In One Session...

Music | Avalon by Roxy Music

A new Muse... I hope so.

Juliana and I have recently collaborated in informal settings before, but this session was our first formal sitting. We came up with a general game plan in advance. My goal was to have an 8x10 ambrotype for the upcoming exhibition, which is counting down way too quickly. Interspersed between the plates, I used a digital slr and my ipad with the tintype app to "grab" what I could. I thought it was cute, even before we started that Juliana felt nervous. However, I knew I would get what I needed. The filler photos that I don't count on to get meaningful images worked out amazingly well...


Tin Type App

Tin Type App

Tin Type App

Tin Type App

Digital

Digital

Digital

Digital

Digital

8x10 Ambrotype

8x10 Ambrotype

Mitsu | 8x10 Ambrotype

Music | Summer Haze by Shapeshifter


Mitsu in Rope | 8x10 Ambrotype
No matter how many times I tell you what this image is, how you see it on the screen, you will never know how amazing it is unless you see the real thing. This was the image I was holding in my hand in the rinse water and knowing I didn't need to shoot anymore. It was the 1st plate of our session and I could have just ended it...

Though I do strive for perfection, my perfection is not yours. I didn't intend the flaws, and yet I love them here. I know I have issues with my developer pour, but I see nothing that bothers me here regarding the pour. What gets me is how this image just falls into the place where I just feel it could not get better, at least within the time frame and situation we were in. I don't get this feeling often, but when I do, I want it to last forever...

Fuji 3000B Black and White Instant Film...

Music | Silent Spring by Massive Attack

This is the 3rd time shooting with the converted Polaroid Camera with the Fuji 3000B film. I love working with this combination as my results are so malleable. The rendered print itself is quite nice as is, but with the negative available, so long as it doesn't solarize, gives even more options during and after the scan process.

I am so disappointed that this film is being discontinued by Fuji. It seems I know of so many people using it, it is hard to believe that sales are not able to keep the production going...

As it is, I will be using it until I can no longer afford the film or until it is totally gone...

Sadness...


Mitsu in Kimono and Rope

Mitsu

Music | Everybody Here Wants You by Matthew Herbert & Dani Siciliano

One of the best of the best... Mitsu is a stellar model with a unique look and I am only too lucky to be able to work with her for a 2nd time. Today, without much forethought, we took a total of maybe 25 exposures. That includes 2 ambrotypes, 2 Fuji 3000B exposures (one shot did not expose) and maybe 20 digital images of which I picked 10 to process.

I honestly knew after the first photo, the first plate, I could have called it a day. I'll be posting that image later. I never had that feeling before... one exposure and be able to say, "we're done...", "That's a rap..."

I wanted to give Mitsu more to select from, even though I got what I needed. The Fuji Film, for the second pic was wonderful. I even got the negative to come out nice without solarization. I pulled the digital out because I wanted to shoot the shot below. We continued with Mitsu doing a 180. Any of those frames would look great here or anywhere else!


Mitsu's Back with Rope

Taking Everything Seriously...

Music | What You Won't do for Love by Jessie Ware

It had been at least a 3 week hiatus since my last shoot. I would be working with a new model, one who I had a little trouble with scheduling the last time we tried working together. In the back of my mind, there was the thought I was going to be blown off... The anticipation to shoot again became very strong. So the let down of a cancellation would have been equally disappointing. In the end, everything worked out.

Wet Plate Collodion demands time. It expects of you to put in far more effort than other types of photography. Early in my experience with Wet Plates, I would often shoot some digital, or at least be ready to as back up. I wanted to make sure that I was able to bring something to the proverbial table after each session. Time moved on and I became more confident that I was ok, just shooting Wet Plates and nothing else.

Late last year, I started shooting both digital and Wet Plates on some of my shoots again. I'm not sure why this time, but I would grab a few images, maybe post a few, then file them away. Yesterday, my main and only concern was to shoot ambrotypes. I knew going in that I didn't have a lot of time. I went in thinking to be being efficient and purposeful. Right off the bat, the first plate was a winner. I often try and make the first shot look easy and effortless. I just want to get the ball rolling in the right direction and have some momentum going into the rest of the session. Plate 2 perfectly set up the last plate and I knew I was going to be quite happy. Without getting too far ahead of myself, I really wanted a back shot of the last pose. However, I knew there was not going to be enough time to shoot another plate, so I pulled out Mr. Digital. Haphazardly, I rang off 30 exposures, front and back, wide and tight.

Upon reviewing the files, I realized I had gotten some really beautiful digital images. It made me think how much better the digital would be if I had taken it more seriously. Instead, I just got what I could, what was left for me, as opposed to push and refine what was given to me... I know in the end, it is the Wet Plate images that really matter to me. I need to either let go of the "Digital Backup" or make the time to push and move forward...


Betty's Back. The reason to pull out the digital camera...


Betty Bound


Betty Plate 1 8x10 Ambrotype


Betty Bound. 8x10 Ambrotype

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