Artistic Summit

Music | Next Girls by The Black Keys

I look forward to when Ray throws down with his amazing lasagne, with folks bringing various libations such as unheard of Single Malt Scotchs, amazing beers and wine. Tonite will be such a night with various photographers attending, bringing in their latest creations where we talk about photographs, art, and whatever else that gets thrown into the mix. Intelligent artists who are proven creators get together and just discuss, and enjoy the company of each other. There is always lots of thoughts that come out of these meetings.

Tonite I'll have 5 pieces to show. Freshly printed, I'm looking forward to showing the work...

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.

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.

Re-Alignment

Music | Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers

I've tried to go at it alone and learn on the run... There is great satisfaction of finding solutions to problems yourself. But as my inconsistencies with my wet plates grew to great displeasure, I knew it was time to call in for help. My good friend Ray Bidegain has again come to recalibrate my head to bring some sanity to my mind.

After some great conversation over one of my ever improving lattés, we went to my work space so I could show him my set up. As I had initially thought, my issues were in the processing stages. Immediately, Ray picked up on some problems that I was having, diagnosing and coming up with obvious and simple solutions. Having a second set of eyes and another more experienced brain makes a huge difference. I saw immediately no streaks or drip marks on the first plate. We only needed to do a total of 3 plates where I think I can achieve a much higher level of plates.

This specific plate has been doctored up a bit, because of and snakey mark and dust... but there are no strange dip marks or pour stains... I'm a happy boy...

utopia...

Music } End Theme by Zero 7

The other night, I spent a good few hours with 4 other gentleman who are very qualified photographers. I use that term because of my respect for each of them, the way as true artists to keep moving forward and striving to work their passion. The evening started out with wine, conversation, then on to a fabulous dinner of home made lasagne, bread and salad. More wine, more conversation...

I was talking to a friend about my "dinner" and he was quite surprised that I would be able to attend such a gathering, as he knows my distaste for, Men of Egos... He knows me well... Though I had not thought about it before, I realized that my meetings with these other photographers were not at all about egos. There was absolutely know competition or sideline derogatory innuendo, passive aggressive statements or actions... Strange how I often strive to place myself in situations like this that I had overlooked what a sort of utopia I had happen to be a part of.

The evening continued with an article and a newly published book by Irving Penn, photographs that were recently shot by our gathering and 2 amazing bottles of Single Malt Scotch that was brought in by one most generous gent from Kansas... Not only did I get to admire some great photography, I got a few lessons on the history of the elixir we sampled that night...



Good friends, great photography and some of the best scotch I have ever had, ever...

A Beautiful Print

Music | Polaris by Zero 7



A recent purchase from Ray Bidegain. It is a beautiful Platinum Palladium print rendering light, shadows, textures and transitions that only a print of this quality can relinquish. What I have in front of me is an example of what photography really is... The simple subject standing in front of a wall, directional light flowing in from the right. There is no mysticism here... This is just pure beauty captured by an artist that has honed his skills over years of learning, years of knowing.