Thursday, March 19, 2009
guess the bridge (hint: it's rusty)
It's like christmas morning every time I get some film back. Sometimes I scan in an image and it's like I just opened the G.I. Joe aircraft carrier. Other times I scan it in and it's like opening a pack of tube socks. I feel like I get one decent frame out of a roll of 12 from the Holga. I really have a lot of learning to do on this camera.
Here's this was one image that wasn't complete garbage. I'll post more up either later today, or maybe tomorrow.
I've got two more rolls in the bucket ready to go out, and another roll halfway through in the Holga and the Yashica. I really really really need to get a tank and some chemistry to do the B&W at home... these film costs are getting a bit rich.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Tuesday Artist Spotlight: Eduardo Cervantes
Tuesday already!? You know what that means!!! It's Tuesday Artist Spotlight time!!
Eddy has talent. There's no doubt about it. A quick browse through his portfolio at www.eddyizm.com immediately shows you that this guy has a great eye for making images that stick with you. I bumped into Eddy not too long ago while I was learning the ropes at Etsy. I've mentioned it before, but even if I can't make any money selling prints at Etsy, I can at least appreciate the incredible network of helpful, like minded people who have their stuff on there. Eddy is one of those guys. He's the best kind of gifted photographer - he's the kind that loves to talk about his art and help you understand how to become a better photographer by either sharing techniques, giving helpful tips or even just acting as an inspiration through the art he creates.
The first image I saw of Eddy's is what initially got me interested in a method of photography called TTV - through the viewfinder. It's a process of shooting top down into an old TLR camera where you're adding the mirror and the glass elements of the old camera in front of your lens. Shooting through the viewfinder creates a great frame and retains the dust, scratches and other artifacts that appear on the viewing screen and lens of the old TLR camera. The antique look that shooting through the viewfinder adds works really well on some photos. Eddy's not only mastered the execution, he's also proven that he knows what works and what doesn't with TTV photography. Just browse through his shop and you'll see.
Here's the image that first caught my attention. It's titled "Rest Stop":
Another of Eddy's great TTV treatments is an interior titled "Cold Hot":
Once I was through browsing Eddy's images on Etsy for the first time I made my way over to his portfolio site. Here's a tip: don't go there unless you have a LOT of free time. The amount of images and more importantly the diversity of images on Eddy's portfolio site is amazing. In particular I found myself gravitating to his travel photography, of which you can see some great examples if you just stick to the Etsy site.
One section of his portfolio that I find myself coming back to is a set of galleries from 2007 of images made on a 2007 visit to Bodie, CA. Bodie is a ghost town just east of the Sierra Nevada mountains near Mono Lake which is now a state park. It was built up in the mid 1800s during the California gold rush and gained the ghost town status in 1915. Check out the galleries by clicking on these links: Bodie 1, Bodie 2, Bodie 3, Bodie 4, Bodie 5.
My favorite from those galleries also happens to be available for purchase at his Etsy shop. The image is titled "The Kitchen":
If you want to see more of Eddy's work, head on over to his Etsy site or his portfolio. On his portfolio contact page you can also sign up to get more info and be added to his mailing list for updates.
Eddy has talent. There's no doubt about it. A quick browse through his portfolio at www.eddyizm.com immediately shows you that this guy has a great eye for making images that stick with you. I bumped into Eddy not too long ago while I was learning the ropes at Etsy. I've mentioned it before, but even if I can't make any money selling prints at Etsy, I can at least appreciate the incredible network of helpful, like minded people who have their stuff on there. Eddy is one of those guys. He's the best kind of gifted photographer - he's the kind that loves to talk about his art and help you understand how to become a better photographer by either sharing techniques, giving helpful tips or even just acting as an inspiration through the art he creates.
The first image I saw of Eddy's is what initially got me interested in a method of photography called TTV - through the viewfinder. It's a process of shooting top down into an old TLR camera where you're adding the mirror and the glass elements of the old camera in front of your lens. Shooting through the viewfinder creates a great frame and retains the dust, scratches and other artifacts that appear on the viewing screen and lens of the old TLR camera. The antique look that shooting through the viewfinder adds works really well on some photos. Eddy's not only mastered the execution, he's also proven that he knows what works and what doesn't with TTV photography. Just browse through his shop and you'll see.
Here's the image that first caught my attention. It's titled "Rest Stop":
Another of Eddy's great TTV treatments is an interior titled "Cold Hot":
Once I was through browsing Eddy's images on Etsy for the first time I made my way over to his portfolio site. Here's a tip: don't go there unless you have a LOT of free time. The amount of images and more importantly the diversity of images on Eddy's portfolio site is amazing. In particular I found myself gravitating to his travel photography, of which you can see some great examples if you just stick to the Etsy site.
One section of his portfolio that I find myself coming back to is a set of galleries from 2007 of images made on a 2007 visit to Bodie, CA. Bodie is a ghost town just east of the Sierra Nevada mountains near Mono Lake which is now a state park. It was built up in the mid 1800s during the California gold rush and gained the ghost town status in 1915. Check out the galleries by clicking on these links: Bodie 1, Bodie 2, Bodie 3, Bodie 4, Bodie 5.
My favorite from those galleries also happens to be available for purchase at his Etsy shop. The image is titled "The Kitchen":
If you want to see more of Eddy's work, head on over to his Etsy site or his portfolio. On his portfolio contact page you can also sign up to get more info and be added to his mailing list for updates.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Unknown treasures lurk on this spent roll of 620
A few weeks ago Shari over at inherdarkroom.blogspot.com posted about buying a camera and finding a roll of film still in it. Well, imagine my surprise when the Kodak Duaflex II I bought off ebay arrived with an old roll of Kodak 620 film in it all used up. You can read about Sheri's discovery here, and you can see the results of the film she got back from the lab here.
The film that Shari found in her camera was at least 20 years old (they stopped making Kodacolor VR back in '86) and unfortunately no images were visible on the film when it came back. Kodacolor-X 620 film stopped being produced a decade earlier in 1974. My roll has been sitting in the body of that Duaflex II for at least since back then, so I am not really hopefull that anything will come back off the negatives. I'm still going to try though.
The kodacolor-x film uses an old process for development - C-22. I am going to a local lab today to drop it off and they'll be mailing it out. Turn around time is about 3 weeks they said, and it's not cheap to develop. It's gonna be a long 3 weeks.
I'm hoping that we'll find some old pictures of the fake lunar landing soundstage, or maybe see who the second shooters were on that grassy knoll, but if anything does come back it'll probably be Jimmy's 4th birthday or some artsy night photos of ferris wheels... wait a minute!
If you're interested in what 620 film (on the left) looks like compared to 120, here's a photo (iPhone quality, so please forgive me):
UPDATE!
The lab wanted $55 to send it out and get it processed. That's a little steep. Gonna scour the web to see if there are any alternatives. All I want is negatives, no prints. If you know of a place, drop me a comment?
UPDATE #2!
Shari over at inHERdarkroom.blogspot.com posted a couple links in the comments, one of them with options for labs that might do C-22 processing. So I sent a note to film rescue and it looks like they'll be able to process it for $17 and they'll even scan the negs and let me preview them over the web before sending them back. The return shipping is $8 so if the negatives come back with images on them it'll only cost me $25, if the roll is bunk I'm only out $17. Only down side is that the turn around is probably 4 weeks, but for that savings ($25 vs. $55) I'll wait. Thanks again Shari!!
The film that Shari found in her camera was at least 20 years old (they stopped making Kodacolor VR back in '86) and unfortunately no images were visible on the film when it came back. Kodacolor-X 620 film stopped being produced a decade earlier in 1974. My roll has been sitting in the body of that Duaflex II for at least since back then, so I am not really hopefull that anything will come back off the negatives. I'm still going to try though.
The kodacolor-x film uses an old process for development - C-22. I am going to a local lab today to drop it off and they'll be mailing it out. Turn around time is about 3 weeks they said, and it's not cheap to develop. It's gonna be a long 3 weeks.
I'm hoping that we'll find some old pictures of the fake lunar landing soundstage, or maybe see who the second shooters were on that grassy knoll, but if anything does come back it'll probably be Jimmy's 4th birthday or some artsy night photos of ferris wheels... wait a minute!
If you're interested in what 620 film (on the left) looks like compared to 120, here's a photo (iPhone quality, so please forgive me):
UPDATE!
The lab wanted $55 to send it out and get it processed. That's a little steep. Gonna scour the web to see if there are any alternatives. All I want is negatives, no prints. If you know of a place, drop me a comment?
UPDATE #2!
Shari over at inHERdarkroom.blogspot.com posted a couple links in the comments, one of them with options for labs that might do C-22 processing. So I sent a note to film rescue and it looks like they'll be able to process it for $17 and they'll even scan the negs and let me preview them over the web before sending them back. The return shipping is $8 so if the negatives come back with images on them it'll only cost me $25, if the roll is bunk I'm only out $17. Only down side is that the turn around is probably 4 weeks, but for that savings ($25 vs. $55) I'll wait. Thanks again Shari!!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Drive By Holga
So I've been playing with the holga for a little while now, but one thing I have not been all that great about is keeping notes on what I shot with it and when, and also what I was doing with the camera at the time. So, since I have no idea how to re-create anything I've shot I have decided that the camera will from now on be loaded with ISO 400 film of either B&W or Color variety and I will use it in a Shoot-First-As-Questions-Later fashion.
I did get a tip from my friend's father who is a professional photographer that shooting slide film is a better way to go with Medium Format, so I think I'll try to pick up some of that in the near future knowing full well that my exposures will be tighter, but so be it.
Anywho - here's a pair of images I shot on the way home one day when the sky was warming up with the sunset:
As part of my goal of shooting more this year I have started carrying the Holga around with me wherever I go, for the most part. I'm hoping that I'll get to use it more and figure out how to exploit its little quirks. It's a fun little camera for sure.
I did get a tip from my friend's father who is a professional photographer that shooting slide film is a better way to go with Medium Format, so I think I'll try to pick up some of that in the near future knowing full well that my exposures will be tighter, but so be it.
Anywho - here's a pair of images I shot on the way home one day when the sky was warming up with the sunset:
As part of my goal of shooting more this year I have started carrying the Holga around with me wherever I go, for the most part. I'm hoping that I'll get to use it more and figure out how to exploit its little quirks. It's a fun little camera for sure.
I've been featured!
The Photographers of Etsy are an Etsy team with over 800 members. The talent in the group is pretty astounding. Just head on over to Etsy and search for POE and see what comes up. It's all pretty amazing stuff and there are quite a few members who continue to blow my mind with their work. In fact I featured a POE team member yesterday (in case you missed it just click here or just scroll down to yesterday's post).
So, when I was asked by Ann Wilkinson if I would be interested in being featured on the POE Blog I couldn't respond with a yes fast enough.
Here's the link to the feature: POE Blog Spotlight on ME!!
I know this is a blatant self promotion post, but I figured that given the circumstances anyone reading this would indulge me. It's not often I get featured by a photography blog (in fact this is the very first time) so I figured it was worth a post.
Take a look at the post, read through the interview, and when you're done make sure you take a look here:
-- Ann's blog and Etsy store
-- The Photographers of Etsy team page on Etsy
-- A handy link I created for you - just click here to automagically search Etsy for POE listings
Thanks again to Ann for the opportunity!
So, when I was asked by Ann Wilkinson if I would be interested in being featured on the POE Blog I couldn't respond with a yes fast enough.
Here's the link to the feature: POE Blog Spotlight on ME!!
I know this is a blatant self promotion post, but I figured that given the circumstances anyone reading this would indulge me. It's not often I get featured by a photography blog (in fact this is the very first time) so I figured it was worth a post.
Take a look at the post, read through the interview, and when you're done make sure you take a look here:
-- Ann's blog and Etsy store
-- The Photographers of Etsy team page on Etsy
-- A handy link I created for you - just click here to automagically search Etsy for POE listings
Thanks again to Ann for the opportunity!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Tuesday artist spotlight - C. Wade
I am a sucker for night photography. I love shooting at night and I especially love looking at photographs taken at night. It was while browsing through some night photography on Etsy when I first saw some photos from C. Wade - you can see all of her stuff by clicking on this link or her shop banner below.
Photography in general isn't tricky. Technically it's pretty easy to make an image. But what separates good photography from ordinary photography is the photographers ability to make an image that holds the viewers interest and tells a story. It's always amazed me how two people can take an image of essentially the same subject and while one image may be mundane and simple the other image might be dynamic and inspired. Defining what makes an image work is hard if not impossible, but when you see an image that works you know it immediately.
Take for instance this night shot of Cait's titled "Loiterers" (my favorite of her night shots):
Within a nanosecond of looking at that image I know this image works. I might not be able to say specifically why it works - but I know it does. That, to me, is the hallmark of a good artist.
I don't want you to think that Cait is a one-trick-pony only able to crank out stellar low-light and night photography though. She's just as talented at making great images when the sun is up. Take a gander at this beautifully toned cityscape titled "Rooftop Surrealist":
When I first saw this image it just clicked in my mind. I immediately got this abandoned feeling - apocalyptic almost. Something strange is going on atop that parking garage, and the mood that image strikes in me is perfect. I don't know if I can put my finger on exactly what it is about the image that makes it work with me, but I just know it does.
In addition to being a great photographer Cait is also a musician. You can sample both her photography and her music on her blog M45: A Nebulous Conglomeration of Music and Photography.
And just because I love night photos, here's another of Cait's that I really really enjoy titled Southbound:
So please head on over to Cait's blog and leave her a comment telling her how much you like her stuff (because I know you do). Also check out her Etsy store which you can find here: http://pleyades.etsy.com. And if you're into the whole twitter thing, you can find Cait on Twitter here: http://www.twitter.com/pleyades
Photography in general isn't tricky. Technically it's pretty easy to make an image. But what separates good photography from ordinary photography is the photographers ability to make an image that holds the viewers interest and tells a story. It's always amazed me how two people can take an image of essentially the same subject and while one image may be mundane and simple the other image might be dynamic and inspired. Defining what makes an image work is hard if not impossible, but when you see an image that works you know it immediately.
Take for instance this night shot of Cait's titled "Loiterers" (my favorite of her night shots):
Within a nanosecond of looking at that image I know this image works. I might not be able to say specifically why it works - but I know it does. That, to me, is the hallmark of a good artist.
I don't want you to think that Cait is a one-trick-pony only able to crank out stellar low-light and night photography though. She's just as talented at making great images when the sun is up. Take a gander at this beautifully toned cityscape titled "Rooftop Surrealist":
When I first saw this image it just clicked in my mind. I immediately got this abandoned feeling - apocalyptic almost. Something strange is going on atop that parking garage, and the mood that image strikes in me is perfect. I don't know if I can put my finger on exactly what it is about the image that makes it work with me, but I just know it does.
In addition to being a great photographer Cait is also a musician. You can sample both her photography and her music on her blog M45: A Nebulous Conglomeration of Music and Photography.
And just because I love night photos, here's another of Cait's that I really really enjoy titled Southbound:
So please head on over to Cait's blog and leave her a comment telling her how much you like her stuff (because I know you do). Also check out her Etsy store which you can find here: http://pleyades.etsy.com. And if you're into the whole twitter thing, you can find Cait on Twitter here: http://www.twitter.com/pleyades
Monday, March 9, 2009
My photo got selected!
Each Sunday over on the M45 blog C. Wade runs a bit of a contest. The theme is Sepia toned images. For the past few weeks I had been forgetting to enter, only to be reminded of the contest Monday morning when I saw her blog post appear in my reader.
Well, this week I have been working on a little feature post on C. Wade that's set to appear on the blog tomorrow so there was no way I was going to miss entering her weekly contest. I ended up treating one of the images from my lantern triptych and submitting that (you can see the triptych here: paper lanterns ). The image was already pretty well toned, but to achieve the antique look I was going for I brought a bit of the saturation down to age it.
You can see the other images that were entered as well as the one I put up here: Sepia Sunday!
And stay tuned for a posting tomorrow on C. Wade's art - and don't forget to visit her blog!
Well, this week I have been working on a little feature post on C. Wade that's set to appear on the blog tomorrow so there was no way I was going to miss entering her weekly contest. I ended up treating one of the images from my lantern triptych and submitting that (you can see the triptych here: paper lanterns ). The image was already pretty well toned, but to achieve the antique look I was going for I brought a bit of the saturation down to age it.
You can see the other images that were entered as well as the one I put up here: Sepia Sunday!
And stay tuned for a posting tomorrow on C. Wade's art - and don't forget to visit her blog!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
JPG mag is back, with a new partner
So JPG Mag will be saved after all. Good news for amateur and semi-pro photographers alike as well as anyone who is a fan of photography.
The new owner is also introducing some new ways for the magazine to gain revenue, but it isn't entirely clear how the first of those new ways is going to work. Adorama has been signed up as the Premier Community Partner - not sure if that means increased social activities on the JPG mag site, or something in the magazine or what, but at least it'll help keep things floating. I'm sure Adorama will gain advertising from the deal and in return provide some funds to 8020 media.
Here's a little blurb:
Your outpouring of support--whether on Flickr forums, blogs, or savejpg.com--demonstrated to the world (along with the investment community) that JPG is simply too special and unique to vanish. Our new investors agree with you--and believe strongly in the potential of JPG as a business. So I'm looking forward to working with them to creatively drive revenues while enhancing the quality of the JPG experience. I'm also looking forward to working with our Premier Community Partner, Adorama, to develop wonderful opportunities for all of you to reach a broader audience as well as better engage around the photography equipment you use and love. More on that to come!
and here's the original blog post: http://jpgmag.com/blog/2009/02/an_exciting_future_for_jpg.html
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Let's start something new (for me anyway)
Once in a while I'll stumble upon some photography that really catches my eye. Lately I've been finding a lot of incredibly talented photogs through Etsy. The other day I was browsing around Etsy and found just such a photographer.
I've been thinking about what to post on this blog in between fits of editing and waiting for negatives in the mail, so I decided I'd start a weekly tradition of highlighting a photographer who I think makes amazing images. This concept is by no means unique - a lot of photo blogs have a weekly or monthly feature, and it's a great idea. Photographers love exposure (no pun intended) so why not?
So, first up in this series (gotta come up with a catchy name) is a photographer who has an incredible talent of making ordinary objects beautiful. Her use of selective focus is never overdone, and in fact the out of focus areas in her images are as important as the in focus elements. Her shop name is Tea & Brie and has a it has very poignant subtitle: "explore. observe. discover."
Here is an example of an image I love of hers that clearly has a focal point but also uses the out of focus background as balance (click to see it in her Etsy store):
Beyond the ethereal images she also makes great object images:
Outside of Etsy she maintains a great personal blog that is a mix of candid photography, fine art photography and wisdom. On top of being an incredible photographer she's an excellent writer.
Here's a link to her blog: http://whimsy.typepad.com/teaandbrie/
So if you get a chance, swing by her shop on Etsy, or her blog and browse through her work.
I've been thinking about what to post on this blog in between fits of editing and waiting for negatives in the mail, so I decided I'd start a weekly tradition of highlighting a photographer who I think makes amazing images. This concept is by no means unique - a lot of photo blogs have a weekly or monthly feature, and it's a great idea. Photographers love exposure (no pun intended) so why not?
So, first up in this series (gotta come up with a catchy name) is a photographer who has an incredible talent of making ordinary objects beautiful. Her use of selective focus is never overdone, and in fact the out of focus areas in her images are as important as the in focus elements. Her shop name is Tea & Brie and has a it has very poignant subtitle: "explore. observe. discover."
Here is an example of an image I love of hers that clearly has a focal point but also uses the out of focus background as balance (click to see it in her Etsy store):
Beyond the ethereal images she also makes great object images:
Outside of Etsy she maintains a great personal blog that is a mix of candid photography, fine art photography and wisdom. On top of being an incredible photographer she's an excellent writer.
Here's a link to her blog: http://whimsy.typepad.com/teaandbrie/
So if you get a chance, swing by her shop on Etsy, or her blog and browse through her work.
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