012, but I’m glad to say that I accomplished this resolution.  I had a lab at my disposal and a willing teacher ready to teach me through my connection with Edison Community College and the Edison Photo Society; however, due to the society’s transitional position with the college, that fell through.  After that, I went on a search for a public darkroom in my area and I came across one in the city of Kettering.  It simply required an orientation session and a small fee per use.  With a facility at my disposal, all I needed was some instruction and I was ready.  Luckily, a friend I met through the Film Photography Project, Mat Marrash, offered one-on-one workshops catered to the individual needs of the student. I  contacted him and he set up a two weekend workshop that would teach me the basics of film developing and the finer aspects of optical printing.  I have now successfully developed four rolls of film and have printed numerous contact sheets and a variety of working prints, all on my own.  I’m constantly learning and I love spending a few hours in the darkroom making my photography come to life.  I look forward to expanding my skills to print quality enlargements for future exhibitions and projects.

Resolution number five was to start shooting large format.  This is one resolution that I didn’t get around to.  I’m still very intrigued by large format and I plan on shooting it sometime in the future, it just wasn’t in the cards for 2012.  However, The Impossible Project recreated 8x10 instant film and I was able to secure an old 8x10 Polaroid processor from a friend, so I very well may be heading down the path to shooting 8x10.  If that is the case, Mat Marrash is an avid 8x10 shooter, so I’m sure another workshop could be developed if that’s the direction I want to take.

The next resolution was to expand my participation in art shows and competitions.  I’m proud to say that this was a resolution that I easily accomplished.  I competed in more exhibits (juried and non-juried) than I ever have before.  I exhibited my work all over the region and I even entered a few national and international competitions.  It was a very good year for awards and recognition, but I don’t plan on stopping there.  I already have an ongoing list of exhibits that I would like to enter in 2013; if I keep to that list, I should easily surpass my participation from 2012.  I just hope that I have as much success and luck in the coming year as I did this past year. In addition to my increased participation in art shows and competitions, I resolved to expand my participation in photo clubs.  While I didn’t join any additional clubs this past year, I spent a great deal of time helping the existing members of the Edison Photo Society decide the fate and direction of our struggling club.  A unanimous decision among members led us to break our affiliation with the college and refocus our efforts on the activities and presentations that mattered most to each of us.  We’re still on shaky ground, but the club is still together  and now has a clearer vision of what the future may hold. With that being said, I did participate in a photography critique at one of the local art councils and I met a number of other regional photographers due to my increased competition presence from the past year.  Whether or not I participate in any additional clubs in the coming year, I do look to build on the relationships with the people I met in 2012 to enrich my overall photography experience. 

My eighth resolution was to participate in another solo show or a joint show.  I didn’t participate in a solo show in 2012 and this was mainly due to the fact that I didn’t feel any of the work/projects that I’ve been working on were complete.  I don’t want to exhibit my work in a solo show capacity unless I feel that it’s finished, acceptable and worthy of public viewing.  I have a few projects in the works and I’ll see how the year plays out.  If you count any of the juried shows that I made my way into, those could be seen as joint exhibits, but outside of that, I didn’t obtain this resolution.  

My last two resolutions were also resolutions that I didn’t get around to this year.  One of them was to start shooting Super 8.  While this resolution is something that I do want to achieve, other items took precedent in 2012.  I am throwing around a few ideas for a “moving picture” as part of one of my projects and I recently was given a Lomography Lomokino for Christmas.  I plan on exploring this concept and hopefully it’s something that will come to fruition in 2013.  The last resolution was to start experimenting with alternative processes.  I was unable to achieve this resolution, but that’s mainly due to timing.  I didn’t start darkroom work until the end of the year and once I have a better handle on the basics, it will be natural for me to move to alternative processes.  I have a great network of individuals familiar with these processes and it will be very easy to obtain basic knowledge regarding these techniques.

In numbers, I obtained 4 of the 10 resolutions I set out to accomplish.  Three of the remaining six resolutions were touched on in different ways and three were not achieved.  Overall, I’m happy with my progress, as I mentioned earlier.  I progressed my photography and I look to follow that up with a great 2013.  Stay tuned for my 2013 Photo Resolutions and thanks for following along in my adventures; I really appreciate it.

Darkroom Work Begins!

One of my 2012 photo resolutions was to develop and print my own negatives.  As of September 29, I officially began my journey down the rabbit hole that is the darkroom.  A great photographer friend of mine, Mat Marrash, was my instructor for a two day workshop.  Mat is an amazingly talented analog photographer that specializes in 8x10 large format and alternative process photography.  He’s the co-host of the Film Photography Podcast, completed not one, but two 8x10 one-a-day projects, has dabbled into wet plate and carbon printing, and has created an astounding body of work with his barbershop series.  If you haven’t checked out his site, do so here.

In addition to Mat’s photography, he has a wealth of knowledge in regards to traditional darkroom work and photographic chemistry and he offers to share that knowledge through classes and one-on-one workshops.  Since I wanted to learn the basics of film development, but spend more time on the printing process, I decided to contact him regarding a one-on-one workshop.  He enthusiastically created a two day workshop agenda spread over the course of two weekends.  So, on September 29, I made a trip up to Findlay, Ohio and spent four hours in the darkroom learning from one of the youngest and talented working photographers today. 

Mat’s enthusiasm for photography and the darkroom is contagious, which makes him a great teacher.  We covered the basics of developing tanks, film reels and loading film for development.  We quickly moved onto basic darkroom chemicals and actually developed the two rolls of 120 that I shot for “homework.”  While waiting for the negatives to dry, we took a quick trip to see Leslie at Imagine That! After blowing an hour or so geeking out about cameras and film, we headed back to get working on the negatives.  We cut and sleeved the negs, loaded them into a contact printer and printed contact sheets.  We were now getting to the part of the process that I was really excited about - creating a silver gelatin print from a negative that I exposed and developed by my own hand.  Even though the final product is the same (only in the sense of the word), scanning a negative and printing digitally is nothing compared to exposing a negative with an enlarger onto photographic paper and then watching the image appear before your eyes.  It’s absolutely magical.

"Faceless"
Camera:  Hasselblad 500 c/m
Lens:  150mm
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

After evaluating the contact sheets, we chose three images to create working prints from.  We used 8x10 Oriental RC paper and went about the enlarging process.  The output ended at a total of five prints.  Mat taught me the basics of dodging and burning and we used that short lesson to make a few adjustments.  I can’t tell you how exciting it was to see the image emerge after a short time in the developer.  That feeling is taken to a whole new level after the print has been fixed, washed and dried and you’re holding it in your hands in daylight.  To know that what you’re holding was hand-made and you had control of the entire process from exposure to finished product, is a great part of photography that is generally missed from the today’s typical photography work flow.

The second session was more of the same, but with much more time spent on final prints.  I shot two more rolls of 120 for “homework” and then I attempted to load the film for the first time on the reels in the darkroom.  It took a little while, but with a little help, I was finally able to develop the film.  A little more practice on a dummy roll at home and I’ll have this process down in no time.  After developing and waiting for the negatives to dry, we went through the working print process again.  We made contact sheets, decided on two images and made some working prints.  After evaluating those, it was time to enlarge them and make final prints on 16x20 fiber based paper. 

"Wounded Wood"
Camera:  Hasselblad 500 c/m
Lens:  150mm
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Last time, I spent the majority of my time souping the prints in the chemistry as I watched Mat operate the enlarger.  For these prints, running the enlarger was my job, so that I was comfortable with the entire process from enlarging to developing the test and final prints.  I’ve already mentioned that Mat is a great teacher, but I can honestly say that I walked away from the two session workshop confident in my abilities to walk into another darkroom and start hand producing my work.   

Watching these enlargements develop before my eyes was more exciting than the first session.  I was staring at a large print that may be hanging in an exhibit or competition and it’s something that I made with my own two hands.  The fiber based paper gives the print an entirely different feel and even though it’s a bit harder to work with (due to curling and longer development time), the finished product is more archival than RC and it just has a unique hand-made feel to it.  After going through an archival washing process, we toned the images with selenium toner.  This provided additional archival stability to the image as well as adding a little bit of punch to the final print (in terms of tonality). 

"Lost"
Camera:  Hasselblad 500 c/m
Lens:  150mm
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Of the final two prints, I definitely have a favorite.  I can’t stop admiring the beauty of the silver gelatin and I know that I’ll never tire of producing them.  I want to send another thank you to Mat Marrash for giving up two weekend days to help me out in the darkroom.  Mat’s a brilliant photographer and teacher and is very willing to pass along his knowledge and help others develop their photographic skills to achieve their photographic dreams.  Besides that, Mat’s also a good guy that I consider a friend.  I’m glad I decided to make the initial trip to the FPP Midwest Meetup for his first gallery show.  If you’re interested in learning more about developing, printing, alternative processes or large format photography, Mat Marrash is your guy.  I’ll be getting back into the darkroom soon, so I’ll be posting more work on this blog in the near future.

Seattle

This year, my annual anniversary trip took my wife and I to Seattle.  Seattle has been on both of our travel lists for awhile now and it is one of the premier cities, if not the premier city, in the Pacific Northwest.  Seattle is situated on a narrow strip of land between two bodies of water; the salt waters of Puget Sound and the fresh waters of Lake Washington.  The area was first settled in 1851 and they originally dubbed the settlement "New York," but after moving to what is now known as Pioneer Square, they soon renamed it Seattle.

It's funny that the first settlers named the city New York, because I compared the two cities frequently during the trip.  The similarities between them are obvious (at least in my eyes): intellectuals are in abundance, foodies have many choices, culture and diversity is appreciated and celebrated, iconic landmarks are present and each city is made up of very distinct and different areas.  Where they differ is the pace of each cities' inhabitants.  Seattle is much more laid back than New York.  The people seem friendlier and things seem to move at a more relaxed and "chill" manner.  Don't get me wrong, I love visiting New York, but it's not a place that I would consider living.  However, I could see myself living in Seattle.  There's something about the Pacific Northwest and Seattle specifically that's very appealing.  Maybe it was the fact that I was visiting during my anniversary with my wife or that we had wonderful weather and we were able to experience a lot that the city had to offer.  Regardless, I really connected with the city and I feel as if I was really able to take in the environment and surroundings.

Our stay was split into two areas (Belltown and Downtown).  It didn’t matter a great deal because Seattle is a very easy city to get around in and the hotels were literally a few miles apart on the same street.  Walking to various locations is very feasible and for areas that are a little farther from your accommodations, the bus is a cheap and easy mode of public transportation.  All it takes is a little consulting of the King County Metro Transit website and you will have the entire trip planned out for you.  During specific times of the day and year, the bus is free within a set downtown Seattle Radius.  We began our trip in Belltown, a cool, little neighborhood featuring some fabulous dining spots and interesting boutique shops.  It’s within walking distance of Pike Place Market, the Seattle Waterfront and Seattle Center.  One of the gems of that neighborhood was our hotel, The Ace Hotel.  The Ace is a hip, boutique hotel which occupies a historical building.  The décor can be described as hip, funky, Pacific Northwest chic.  The pricing is outstanding for a downtown Seattle hotel and the staff will recommend cool spots that won’t be found in a guidebook or by your fancy hotel concierge.  If you’re ever in Seattle, I highly recommend staying there.  A few other cool spots to visit in the Belltown area are Macrina Bakery, Local 360 and Bedlam Coffee.

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Camera:  Polaroid SX-70
Film:  Impossible Project PX100 UV+ Test Film

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70
Film:  Impossible Project PX100 UV+ Test Film

On our very first night in Seattle, we did the touristy thing and headed over to the Space Needle.  If you weren’t aware, the Space Needle is currently celebrating its 50^th Anniversary.  It was built in 1962 as the symbol of the World’s Fair which eventually lead to it being the symbol of Seattle.  It’s one of the most recognizable structures in the world and is worth seeing in person.  The ride up to the top is bit of a tourist trap, but it’s worth doing once to see the Seattle skyline from a 360 degree view.  As a photographer, it’s hard to approach a subject so iconic because it’s been “photographed to death” by countless individuals.  However, I tried to use my unique approach to photography as well as draw inspiration from Zeb Andrews’ Eiffel Tower series to shoot the Space Needle differently.  I was happy with what I was able to capture.

Camera:  Canon AE-1P
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera:  Canon AE-1P
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera:  Canon AE-1P
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Our first full day in the city began on a bike.  We took a two hour bike tour of the city, visiting many different areas like Pioneer Square, the International District and the Seattle Waterfront.  Our guide also provided us with a great deal of history about Seattle and the various areas that we saw.  It was a great tour, but buyers beware when biking in Seattle; the hills are killer.  From a couple that usually bikes an average of 10 miles per bike ride, we thought it would be rather easy.  Trust me, you find out how flat Ohio is after biking in Seattle.  After our tour, we walked a few blocks to Pike Place Market.  It was super crowded (as it was every time we passed it) and loaded with tourists but it featured some of the freshest fruit, vegetables, seafood, flowers and goods you can find.  We picked up a few lunch items, including some amazingly delicious peaches, and enjoyed lunch while overlooking the waterfront.  We did some shopping and stopped back at the hotel; from there we headed to another area called Ballard.  Ballard is off the beaten path in Seattle and is an old railroad/shipping town.  We didn’t spend much time there, but we were treated to some authentic Comida Tipica Mexican food at Senor Moose.  If you like authentic Mexican, then this hole in the wall restaurant is definitely a place to look up.  After scoring a table upon arrival, the place was at capacity and there was a steady 35-45 minute wait for patrons from the moment we were seated until after we left.  It was also voted best Mexican Restaurant in 2012 by Seattle Weekly as well as Best Margarita.  Believe me; it lived up to the hype.  Afterwards, we then headed to the super hip Capitol Hill neighborhood for drinks and dessert at an ultra cool prohibition style bar named Tavern Law. 

Camera:  Polaroid 440 Automatic Land Camera
Film:  Fuji FP-100C

Our last two days in Seattle were packed with activities.  After some antiquing on the waterfront, we hopped a ferry to Bainbridge Island.  Bainbridge is a 30 minute ferry ride from Seattle and is about 28 square miles and has a population of a little over 23,000 people.  To give you an example of its’ size, Manhattan is about 23 square miles in size but has a population of about 1.6 million. It’s a little bigger than NYC, but with only 1% of the population.  The community is vibrant, artsy and quaint.  The town center, Winslow, is bustling with boutiques, shops, bistros, cafes, galleries and museums.  It’s a great place to spend a day.  After exploring on foot, we decided to rent bikes for the afternoon and make the trek to an organic distillery about 2.5 miles away from the town center.  Again, we were faced with the harsh reality of Washington State hills. It took us 45 minutes to get the distillery and we were exhausted.  The distillery, Bainbridge Organic Distillers, was a fun pit stop.  While their operation is small and they’re still trying to perfect their formulas, they have managed to create a gin that is very distinctive and they have a waiting list for their whiskey, which was still aging in the barrels.  After a few samples and a bike ride back to the ferry, it was time to head back to Seattle for the evening.

Camera:  Canon AE-1P
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Our last day was spent exploring, shopping, eating and drinking in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.  We briefly explored this area when grabbing a drink at Tavern Law, but this time we had more time and were able to explore it in daylight.  Like other areas of Seattle, Capitol Hill is situated on a hill and is east of the central business district.  This neighborhood is very hip and reminds me a lot of the Lower East Side in NYC.  If you’re looking for a variety of things to do and a vibrant night life, then this neighborhood is the perfect place to spend your time.  After a fulfilling brunch at Oddfellows, vinyl, book and vintage shopping, coffee and espresso at Espresso Vivace and a few brews at Elysian Brewing Co., we headed to the Bumbershoot festival.  This is Seattle’s annual Labor Day Music and Arts Festival.  It’s a three day event that features countless music acts (including some fairly big names), comedians, arts and food vendors.  We had a great time at the festival and were able to watch sets from City and Colour and M. Ward.  It was the perfect end to our wonderful trip.

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70
Film:  Impossible Project PX70 Cool

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70
Film:  Impossible Project PX70 Cool

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70
Film:  Impossible Project PX70 Cool

After a morning coffee run at Stumptown Coffee Roasters, it was time to hop a cab to the airport and head back to Ohio.  In my research for the trip, I came across a quote from an article by Travel + Leisure’s Gary Shteyngart.  He was writing about a recent trip to the city and a waitress said to him:  “You have to leave it to love it.”  I think that quote sums up Seattle – you don’t know how magical it is until after you’ve visited.  Being with the right people helps, but there’s just something about this city.  It will stick with you and that’s greater than any souvenir you can purchase.  That’s how traveling should be; the feeling and memories of your short time in locations and destinations should resonate with you longer than the magnet or trinket you brought back home.  Embrace the city, become part of the local culture and reflect often.  It’s the true essence of travel and you’ll never forget.

Camera:  Canon AE-1P
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

The Lucie Foundation International Photography Awards

2012 International Photography Awards Announces Winners of the Competition

The 2012 International Photography Awards received nearly 18,000 submissions from 104 countries across the globe. IPA is a sister-effort of the Lucie Foundation, where the top three winners are announced at the annual Lucie Awards gala ceremony. The Foundation's mission is to honor master photographers, to discover new and emerging talent and to promote the appreciation of photography. Since 2003, IPA has had the privilege and opportunity to acknowledge and recognize contemporary photographer's accomplishments in this specialized and highly visible competition. Visit www.photoawards.com.

I'm very excited to announce that I was awarded in the International Photography Awards Competition for the following:

• Honorable Mention in Architecture - Buildings category for the winning entry"Solitude."
• Honorable Mention in Architecture - Historic category for the winning entry"Solitude."
• Honorable Mention in Architecture - Interior category for the winning entry"Solitude."
• Honorable Mention in Architecture - Other category for the winning entry"Solitude."
• Honorable Mention in Deeper Perspective - Deeper Perspective category for the winning entry "Solitude."

You can view my work and the other winners in the gallery here.

I've been working on an ongoing series, photographing abandoned prisons and mental institutes. Below is the five image series "Solitude" and a companion piece that I submitted to the competition.

Solitude emphasizes the quality of being or living alone.  We are born into this world in a state of solitude and we leave it in the same manner.  From a young age, we are taught to stand on our own two feet regardless of the countless interactions we may encounter through our existence.  What path those two feet lead us down depends on a series of choices that we, alone, make. The juxtaposition of our choices should allow us an unveiled view of the outcome; however, the world in which we live is filled with in betweens and blurred boundaries.  Black and white become grey, light and dark become neutral and right and left become moderate.  Regardless, one choice has to be made and each choice will bear a consequence which we must accept.  In the end, aren’t we simply making choices that somehow further our solitude in one way or another?    

Random Camera- Olympus XA2

Hello again!  It's time for another entry into my random camera/random film series.  Today, I will be discussing the Olympus XA2.  Typically, when I create posts for this series, I've at least shot the camera or film in question a number of times; however, I've only used the Olympus XA2 once.  I feel that I have a pretty good handle on this camera after one use and since the images were from the Analog's Pulse event in June, I figured it would be a nice way to wrap up that experience.

The Olympus XA (predecessor of the XA2) was introduced in 1979 and quickly became the standard for the XA series.  It was a true rangefinder with aperture priority exposure and a six element lens.  It is a compact, but mighty little camera and was the first of four cameras within the XA series.  Now that you have a brief overview of the original, let's talk about the camera that I have - the Olympus XA2.

The XA2 was introduced in 1980, a year later than the XA and was a more simplistic version of the XA.  The first noticeable difference between the two cameras is the focusing.  The rangefinder focusing of the XA was replaced with a zone focusing system of 3 feet to infinity.  Aperture priority exposure was replaced with an automatic exposure system and the six element lens was replaced with a four element f3.5 lens.  What started as a tiny rangefinder became a tiny point and shoot 35mm camera.  I happened to obtain this camera almost by accident.  I was at an auction about a year and a half ago.  The auction featured a multitude of old film cameras; most of them grouped into box lots.  I was present when the auction began and waited for a few hours, but only a few boxes had been auctioned off.  I was discouraged and didn't want to waste the entire day away, so I left.  After lunch and a few other errands, I decided to go back to see if anything was still left.  Sure enough, the majority of the cameras were still waiting to be auctioned off.  The auctioneer began auctioning off box lots for small amounts of money.  I had my eye on numerous Polaroid SX-70s and ended up winning two boxes for the low price of $11.  I obtained three different SX-70 models in addition to a number of other cameras and accessories.  Hidden in one of those boxes was an untouched Olympus XA2 with accompanying A11 flash unit.  I replaced the batteries and the camera worked like a charm.  It set in my never ending stack of cameras until I decided that Analog's Pulse would be the perfect time to use it.

There are two things that stand out to me when I talk about this camera.  First is the clam shell cover that slides open to essentially turn on the camera and subsequently reveals the lens.  It's a typical feature for Olympus compacts, but there's something that I love about it.  It's almost as if it was created for spies instead of consumers; the cover masking the main thing that makes it a camera - the lens.  However, it pales in comparison to the wonderful Minox spy cameras that are an engineering marvel and are still available and functional today.  Regardless, it brings a bit of intrigue (at least for me) to the camera.  The second thing is the shutter.  The shutter is a square red button on top of camera.  This is the most sensitive shutter that I've ever encountered.  A fellow film photographer that I met on Analog's Pulse, John Meadows, made the comment that he didn't want to get too close for fear that he might sneeze and set off the shutter.  His comment is not too far from the truth.  In fact, the first time I was introduced to a member of the XA series, I set off the shutter and didn't even realize it.  In addition to its sensitivity, it's also very quiet and functions in such a stealthy manner that it again brings about visions of spies during the Cold War.

In regards to the camera's functionality, it's fairly straight forward and can pretty much be used "right out of the box."  There is an "aperture" button on the front of the camera for you to determine the distance to your subject.  Once selected, simply point, compose and click the shutter.  The camera chooses the appropriate shutter speed and aperture and does all of the work for you.  Simply wind the film and follow those steps continuously until your roll is fully exposed.  One thing to remember about this camera is that every time you close the clam shell cover, the focus button resets itself; so, make sure you have the correct distance selected before you fire the shutter.  The camera seems to handle fairly well in a number of different lighting situations.  I used the camera to begin the day when it was overcast and rainy; I went into a few darkened alleys and I shot it when the sun was blazing overhead.  It performed quite well for a compact point and shoot.

A few things I noticed about this camera:

-  There is a green light that occasionally comes on in the viewfinder.  It's actually hard to notice, as I didn't even realize there was a light until the end of my roll.  Apparently this is to alert you to under/over exposure.  It still allows you to take a shot, but there is the potential for the exposure to be off a bit.  When reviewing the images, there were a few that were a bit darker with more grain, but nothing unusable.  So, I assume that the light was flashing when I was creating those exposures.
-  While the compact size makes the Olympus XA2 a great traveling companion, I found it to be a bit awkward in my hands.  I'm typically used to shooting larger medium format cameras or a standard 35mm SLR, so this more delicate than I'm used to.  It doesn't necessarily take away from the camera, but it took some getting used to on my part.
-  The Lomography LC-A+, the flagship Lomography camera, is a sleek, portable, highly coveted 35mm camera.  As great as it may be (I haven't had the privilege of using one yet), it does come with a steep price tag.  The Olympus XA2 (or one of the other XA models) is the perfect substitute.  Yes, the Lomo LC-A+ boasts a 32/2.8 Minitar lens, has multiple apertures, a multiple exposure switch and has the capability to add numerous accessories, but you can still apply the same Lomo rules and attitude when shooting the Olympus XA2.  So, if you want a similar camera and don't won't to shell out a fortune, pick up an Olympus for a fraction of the price.  You can always upgrade later.

Overall, shooting the Olympus XA2 was a nice change of pace for me.  Coupled with Ilford HP5+ 400 black and white film, I was able to produce some decent, higher grain, photos during the first photo walk of Analog's Pulse.  I tend to prefer shooting my SLR and Medium format cameras, so I'm not sure how often I'll use this.  However, I can't rule out that this won't end up in my camera bag on the next outing :)

Analog's Pulse Instant Photos

In my last post, I mentioned that one of the three photo walks that took place during the Analog's Pulse weekend in Cleveland, Ohio was an instant photo walk.  This was probably my favorite walk of the day, as I was able to use two of my favorite cameras - The Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera and the Polaroid SX-70 Sonar One Step with ND filter.  While I didn't place in the instant photo contest, I did create a few images that I'm very happy with.  Below are some of the fruits of that walk.  Enjoy!

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera
Film:  Impossible Project PX70 Cool

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70 Sonar One Step w/ ND Filter
Film:  Impossible Project PX600 Silver Shade UV+ Black Frame

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera
Film:  Impossible Project PX70 Cool

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70 Sonar One Step w/ ND Filter
Film:  Impossible Project PX600 Silver Shade UV+ Black Frame

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera
Film:  Impossible Project PX70 Cool

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70 Sonar One Step w/ ND Filter
Film:  Impossible Project PX600 Silver Shade UV+ Black Frame