Looking forward to the reception. Come on by if you can!
January 30, 2014
Valentine's Group Show
Music | Potato Vamp by World Saxaphone Quartet
Looking forward to the reception. Come on by if you can!
Looking forward to the reception. Come on by if you can!
January 28, 2014
2013...
Music | The Space Between by Zero 7
I've got a journal I try and write in, on and off for my entire adult life. Some started, but never finished. My last one had one entry for 2013, so again, I decided I will try. What is written there may or may not be as detailed, but probably much more personal. However, I always find it important to keep up this blog, as it started, not just about photography, but whatever I feel like writing.
2013...
Quite a year it was. I think for the most part, very positive, insightful, and more emotional than I am dealing with, even now. As artist, I'm moving thru some stages of my development, more technical I think, but important still. If I can measure movement, I'm pretty sure I will be happy about it. My work moved to a larger format, 8x10 and a new media, glass. The ambrotypes has me at some sort of crossroads. I'm not sure exactly what choices I've made, other than delving into it, but I think it will mark something in my career as an artist.
Structure, which I didn't realize I have missed was re introduced to me via becoming a a part time worker at a friends café. 20 hours a week has opened up my eyes in many more ways than I would have ever thought. Besides really enjoying what I do, I've realized my reality of how I've been living was way out of the ordinary. Enlightenment is a great thing and I hope to be moving in a direction of not only being productive as an artist, but a person as well...
Because there was a lot of movement in my life this year, I haven't faced head on the fact that 2013 was the first complete year that Dara has moved out of the city, being away from me. Our visit for the month of August was absolutely fantastic, but reminded me even more so how much I miss here when she had to return. The holidays sucked, but I was busy with work, which makes me feel someone is looking out for me...
No resolutions for 2014... Just merely moving with what 2013 gave me. I hope to continue the work as an artist and gain more insite to being a person...
I've got a journal I try and write in, on and off for my entire adult life. Some started, but never finished. My last one had one entry for 2013, so again, I decided I will try. What is written there may or may not be as detailed, but probably much more personal. However, I always find it important to keep up this blog, as it started, not just about photography, but whatever I feel like writing.
2013...
Quite a year it was. I think for the most part, very positive, insightful, and more emotional than I am dealing with, even now. As artist, I'm moving thru some stages of my development, more technical I think, but important still. If I can measure movement, I'm pretty sure I will be happy about it. My work moved to a larger format, 8x10 and a new media, glass. The ambrotypes has me at some sort of crossroads. I'm not sure exactly what choices I've made, other than delving into it, but I think it will mark something in my career as an artist.
Structure, which I didn't realize I have missed was re introduced to me via becoming a a part time worker at a friends café. 20 hours a week has opened up my eyes in many more ways than I would have ever thought. Besides really enjoying what I do, I've realized my reality of how I've been living was way out of the ordinary. Enlightenment is a great thing and I hope to be moving in a direction of not only being productive as an artist, but a person as well...
Because there was a lot of movement in my life this year, I haven't faced head on the fact that 2013 was the first complete year that Dara has moved out of the city, being away from me. Our visit for the month of August was absolutely fantastic, but reminded me even more so how much I miss here when she had to return. The holidays sucked, but I was busy with work, which makes me feel someone is looking out for me...
No resolutions for 2014... Just merely moving with what 2013 gave me. I hope to continue the work as an artist and gain more insite to being a person...
January 19, 2014
Framing an Ambrotype
Music | Watership Song by User's Atmosphere
So my flow with the Ambrotype is getting better. I had made the commitment on a few sessions to only shoot 8x10 ambrotypes and it appears to be paying off.
I was asked to be a part of a Valentines show a few months ago and I knew I wanted it to be on glass. I also knew I wanted to work with Eye Sea Blood. Her amazing ability to put things together for a shoot is as good as some of the best stylists I have ever worked with. For some reason, Knife to the Heart came into my head and it became the theme to the shoot.
I could write on and on about the shoot, but I meant to write about framing this new media. Oh so delicate, I had thought since I started shooting on glass how I would frame them. Lots of discussions with other Ambrotype shooters, I decided upon going simple, but elegant. Besides that, economically, I wanted to figure out how I was going to frame my solo show in June and September. This would be a good test.
Black velvet, where I have found there are many grades range in price from single digit dollars up to $54 per yard, is used for the backing of the plates.
The plate is held down with black wire at the corners to hold in place.
I put a spacer of foam core in between the plate and the cut mat.
Close up of wire
The gap between plate and mat doesn't quite translate, but you get the idea...
I have to say, I really like this presentation. The darker neutral mat works really well with the glass plates. The floating mat also works well to show the depth of the glass as well.
Onto delivering the piece for the show...
So my flow with the Ambrotype is getting better. I had made the commitment on a few sessions to only shoot 8x10 ambrotypes and it appears to be paying off.
I was asked to be a part of a Valentines show a few months ago and I knew I wanted it to be on glass. I also knew I wanted to work with Eye Sea Blood. Her amazing ability to put things together for a shoot is as good as some of the best stylists I have ever worked with. For some reason, Knife to the Heart came into my head and it became the theme to the shoot.
I could write on and on about the shoot, but I meant to write about framing this new media. Oh so delicate, I had thought since I started shooting on glass how I would frame them. Lots of discussions with other Ambrotype shooters, I decided upon going simple, but elegant. Besides that, economically, I wanted to figure out how I was going to frame my solo show in June and September. This would be a good test.
Black velvet, where I have found there are many grades range in price from single digit dollars up to $54 per yard, is used for the backing of the plates.
The plate is held down with black wire at the corners to hold in place.
I put a spacer of foam core in between the plate and the cut mat.
Close up of wire
The gap between plate and mat doesn't quite translate, but you get the idea...
I have to say, I really like this presentation. The darker neutral mat works really well with the glass plates. The floating mat also works well to show the depth of the glass as well.
Onto delivering the piece for the show...
January 07, 2014
January 04, 2014
Putting Zen into the Work Flow
Music | Lean on Me by Bill Withers
The first shoot of the year had some parameters put upon it because I was getting lazy and cowardly. The last few times I have attempted to shoot on glass, I quickly made the decision to switch back to aluminum because I had issues with the glass. Instead of working it out, I went back to what was comfortable... Of course comfort is easy, comfort is nice, but what comfort is not is challenging.
I've had my battles with my photography in 2013. I think I was set back 2 months from producing any meaningful work. I'd still be in that abyss which was pretty easy to rationalize to stay, but time is ticking for my exhibition in June. Working thru fear, all self manifested, is challenging.
Though I don't put much seriousness of starting a new year a new way, I did decide to make the first shoot only glass and the worse thing was failure to get a decent image. I decided that was not such a bad thing as I know I was going to learn something from the shoot.
I prepared with focus and more tenacity for this shoot, particularly after watching the movie, Jiro Dreams of Sushi. All I can say is, if this movie doesn't make you look at yourself and how you create and move forward, nothing will. I prepped for the shoot days in advance, with both aged and fresh collodion and developer. I bought black trays to better judge the glass plates as the image appeared in the fixer. During the session, after every exposure, with alcohol, I wiped down the plate holder and made my darkroom working conditions a bit more simple.
My pours need more attending to, both for the collodion and developer. The 4x larger plate size I am not accustomed to will take time to get used to. The first plate of the year yielded a nice image however, a bit over exposed. I was happy with the direction I was headed. 4 plates for the session and I can say I was quite happy with what I got out of it - 2 especially wonderful plates...
Victorian Polly
Damoiselle hardly Distressed
The first shoot of the year had some parameters put upon it because I was getting lazy and cowardly. The last few times I have attempted to shoot on glass, I quickly made the decision to switch back to aluminum because I had issues with the glass. Instead of working it out, I went back to what was comfortable... Of course comfort is easy, comfort is nice, but what comfort is not is challenging.
I've had my battles with my photography in 2013. I think I was set back 2 months from producing any meaningful work. I'd still be in that abyss which was pretty easy to rationalize to stay, but time is ticking for my exhibition in June. Working thru fear, all self manifested, is challenging.
Though I don't put much seriousness of starting a new year a new way, I did decide to make the first shoot only glass and the worse thing was failure to get a decent image. I decided that was not such a bad thing as I know I was going to learn something from the shoot.
I prepared with focus and more tenacity for this shoot, particularly after watching the movie, Jiro Dreams of Sushi. All I can say is, if this movie doesn't make you look at yourself and how you create and move forward, nothing will. I prepped for the shoot days in advance, with both aged and fresh collodion and developer. I bought black trays to better judge the glass plates as the image appeared in the fixer. During the session, after every exposure, with alcohol, I wiped down the plate holder and made my darkroom working conditions a bit more simple.
My pours need more attending to, both for the collodion and developer. The 4x larger plate size I am not accustomed to will take time to get used to. The first plate of the year yielded a nice image however, a bit over exposed. I was happy with the direction I was headed. 4 plates for the session and I can say I was quite happy with what I got out of it - 2 especially wonderful plates...
Victorian Polly
Damoiselle hardly Distressed
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