Clarity

Music | Dawn by The Cinematic Orchestra

With the banter in my brain going from Large Format 4x5 and my 35mm digital SLR, I'm finding it surprising that these last 2 shoots came so easy for me with the resulting photographs very close to what I envisioned in my head. I've been working on shooting solo with Cain for over a year. As elusive as she has been, times where I just decided to give up and move on, somewhere in the back of my head I knew that whenever we got together, we'd come up with strong images in our eventual collaboration. I wouldn't call this shoot a commission, as I wanted to just as strongly want to photograph her as she wanted to be photographed by me. In any case, we got some very strong images in this loosely put together shoot...

Sherry

Music | Chasing Pavements by Adelle

My quest to get comfortable with 4x5 has taken a step in the right direction. I shot 6 sheets of Sherry today, 4 at one location and 2 here... I'm feeling a bit more confident with loading the film onto the reels and processing, though I'm still experimenting with dilutions of the developer and such... I managed to nail this neg and the other I shot at the same spot, but the other 4 sheets were like my first try and a bit thin. It is a process and learning curve I hope to have mastered by the time my other camera arrives in January. I'm also getting more comfortable with this camera, but the mechanical movements of my body are still strong and sometime dominate my head - another aspect of this transition I hope to have overcome.

Sherry is a regular, often sitting for me in times of inspiration, and times of desperation as well. My exercise of just getting out there and shoot brought us to a park on the other side of town, using the fall colours and textures as our source of creating. We walked until I felt something and here, I loved how the triangular shape of the branches framed her, off center within the camera frame. It also doesn't take much for Sherry to strike an elegant pose...

Falling Upon Us...

Music | Nomra by Matana Roberts

Somewhere in Helvetia, OR

Beauty is a Rare Thing...

Music | A Ballad for Rita by Fred Anderson

Out in the Open...

Music | The Horizon Has Been Defeated by Jack Johnson

OK, I put it out into the public... I've got people on the outside knowing what my intentions are. I have put myself in a position where I have to walk the walk...

I was just talking to a friend about a friend she was describing as a self starter, goes out and seems to always achieve what she sets out to do. Not a runner, she is now training to run a half marathon, even though she has lots of pain while running...

I know I perform better when I have people counting on me. I'm not much of a self starter. I seem to need and build momentum before before I get going... or a deadline. My interests in shooting with my 4x5 is itching me. Ever since processing my 1st batch of film, I've been wanting to shoot more. I've had a few excuses preventing me from going out to shoot... my car is in disrepair, I've got projects que'd up that I have to finish, my prescriptions are really knocking me out...

So this evening while I was writing to a friend who I wanted to photograph, I decided to extend the invitation to a bunch of people, some who will not be surprised to hear of this request, but others that will be. Most are friends, others are acquaintances, friend's of friends, people from forums...

"Before the weather starts to change for the worse, I would like to create a portrait of you. Unlike the way I've been shooting for over a decade, I'll be using a 4x5 camera and shooting film. I'm traveling down the road back to the basics. Just a camera, tripod and film.

I am not making this a big production to get you in front of the camera. We can take as much or as little time as you'd like. What is important to me is having subjects in front of me as I go back in time and work with this large format camera. My goal is to remaster the techniques of processing film by hand. Further along down the road, I hope to print some of these negs using an old technique using Platinum and Palladium.

If your interested, or not, email me and let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,

Ted"

And so I also extend this invitation to you. If you are in the Portland area, look me up. I've got a few boxes of film ready to go, chemicals to process the film and maybe a print in return (digital at this point) for you time.

Commitment!

Music | Life for Rent by Dido

The commitment is pure inspiration! To do anything consistently, every day, other than wake up and fall to sleep amazes me.



Abbey Ryan's A Painting a Day

Get out the Tissue...

Confused... and Dazed too!

Music | All Coming Back by Sarah Blasco

I don't often have conflicts selecting when a photo should be colour or Black and White when I make that initial decision. However, I think everything about this shot worked, including the colours in this photo...

Hopworks Brewry

Music | Go by Wayne Shorter

It has been awhile since PattyDaddy and HambahgaStakee reviewed a burger joint, but we just hit Hopworks on Powell to have a luscious cheeseburger, thickly cut fries and some seriously good organic beer. I've been there several times and was surprised that it had not yet been reviewed on one of my favorite blogs, Portland Hamburgers. Patty Daddy had not been there and as I had declared a Top 5 Joint, he agreed after the meal.

A Very Sophisticated Shot...

Music | Blood Count by Jon Raskin

I've always had a mantra of keeping things as simple as possible. Well, maybe that isn't true... I don't have enough sophistication to think of complex ways of doing things... Anyway, I ran into a problem with this shot as I needed to have a boom for a light to be hung from above. Because of my unsophisticated ways, I carry a minimal amount of gear. I didn't have what I needed, but came upon this...



Yes?... No?...

of course yes...

Maiden Voyage

Music | It's Amazing by Jem

Wow, this 4x5 thing is gonna take awhile to master... I'm a bit more clear knowing that I've got a lot of improving to do with my developing of film. The dynamic range can be much improved. I'm also not getting what I think I'm seeing thru the view finder. I'm feeling it is just a matter of getting to know a much larger space to control, thru out the entire viewing area of 4 inches by 5 inches, as opposed to viewing a scene thru a 35 mm slr.

My hands are wet now and I'm over the initial fear of processing film. I'll just have to keep going and move closer to what I see in my head and what I see in print.

A Rush!

Music | Epistrophy by Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane

I'm sitting on a cloud right now. For the first time in maybe a decade, I processed film with my own 2 hands. The procedure was actually much more simple than I anticipated, but I dared not look at the film, even after going thru the fixer phase which allows you to pull the film out into daylight. Methodically, I went thru my rehearsed routine and did not deviate from each step I had planned. Finally, after pulling the film off the reels to hand dry in the bathroom, I saw a beautiful negative image. Frankly, it has been so long where I had to judge negatives, I'm not sure how good of a job I did with the developing... But merely seeing an image on the film made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge! So, in the bathroom they hang, drying slowly before I can soon admire them up close.

Out of the Blue...

Music | Time and Space by The Cinematic Orchestra

I love what I do... In the midst of being where I am, where ever that might be, I'm not certain... I find an amazing face, attempt to make contact, a few emails back and forth and we meet at a café. I find that the face is even more amazing than the photos I've seen... we have a few common connections. A few days pass and here she sits in front of my camera.



Ameena sings, dances, writes, is very stylish with an East Coast lean.

Me Me Me

Music | God Bless by Lamb

Perusing Ray Bidegain's site again, I found another photo of myself. I was honored to be a part of his show he had at the Camerawork Gallery. With a bit of self indulgence in the back of my mind, I told Ray he over priced the portrait he did of me...

This was the 2nd shot of 2 plates...



the first can be seen here.

Coming Home...

Music | Flashback by Fred Anderson

The new beginning starts a little earlier than anticipated. I found an amazing face last week and will be shooting her tomorrow (actually, later today). I had decided since she sings, dances and writes, she belongs in my slowly growing artists series that I pushed earlier this year. So along with the 5D and 100 f:2, I'll be shooting some 4x5 film, which I need to have on hand to start to process film here at my darkroom-less home. I've accumulated pretty much everything I need to do so, so having film to actually practice on will be good.

I was reading on a forum how one photographer noticed that all the images he had framed and presented on the walls of his studio had all been photographed with film, processed and printed with his own hands. He knew he had taken photographs just as inspiring with his digital camera, printed with his ink jet printer, but thought that maybe because he worked, sweated and toiled with his analog techniques, those images to him were more about him than the digital counterpart.

Just before starting to write this entry, I was prepping for tomorrows shoot. I pulled out my film changing bag, loaded up some holders and felt a connection all ready to tomorrow. My hands are all ready in the process... I'm recognizing how much more involved I am for an event that is going to take place not for another 11 hours. I also know that after my shoot, I won't see results until I take the plunge and do what I haven't done in close to 10 years. Not just process film, but process 4x5 film which I've never done for myself. I hope I'm met with a warm welcome!

Wisdom...

Andrew Zuckerman: Wisdom

Smokin!

Music | The Rent by Steve Lacy

Rarely are there photos of myself I like... This year has been a good year!

I've been going out most Wednesday nights with a crew of other photographers to Jake's where we have been drinking and smoking for years - great food too... The other "gentlemen" smoke their robust cigars as I puff away on my petite clove cigarettes.

John Prutch captured me awhile back if I recall correctly with these 2 images he just sent me. What do you think, could I be shooting the shit with John Bukowski or Tom Waits?

Would I bore myself?

Music | Hello by Poe

I've known that I needed to get out and shoot again. I just have had no energy to pull anything together. However, late last week, the photo gods presented me with an opportunity to photograph an idea that I've been working on for the past 8 months, without much luck. With little advance notice, all of the elements for this shoot suddenly came together and I had a few days to prepare. In the back of my mind, I still had doubts this shoot was actually going to take place, so I was lax in my mental preparation.

I enjoy putting myself in uncertain situations and see what comes out of them. This was no exception. I've worked with one of the models before, but the lead in this photo was my elusive muse. And working with 2 models under these circumstances was also a stretch for me as I'd have to be director to 2, not just 1 as I'm accustomed to.

Watching others work is always interesting to me. I like to see how the artist goes about finding their vision. I've watched documentaries on Avedon, Annie, Wim Wenders... The interesting part is to see how they relate to their subjects and locations. I especially enjoy watching peers of mine work. I know these people and to see them work often brings about people I don't know. I like to think I am that way too. I wonder if I'd be interesting to myself...

A Camping Trip...

Music | For Your Own Benefit from the Soundtrack, The Hours

Heading out to the coast for camping has long been awaited. Apparently I promised my daughter to go camping this summer, last fall! She kindly reminded me and since we haven't done any over nighters together this summer, I obliged.

It is nice to know that our past trips have held memories that I didn't think she would remember. She wanted to make sure we stopped by the place where we had picnics in the past along a river where I taught her how to skip rocks. When she said that, I realized that her memories are all hers to pick and choose from. I am happy to be the facilitator...

Onto the camp ground, we found a nice area with trails to walk and ride our bikes. We could ride to the ocean and another nearby lake thru the woods. Seems like we just set up the tent when Dara wanted to start the fire and make smores... That was for the evening though. She did have a great time gathering firewood. It was an adventure for searching out "treasures!"

I asked Dara what her favorite part of the trip was and it was the making of the smores. She has become an expert at roasting marshmellows and after eating 6 of them, it is no wonder why...


Uprooted Tree

A Nice Distraction...

Music | One for Daddy-O by Cannonball Adderley

All summer long, Dara has been going to summer camp for all of the morning and most of the day, which leaves my time with her to a minimum... Drag as it has been, she has been having a great summer with lots to talk about and new skills under her belt. This last week, there was no summer camp, so we've been able to just hang out together to ride our bikes, hike in the woods, ice cream runs... I know she is getting to an age where she'd rather hang out with friends and do the gossipy things girls her age do and most all, to my chagrin, talk about boys... I've been told by my friends with girls a bit older than she that this time would come... I hope I'm ready!

So though I'd like to spend the last few days of summer vacation with her alone, she got to go with one of her best friends to Oaks Park Amusement Park to do whatever they wanted. Roller Coasters, other rides that would make me vomit, ice cream cones and lots of girl talk as they waited for their turn to get on the rides, ensued. As the evening was ending, they got to go an a ride, not unlike a ferris wheel, but could rotate 360º in a cage called the Rock O Plane. Since no one was waiting in line to go on, the operator of the ride asked if the rider would like to stay on or get off. 4 more times they went without having to get out and start over... No thanks!

So as school approaches, another year starting, one level of growing up surpassed, we go into another. 9 years old and 4th grade... Here she comes!