1st Step

Music | Firesuite by The Doves

It has been way too long since I've been down in the workshop to make some prints. Earlier this week, I processed two batches of 8x10 and my 3rd earlier today. I've had a fresh batch of chemicals so I decided to try a few test prints tonite. I'm really hoping for an encouraging evening with some positive results. My confidence could really use it. But in any case, it has been a very good day and early evening. I'm feeling creative and productive.


8x10 Negatives, Françoise Weeks and Stephanie

Marie

Music | Crescent by John Coltrane


Marie | 8x10

Slow Down!

Music | The Crossing by The World Saxophone Quartet

With deadlines still more than 5 months out, the Big Project I am working on with Françoise Weeks has put undo pressure on my psyche. Our shoot before today especially felt stressful to me, even though everything was pretty much figured out in advance. We had great models, I had an assistant, we had plenty of time in the studio. Yet, I realized even during that shoot, I wasn't as relaxed, or I just felt a gnawing that pestered me through most of our time.

I've gotten better at figuring out what it could be if something gets me in this mindset. I decided that like in my previous post, I needed to breathe. I was getting so caught up in the project that I forgot to just have fun. Take 3 steps back and then start over.

This shoot Françoise and I did earlier today, though quickly put together, I went back to basics. Work the grey area and make it simple. I realized on the previous shoot, I was working in extreme mode. I made things way more difficult than they needed to be. This time, one light, mostly head shots and little changes. I switched from the dslr to 8x10, screwed up a sheet, but let it slide. I thought to myself at least I realized the mistake.

I often go back to a series of portraits I did at a café I frequented called Madrona Hill. This was back in maybe 2003. I think of that series that jump started me back into being creative. One camera, one lens and natural light. Check it out. It is a short but good read.

That was my inspiration to get back home. Today was a great shoot...


Marie wearing a Françoise Weeks Original"

Postcard for the Haute Couture Botanique show...

Music | Olive Refractions by Johnny Griffin


Françoise Weeks and I will be having an exhibition! Great collaborative images from the past 4 years including tin types, ambrotypes and digital images. 3 live models enveloped in Françoise's latest creations will be on hand for you to see her mastery up close.

St. John's Coffee Roasters
7304 N. Leavitt Av.
Portland, OR.

February 20
6 pm to 9 pm

Nacre

Music | Natural Blues by Moby


Nacre Magazine : Spring Issue 2015
What a great way to start out the year. I just got the news this morning from Françoise Weeks. We knew we had the cover and what images they selected, but it is always nice to be the first to see the final product as the world will see it... Nacre Revue Art Floral is distributed out of Nimes, France.

The Search for Meaning...

Music | Basique by Little People

Recently, I was setting up a shoot to photograph a few models wearing Françoise Weeks' wares. I had found a great out of the way location, set up my gear and wait for my subjects to come to be photographed. While waiting, I decided it would be smart to do a test shot to make sure my lighting was going to work. I used Françoise to test upon and shot 1 exposure. My judgement at that time was more about what I had planned to shoot, not what I had just shot. As a test, what I saw on the lcd screen was fine - nice balance, good contrast, separation from the background... so I commenced to wait for the main event. Complications with planning for the event turned out to be not so good and I was told I was not going to have the opportunity to shoot the models...

A bit dejected, I quickly packed up my gear and left. We fortunately shot most of Françoise's work as still lifes so it was not a loss. We ended up getting fantastic photos. When I got back to the office, I thought about the shot I took of Françoise. As I downloaded the files onto the computer, I pulled the file of her immediately to get a closer look. My attention suddenly shifted to what was in front of me. Quite excited, I worked the colour image to black and white, made minor adjustments and came out with a wonderful portrait of Françoise; one that I thought held profound truth within it. Most people as I imagine see her full of life, brilliance and always with a smile. Those qualities alone captured in a portrait often would be enough. However, in my eyes, there was that, but so much more held within the rectangle box captured by the image.


Françoise Weeks | 2014

Here she is, not in context to her usual persona of all things soft and with vibrant colours. The disassociation of how most people who know her or even just seeing her work makes this image all the more powerful to me. I love tension... contrast... the unexpected...  Here we see beyond the floral poet. Here, with her hands gesturing as a genius conjuring another amazing idea and the intensity in the eyes shows a side of Françoise people don't go far enough to see. This image takes you a step further.

Queen of the Forest...

Music | Dark Day by Fred Anderson







More Collaboration with Françoise Weeks

Of Beauty and a Rant...

Music | Butterflies by Floetry

I'm all about wanting to capture Beauty. The idea of being able to seize in an image, something that pleasures the mind, to steer an emotion is quite powerful to me. I'm hoping to create not the romantic notion of where fads and pop music comes from. What comes easy certainly moves on easy. And with the vast number of photographic images being created on a daily basis, being able to create a lasting image seems to be more, less and less a priority. Our world is so into the now and not at all about history, which in fact is what photography is all about... Capturing a moment in time and keeping it there - holding on to history... In comparison to drawing and painting, photography is still nothing more than a fetus. I wonder what photography will be like 100 years from now?

With all of the photos we are taking now, making the mundane substantial, grabbing a created facial expression to convey... something, making reality more unrealistic, what direction does one go to photograph something of meaning? I know I get lost in snapping away with my camera phone. Taking a photo is now so accessible.

We all have a right to call what we do photography. Are the lines now blurred so much that snapshots and art no longer exist? I know I have my reasons to do what I do, some blurred and some more focused. I guess if I think too hard about it, I'll stop shooting all together. But like everyone else who shoots, I do so because I want to and in many ways, have to. My search for beauty continues on...


Cain with Floral Head Piece, courtesy of Françoise Weeks">

Françoise Weeks

Music | Don't Leave Home by Dido

Almost 2.5 years have gone by since the last time Françoise and I worked together. It was the biggest project collaboration I had for Wet Plates at the time, but I knew that some great things would come of it. Indeed it has as many of those photos have been published in Europe and seen around the world.

A little more than a month ago, Françoise and I had coffee to talk of another project. We knew we wanted to create more botanical couture images, and the themes we came up with was Italian Renaissance and Gothic. Maybe 5 or 6 emails passed thru our mailboxes since then and June 20th rolled around where we created more fantastic images...


Sarah Pardini


Amanda Hathaway
These images were taken with the newly acquired Valantin Petzval lens on the Century 8x10 camera. It was a hallmark occasion for me as it was only the second 8x10 plate I have ever shot and the first plate I shot with my lens / camera combination.

Floral bouquets would be nothing without colour. We also shot with the digital camera and captured just as stunning images...



More of the colour images can be seen here...

I'm pretty sure we won't wait another 2+ years before we collaborate again...

Karma...

Music | #1 Crush by Garbage

The idea of Karma is both intriguing and quite frightening. I must have done some good things recently because in the last few days, I found I would be working with some internationally known folks for what they do and incorporating them with my own photography. The frightening thing is, I know I will fuck up somewhere and I'll get my ass handed to me. But now she has granted me good news, uplifting my spirit and allowing me to move further forward.

In a few weeks, I will be working with the great Françoise Weeks, premiere florist based right here in Portland, OR. This will be our second go around on a theme that came out amazingly, garnering her some very nice press in Europe. I will merely be happy holding on to her coat tails! Look for our collaboration no later than the end of this month.

I found out just today that I will be having my 2nd solo exhibition sometime mid 2014. As the deal gets more set in concrete, I will be passing along more details. For now, I will be working with an amazing leather mask maker from New York. We will have roughly 10 to 14 months to get ready, where as my last solo show, I had 3 weeks... Will be yet another great collaboration for me!


2011 Cain | Floral Arrangement by Françoise Weeks
-•-•-


Work and Courtesy of Le Cordonnier
-•-•-

I love you, Karma...

Expanding the Base...

Music | So:Lo by Kate Havenevik

I bought a Cyanotype Kit from Photographers Formulary to learn the process of contact printing in hopes of eventually getting to Platinum Palladium. Years ago, Connie Wellnitz gave me a contact printing frame along with a UV rich light source. I'm finally making use of the printing frame and may eventually get to use the light. For now, I've been using the sun from all the bright days we've been having.

I decided to do this right from the start, so I also get a mortar and pestle, which is required to mix up some of the chemicals. I also purchased a few pipets and a smaller 250 ml glass beaker to mix everything up. I also bought a sheet of Fabriano Artistico paper. Lastly, a hake brush to put the emulsion to paper.

My first go around wasn't a total disaster. I used a type 55 negative of my Dad from way back. I thought it might be a little thin, but I got image. I wasn't sure I liked the texture of the Artistico paper. My friend Brandon Fernandez gave me a sheet of Bergger hot press, which is a much more smooth paper. Having gotten to try an few sheets, various types of neg densities, I think I'm realizing at this point, with the knowledge I have, what is most important is the negative. I'm sure I will figure out how to boost contrast, which seems to be my biggest issue right now.

Today, I had what I felt was a good negative to try again. Though the vibrance on the screen is more than what the matte, textured paper gives, this isn't too far off. I'm feeling progress!


Cain with Flower Hat by Francoise Weeks

Tri X

Music | Who is He and What is He to You by Bill Withers

Every time I process a roll of film, I"m reminded how magical photography really is...

When the Ending Doesn't Have an End

Music | Induction by Broken Spindles

The exhibition that started this project has selected there artists and unfortunately, I was not a part of the show. Françoise and I had all ready decided we would try and shoot more of the head pieces to continue the project and here are 2 more.


click to view gallery

Though I didn't get into the exhibition with the wet plates, I have no regrets at all in pursuing this project. Having brought myself the opportunity to work with Françoise, Cain and Ray, I have a series of 3 great images to put into the portfolio. It has also initiated me to start printing again, which led me to a few print sales. Working with Ray, I found I may have the opportunity to share studio space where these images were created...

Getting into that exhibition would have been a nice ending to a journey that began when I saw the first show 3 years ago. Though January was when I found out about the Call for Artists, I took on what I thought would be a difficult uphill challenge just to see if I could accomplish something from start to finish. They say the destination is secondary to the journey and I've learned that is correct. I'm not one of the artists that will be in that show, but what I started a little more than a month ago, I'm still walking thru the trip.

Artists, Creating, Something from Nothing...

Music | Angel by Weekend Players

Stepping out of the subject matter I tend to shoot, Françoise Weeks asked if I would photograph her latest creations that were going into an upcoming show. I'm finding it important to being with and working with other artists, if for nothing else, to gain perspective.


click to view gallery

The small sampling of what I shot here still shows the attention to detail, but flow and freedom in which all the various elements come together as well. I'd love to see the process... of creating happening. Magical both as a piece and process... But that is what artists do... make something out of nothing...

Push

Music | Jericho by Weekend Players

Close to the middle of January, I found a Call to Artist for a show that will be exhibiting alternative forms of photography. It is the same show I saw 3 years ago which I appointed as one of the most important shows I had ever seen in Portland. My eyes were opened to the amazing technique of wet plates. It was at that point where my interest became focused.

Last year was really the first time I was able to explore the medium, which I still have not mastered. There are so many variables and so many things to comprehend in order to merely get an image on plate. Throughout last summer, I shot, but came no where near a plate I felt great about that stood up on its own.

With that in mind, I decided to go after this Call, short notice, lack of skills, lack of confidence... Inside my head, I knew I wanted to use this opportunity as a spring board, a new beginning to push me out of where I am into a different way of thinking.

Since the exhibit was about alternative photography, far removed from modern technology, I decided to not only use the wet plate as the medium to my images, but to use subject matter without any modern adornments. What would beauty look like without fashionable cloths, jewelry, material objects...?

I've been wanting to work with Françoise Weeks, one of Portland's premiere floral designers. I knew of her work and always thought I wanted to collaborate with her. This was the project. I was overjoyed that she wanted to meet with me to discuss the project and then work with me.

A muse of many years, Cain was the first person I thought of to be the subject of this project. I'm always assured at least one great image everytime we get together.

I know most of my hurdles from this project are my own mental blocks. Having looked back at this, from the perspective of one day passing since the shoot, I realize that just getting the wheels turning was the hardest part. My hours spent with Cain, Françoise and Ray, who let me use his studio was a ton of fun!

My main goal at this point is to keep moving and push my mental insecurities.