Fine-Art-Photographers

Phoneography ..part two

2011-10-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

My brother has an auto body shop and a tool chest taller than me. I asked him why he needed two drawers of screwdrivers to which he replied that each one does a different job. At my level of mechanics, I have only two. On his level, he has them and calls on each to do a different job.

Photography has become that way too. At one time only the large format to today's ever growing selection of camera types, we achieve different looks with different approaches that each one delivers. Some help to direct our vision, some change our tactics and some free us. Large formats bring us to those pensive moments, a slower attention to detail and deliberate compostions... 35 to speed of subjects and our reactions with variety of views, plastic cameras to whimsical haphazard moments sometimes happy accidents. Like my brother's screwdrivers, each does a different job and often, with it in hand we search and focus for just those.

Ahumada Enrique sees his path with "Menage a Trois" or the square of three...

which turned not only into a series but an App for the Iphone/Ipad that creates its layout design.

In his words..." this is a series is a result of an extreme sense of joy that I experience in the magic alignment of three elements: my eye, my Iphone camera, and my subjects"

Smart phones seem to have a spontaneity and public acceptance that other formats don't. In a crowd, on the street, in buildings, lifting a smart phone doesn't draw the attention that lifting your 35mm does. It has become almost unnoticed, a normal, unquestioned part of today's life, allowing reaction without hesitation to what we see. In view of all that is happening on the global changes in governments and movements, it has become a strong tool that through its freedom of visual capture, changes the world like no other camera before it. In time as it continues to develop, it becomes its own art form and in the world of electronic media, internet, Ipads, Smarter phones and whatever else comes, takes its place as a tool for advertising.

Phoneography... part one

2011-09-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Anyone aware of the history of photography doesn't have to be told how far we have come. From the "Camera Obscura" to film and now digital, it has provided a steady growth of expression with newer techniques and tools pregress. For those who pursue its medium a new forms of art or looks emerge with every advance .

Across its brief 150 years apprx, it has struggled in its acceptance as art, coming into its own buyer's scene within the last 20 years or so. It became the realm of masters who were capable of handling the equipment along with its technical procedures and could successfully express and produce fine photographic art. For the most part, it took years of experience.The struggle of films,chemistry,and technique kept the masses at a great distance. Enter digital and with it a new door opened allowing new artists who might not have be here had media remained the same. What did remain for a long time however, was the tool.

A new tool is born..the Cell Phone: Tool for the masses..

Unobtrusive, at hand,capable of not only processing an image and tweaking its look, but immediately publishing it from within and on the spot, it gives birth to a whole new world of potential artists, some of which have probably never been photographers before. Every person I know has at some point shown me his "Pocket Images" some good, some bad, all fun but mostly random . In their hands, an instant photographer; In others... an artist's expression, and these are some of what can be done through their eyes and experience taking this new tool to higher level :

Chris Hudson an award-winning Art Director and Creative Director at advertising agencies in London and New York, is a member of the Royal Photographic Society and London Independent Photography.
With his keen eye for color, he finds new freedom with his cell phone and some of the apps that can be had. Here is the Hipstamatic app. This from a flower series is part of his current book project.

While in Iceland, he was so impressed by the quality of the phones ability to produce a quality image that he shot half of his trip with his iPhone.

Experiencing the same in my last travel, my assortment of lenses remained in my bag. The freedom and fun of my phone allowed me to see subjects in a whole new light, a different approached unencumbered by multi-equipment decisions and with no one to be suspicious of who I was and what was my motive, I was free.

Apps allowed processing after capture and adding a frame, to re-interpret scenes with a different light. This famous New York icon takes on a different look than its predecessor one hundred years later.

Imagery while waiting for lunch and published before it comes opens a whole new world with its a very addictive visual fever. More than just a sketch book, it becomes a final product.

But we are not just one brand of tool as it is really the person behind them that matters most. In capable hands this new tool, like discovering something other than a paintbrush, creates a whole new way of painting. Donna Callighan has been a successful professional photographer for over twenty years. Her approach in this new form is rather than use an in phone app, she processes her "cellimages" in Photoshop with her unique style.

This is part one of of this series of Phoneography. If you wish to contribute images for review, contact me through my profile...My thanks to both Chris and Donna for their contribution.

Featured Artist...Jeff Weinstock

2011-04-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

I heard it said that inside a great cinematographer or videographer is a great photographer to start with. That part proves out in Jeff Weinstock's work. His attention to composition and color saturates his landscapes showing us scenes begging to be a "set "

"I began working as a still photographer after a thirty year career as a nationally recognized documentary and commercial cinematographer. When the time came to close that door, in 2003, another opened as I turned to still photography to fill the void left after thirty years of creative filmmaking."
Starting out as a cameraman for the Washington bureau of NBC News, at 24, he was assigned to cover the Ford administration. Some time later he was transferred to to the network's New England bureau where he also began to freelance for major clients. There he began his interest in still work.
In an era where most still shooters are looking at motion as their new expression, Weinstock takes the reverse with a thirty year track record behind him.

"... the transition to still photography freed me from strictly structured content, budget constraints, working in large collaborative groups, and bringing to life the concepts and visions of others. I've spent the last six years traveling to areas that have drawn me in by their unique natural beauty and the ability to shoot only that which touches my creative sensibility and personal esthetic."

His sensitivity to his surrounding is best expressed by the light he captures. It stands out dominate painting a portrait of the place he is drawn to. One of them being The Olympic Peninsula in N.W.Washington.

"From November, 2008 thru October, 2009 I spent over two months on The Olympic Peninsula in N.W. Washington photographing it‚Äôs rain forests, the Olympic National Park, the Olympic Mountain Range, and miles of broad coastal beaches battered by fierce winds and waves from winter storms off the Pacific. That now completed project had become a passion and from it grew an artistic and personal connection with the approximately 6800 square miles of the bio-diverse Peninsula. The breath-taking beauty of this bio-gem is everywhere, and in certain places it‚Äôs beauty so mystically magnificent as to touch one on a spiritual level."

His commitment to this vision is total, having left his home in Boston in October 2010 and moving to Portland, Oregon to live in the Pacific NorthWest and continue his pursuit. His philosophy on his work is simple....
"My design is to share my vision of the ordinary and the extraordinary with those who find some value in the photographic images I creates. No more, no less."

more can be seen here

Featured Artist...David Fine

2011-04-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

Some see small things in big subjects and some see big things in the small ones, David Fine sees bold graphics in his.

Hailing from Georgia, he applies his more than twenty years experience in the commercial world to his art. His focus is on three areas:

*Things That Rust and Splinter
*Things That Splinter
*Nature and Landscapes

"All 3 areas of study can be summed up in the exploration of the impact of time on our landscape through things that rust and things that splinter. I am drawn to abandoned places that hold secrets of yesterday where time has clearly created new textures, colors and shapes that fold into our landscape. I focus not only on shape, texture and color, but on the interaction of the elements within our landscape. I have always been drawn to the desert and the West. Those that visit the desert either love it or hate it, with very little in between. Every visit I take leads me in a different visual path where at times the silence is deafening, the light is brilliant, and the moment of capture is clear. "

These two images are from his series "The Pass", a small collection of views of an abandoned 1937 Flat Head Ford truck.
" I originally found this truck as I was hiking through the desert in Southern California near Death Valley. The gentle lines and shape of the truck create their own landscape, color pallet, texture and feel in one of nature’s most challenging environments. "

He works in medium format, first film and recently digital seeing his subjects from the wide perspective a 40mm gives.

"Walking the streets of Bodie many times over, this was perhaps my coldest visit ever. I always have a new experience there, and this time was no exception. While a snow storm closes the pass, and the wind blows cold as ice – there is nothing like trying to manipulate a tripod and dials on a camera."

These are Wheel in the Sky and Time Spoken..

More of his work can be seen ...............HERE

Featured Artist...Stephen Tomasko

2011-03-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

Images speak differently to each of us. Sometimes they take on other meanings not intended by their creators. This week's featured artist, Stephen Tomasko puts it best...
"For me, making photographs, especially involving people or the things that people make, is about story telling. As with any type of story, if engaged, people will bring their own history and sensibilities to round out a narrative. My goal then is to make an image beautiful and compelling enough to make the viewer want to linger, and in some way then make it their own. "
I have passed this scene many times in many cities,someone's portrait being drawn or painted.The subject sitting in anticipation, trying not to make eye contact with the viewers whose faces might reveal the results. Here she is either complacent or on edge pressing on her elbow, her hands wrenched hoping for the person she wishes to be appear on paper. I have stood in this same spot as part of this audience. Not wanting to make eye contact I too have felt the same apprehension as she does in this image making it hard to witness the end. It's a uncomfortable barrier that I can however, safely cross here via this photograph thanks to the recognition of the moment Tomasko captures. It works for me, and in this comfort zone, as Tomasko says, makes me linger.

"Boys and Girls" is about the roles that we play in our culture. It is also about the excitement and terror of relating to one another. These images were all found in the American landscape, processed minimally, and printed full-frame. Aside from being true, they are also better than any I could have concocted in my own head. Of course, they are interesting as images because of the composition and the framing, and the recognition of and reaction to the light. These things I can do. It’s for the continued supply of American weirdness and wonder that I’m reliant, always surprised and forever grateful.

Stephen Tomasko makes photographs of the natural and the man-made. He has created bodies of work with subjects as diverse as the steel and automotive industries, the life and landscape of the American city streets, and pristine blooming gardens. Tying the work together is a vision of carefully seen straight photography, presented full-frame, with minimal processing.

For more his work go here

Featured Artist...Denis Olivier

2011-03-11T06:14:00.000-08:00

Bordeaux is mostly known for its great wine. It's also known for great photography. For wine suggestions, contact me offline..for photography look towards Denis Olivier, our new "Featured Artist."

Originally born in Royan,France where he was introduced to photography through his parents, he started by drawing later painting taking part in some exhibitions. By seventeen, he began to photograph turning his attention to it as a more interesting area of study after finnishing three years of Biochemistry. Attending the Poitiers School of Fine Arts he meets Alan Fleig who introduced him to photography as an art form.

"...felt a need to practice photography, and with a friend we spent a lot of time learning how to develop films and photographs. We did sessions with models, scenery, and discovered France."

He continued on and trained with Phillipe Salaun, the assistant to Robert Doisneau

"I did some jobs for organizations, shows and commissioned works. I then started in December 1995 working with computer graphics and made use of the Internet.

I worked in artistic direction for several years, then digital cameras came along and I found a way to work quickly and experiment without using too many resources such as film, chemicals, photo sensitive paper and of course the wonderful resource of water."

His work appears as classic Zone system for those of us who remember that. Squares, my favorite, seem to dominate his frame and help to focus on, this is his view exactly as he saw it.

Apart from his classic approach, he also has a series of manipulated images making creative compositions by blending them together, some whimsical, some haunting in his Dreamspace Reloaded series.

He has been well exhibited in France, appearing in magazines and collections.

More more of his work can be seen here

Featured Artist...John A. Benigno

2011-02-28T07:22:00.000-08:00

"For me, the art and craft of photography are self taught. Primary influences come from the writings and works of Porter, Feininger, Steichen, and Strand, to name a few."

These are the opening lines of this week's featured artist, John A. Benigno. Taken from his resume, they help to define the inner vision he expresses on paper. More than pictures, they strike me as portraits of the souls who either have or still occupy those spaces.

These are from his collection,"Adobe Churches".

"Adobe is among the most ancient of building materials. Of the earth, and in need of constant care,

it is ideal for structures determined to endure as expressions of faith and culture.There are hundreds of adobe churches scattered throughout the high desert of the American Southwest. A few, still in existence, date back to the mid-1700's, while many others were established as far back as the early 1800's. Some are large, imposing structures, but most, built by parishioners, are small and modest. Each is unique and worth exploring. They stand as symbols of deep faith, homage to centuries old customs still practiced in towns and villages found throughout New Mexico."

John's interest in photography started as a child. His dad brought him one of the first Polaroid cameras. Toady he teaches photography at several Community Arts Centers in Pennsylvania. His work appears in many galleries and private collections throughout the country and published in various magazines.

Classic in approach, film and darkroom, today he crosses over to digital output. Still using film, he scans and then applies his formula in Photoshop, recreating his toned or tea stained technique that he applied to his silver prints.

"Perhaps, because much of my work tends towards realism, my photographs often are described as traditional. In fact, many of my primary influences come from the writings and works of photography early masters, including Porter, Feininger, Steichen, and Strand, to name a few.

While I welcome a comparison to the past, realism is merely a means to an end. Rather, I believe that my artistic vision is driven more by my background in the social sciences, especially anthropology and history, than by my great admiration for photography's early masters.My real interest is to capture timeless moments in the landscape, and, if the land has been influenced by man, to stimulate curiosity about how, when and why."

His other works include landscapes from the Southwest,the Amish country,Seascapes to name a few. His theme follows throughout as does his philosophy.

"Making a photograph is a struggle between my mind’s eye and the subject. Eventually, they merge in a peaceful coexistence. The resulting photograph becomes more than the subject. The viewer can’t possibly travel to this place with me -- it is mine. Instead, hopefully, the image before them will ignite their own internal journey to a time and place of their own. The key is to look"

More of his works can be found here.

Featured Artist...Joel Salcido

2011-02-14T10:52:00.000-08:00

Our "Featured Artist" this week is from Austin,Texas where he currently works as an editorial and fine art photographer.
Joel Salcido started out as a staff photographer at the El Paso TImes and also traveled in Latin America for USA Today, receiving multiple awards, several for his coverage of life in Cuba and the inhalant abuse on the US-Mexican border. He worked his way to becoming Photo Editor and in 1991 he decided to branch out and pursue commercial work before his decision to move his family to Spain to work on his fine art photography.

"I made a commitment to use the camera as an instrument that would reveal beauty and truth in its simplest form. And so “Hecho en Juarez” came to be. Then came my year in Spain from which, “Spain: Millennium Past” showed me that the true wonder of tradition is anchored by an incessant human effort to celebrate life. Most recently, the “Roma: Entre Fantasmas” also follows tradition as a romantic view of local folklore in this border town where ranch, horse and religion still dominate. "

His artistic pursuit with a journalist's background marries well in his images and subject approach painting his vision with its own tone. Each body takes on its own flavor not just from what he sees but the colors he sees it through, from his portraits to his travels, with excellent technical execution as well as artistic judgment.

"As a journalist, I spent half of my career framing tragedy and disaster and sometimes glorified in it. Eventually it chipped away and eroded my hope in mankind to a skeletal resemblance of what it once was. In my need to rediscover hope, I began to seek refuge in what I deemed, “visual poetry.” "

His decision to leave the world of steady paychecks took courage and self belief in what he really wanted to achieve, he did and still does because for Joel this is more than a business, it's a love that continues producing work for publications like USA Today and Texas Highways along with collections in The Austonian, The Witliff Southwestern and Mexican Photography Collection at Texas State University-San Marcos, The El Paso Museum of Art, the Harry Ransom Humanities Center at UT Austin and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

His viewpoint.." For more than 20 years photography has been my companion on this journey we call life. Many times it has escorted me into the darkest corners of human existence. Other times it has opened the gates of light where visual poetry and beauty reside. Photography can easily fall into the trap of celebrating the worst aspects of ourselves and it is for that reason I continue to print my awareness of hope so in the end it may help us all understand the beauty still within us."

More of Joel Salcido's work can be seen here

Featured Artist...Andy Mars

2011-02-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

Some artists seem to walk the line between photography and painting and our current one, Andy Mars does just that... Living in New York, Andy, a member of Professional Women Photographers, (PWP) creates her one of a kind mixed media artwork, blending water colors, acrylic paint, pastel chalks and pencil on various substrates as well as photographic paper.

She has been exhibited in many Galleries in Manhattan still finding time to volunteer service for noteworthy causes such as providing pet and family portraits to raise money for the dogs who once worked at the World Trade Towers in the aftermath of 9/11. She taught mixed media photo art to cancer survivors at the Creative Center in NYC as well as giving workshops to Senior Citizens titled "What Do All Those Buttons Do On Your Digital Camera" She recently won the "Volunteer Group of the Year Award" from Women in Need (WIN) by volunteering her service to initiate the community service committee for her group PWP.

Andy is currently a Photography Mentor (teaching photo art lessons) to a burn-accident child to improve his fine motor skills and self esteem. Her depth of sensitivity for me shows in her work, warm color, attention to the beauty within a small space, an appreciation of a single object over the big picture. They seem to be an icon for the larger landscape she stops to see.

Her abstract work shows the everyday world around her in a way that seemingly blends the real yet unreal giving a modernistic quality to her series.
More of her work can be seen ...here...

Featured Artist...Jamie Durling

2011-01-31T08:22:00.000-08:00

From the last post of human intimate moments, we turn to one of human voidness with this week's Featured Artist, Jamie Durling in his ongoing series "Things We Left Behind"

"Inspired by my love of post apocalyptic novels and films I am creating a series of images which show a world void of people but littered with the detritus of their presence. I have shot beaches, shopping centres, cinemas and cafés eerily empty and disused in a post-human world. I want the viewer to see the 'Things' in the images as useless, redundant relics of humanity and as traces of our relatively fleeting existence. Retrospectively I can see an element of the influence the work of Eugene Atget had on me in my 'formative' years as a photographer; his empty Parisian streets fascinated me. Though his streets weren't truly empty, but rather the long shutter speeds his process required meant that people weren't around long enough to leave a trace on his images."

Residing in Weston-super-Mare, a small seaside town, in the South West of England, Jamie begins his career after graduating in 2009. Relatively new, his work shows a continuity of statement of an idea visually expressed.

"Sometimes I like to spend several days thinking about the photograph that I am going to take, even before I've picked up a camera. I normally keep a camera on me, just in case I see something that I like, because sometimes I enjoy taking photographs spontaneously."

Looking at this work, I think of the wonders that Rome, Egypt, the Mayans and all the great civilizations left behind that we now uncover with amazement, trying to decipher their meanings and usages. Will tomorrow, long after we are gone, uncover what Jamie shows us, and wonder what their usages were and how did we live, truly? If an event occurred that would wipe away all records written or recorded in any form leaving behind things represented in these images, what will they say of us?

Art is questionable by us but when it questions us directly it is to me art on a different level.

More of his work can be seen ....here

Jamie is also a fine writer as evidenced ..here

read Truth/Untruth.. my favorite.

Featured Artist...James Friedman

2011-01-24T06:48:00.000-08:00

Art defines itself in many ways depending on who is viewing it. For some Art is beauty captured in nature, human form, colors, presentation to name a few. For others it is a cohesive concept that presented as a body of work, speaks and makes you return to look again.

"The Pleasures and Terrors of Kissing" is one of those projects, by James Friedman, inspired by his mother's passing.

"...I do not remember any kissing between family members as I was growing up. It wasn't until my mother was hospitalized for eight months, unable to speak, that we began to kiss good-bye before I would depart for the day after visiting her. These newly discovered displays of affection were imbued with genuine caring and profound sadness as we both know she had only a short time to live. Our relationship in my mother's final months inspired my photographic project."

A difficult time period, no doubt, yet James reaches deep inside and finds a meaning to explore. Perhaps it's times like that when one goes or is driven way inside that we see what would be normally apparent to our eyes but seen differently through our souls and brought to life by the artist within.

There is a beautiful line in Ashes and Snow by Gregory Colbert..."..Ever since my roof burned down, I can see the moon more clearly."

James started very young, at five, with his Brownie Hawkeye camera. Self taught his interests continued till college where he earned an B.F.A. degree with distinction in photography. Later, while earning an M.A. degree in photography from San Francisco State University, he worked as an assistant to Imogen Cunningham, one of the preeminent figures in the history of photography.

As a teacher, curator, picture editor, and as a fine art, portrait, architectural, commercial and personal documentary photographer, he has enjoyed a wide-ranging career in photography. His work has been exhibited internationally and been published in numerous books and discussed in Artforum, Arts, Afterimage, The Boston Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Selected from 800 international applicants, James was awarded the Aaron Siskind Foundation Individual Photographer's Fellowship and has been the recipient of seven Individual Excellence Awards from the Ohio Arts Council. Winning the 2011 Governor's Award for the Arts in Ohio, he was honored as an individual artist whose work has made a significant impact on his discipline nationally, regionally or statewide. In 2008, as an independent photographic educator without institutional affiliation, he was nominated for the prestigious Excellence in Photographic Teaching Award, which recognizes outstanding international teachers of photography.

James has many projects. Among them all this one can be found here..

Featured Artist...Deon Reynolds

2011-01-17T09:49:00.000-08:00

This week we come back to the U.S.A. and take a look at the West through the eyes of Deon Reynolds who captures its essence with his panoramic views in his series
"Where the Cowboys Once Roamed".

"...I began exploring ideas and images for ‘Where the Cowboys Once Roamed’ when I was creating scenic
photos for the coffee table book ‘NEVADA’. Originally, I was captivated by the beautiful landscapes of
the high desert".

From seven years old his interest sparked by his brother using dad's camera, a Hasselblad, he took his first lessons. On his father's advice together they built a pinhole camera out of Kodak Film boxes and learned his craft in the darkroom.

Educated in Portland at the then "Museum Art School" he began his career shooting catalogs and advertisements until he realized this was not what he really wanted to do but afforded him the freedom to pursue the artist in him.

" I began exploring ideas and images for ‘Where the Cowboys Once Roamed’ when I was creating scenic
photos for the coffee table book ‘NEVADA’. Originally, I was captivated by the beautiful landscapes of the high desert. Though, during my travels through the state I found evidence of an era gone by and realized it was deteriorating rather quickly. Around that same time, I began playing with Kodak Funsaver Panoramic 35 disposable cameras and found the format complimented the landscape while the low-fi camera quality evoked a sense of history creating the perfect look for my new found,disintegrating subject matter".

For those of us who have had the opportunity to have been out west, we have experienced what these images how well...wide open spaces with freedom to roam in a big sky country. Deon lives today with his wife Trish in Eureka in an 1880s bank building where they operate the Eureka Gallery

More of his work can be seen here

Featured Artist...Massimo Siragusa

2011-01-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

Most photographers have an assortment of interesting assignments and inspiration to draw from. Massimo Siragusa had good one...The Vatican and Pope John Paul ll, for the Vatican's news. Working through the Contrasto Agency in Rome where Massimo resides, his assignments have graced a myriad of magazines along with some major advertising campaigns and corporate clients. In his personal work he turns to social and cultural issues.. from his viewpoint..

"...I am focused on contemporary social and cultural issues: my photography questions and the gives a personal interpretation. In the last years I have been focused on architecture with the firm intention to make a common places the symbol and protagonist of an issue. This is the reason why the human has disappeared from my pictures".

Born in Catania, Italy then later moving from Milan to Rome where he resides today, Massimo teaches photography in various schools while still finding time to publish several books.

His clean well composed images shows the attention to detail, a bright color palate makes one see the plain in an extraordinary light in contrast to his earlier works rich and darker in colors.

"...I now work with a medium format digital back PhaseOne that has replaced the large format. I have a keen interest in the study of the colours that I believe I can control better than the black and white. The only “trick” of my photos is the overexposure of each single shot to give to the image that watercolour feeling, softness and elusiveness".

He is currently represented by Polka Galerie in Paris;Forma gallery in Milan.

More of his work can be seen here.

Featured Artist...Marc Burden

2011-01-03T08:19:00.000-08:00

It's New Year 2011, the mark of a new decade. Janus the two headed Roman god , for whom the celebration was given, faces opposite directions to look backward on last year and forward to the new one. I can't help feeling like him, sitting this weekend exhausted from last year's bittersweet moments, voided and exhilarated from the struggle, both personal and career wise, now in its depleted space...new room to be filled by the new set of challenges future rounds bring.

Darren Guisha

The work of our current "Featured Artist", Marc Burden , says all of that to me in the faces of these cage fighters from his series "The Sitting". His portraits taken just after the fight show men who whether or not they have won or lost, have paid the price for what they love.

"...My photography explores this psychological space within the portrait, and the notion of the photographer’s and the medium’s ability to pierce the causal representation of that which sits within it. If the screen is the mediation of its relational structure, can the screen be pierced,
can a glimpse be elicited of what lays beyond "?

For me art is best described as the ability to talk in whatever medium, to the one who listens with whatever sense. It's not always about beauty nor grandeur and often not what was meant by the one speaking. It's simply communication on a deeper level.

Kev Reid

"...The Sitting operates at the confluence of the oft-conflicting desires, and the gazes of the
camera, the spectator and the subject, interrogating the portrait as being analogous of a
screen. In most cases the screen is seen as protective, or it is used to obscure and conceal,
at its most opaque the portrait separates by a process of exclusion, the camera’s scrutiny
eliciting a self-conscious projection to deflect its gaze - what Lacan termed the ‘Mask’- the
projection of a second skin employed to deflect the gaze of other(s) acting as a surface onto which the image and the power of the gaze are deflected or are reflected mirror like.But the screen can be translucent too allowing glimpses - if only for the briefest of times - that hint at what may be beneath and beyond, moments when that protective layer slips or is not consciously in play ".

Steve Dossett

"...The series takes as its subject those practised in the projection of the mask: fighters, specifically cage fighters for whom the mask is a shield of intimidation, invincibility and is devoid of emotion, the nature of their combat though, drains them both mentally and physically. The camera acts as a barrier visually and mentally, a screen divorcing contact and interaction between the photographer and the sitter, the images document moments that are emporally random and un-decisive, the absence of interaction leaving the exhausted sitter
isolated. By eschewing the intimacy and mediation conventionally associated with the portrait the images explore the visual psychological states in unconscious compositions that dislodge and disarm the surface before the scrutiny of the camera. The resulting portraits reveal not the conscious projection of an identity but a space between that and their unconscious; the isolated figures are seen in liminal moments characterized by ambiguity, openness, and
indeterminacy ".

More of Marc Burden's work can be found here

Featured Artist...Bob Hudak

2010-12-27T08:17:00.000-08:00

I thought we would end this year here, where I live, South Florida, with images best shown by our current "Featured Artist" Bob Hudak. His views are classic photography, large format and yes film.

Self taught, he leaves his former life as pilot flying air taxis, throughout Florida and the Bahamas where he develops his taste for the landscapes he sees.

Bob takes his influence from one of the greats, Edward Weston and makes black&white photography his choice of expression.

"The photographs shown here were produced from negatives made with large format cameras. Originally, because of its relatively small size, the 4 x 5 inch view camera was my camera of choice. However, with my increasing interest in the contact printing processes and my aversion to making enlarged negatives, the 5 x 7, 8 x 10 and (soon) larger formats more likely will get the nod. However, the use of these relatively small camera sizes, in comparison to 8 x 10 inch and larger cameras, does offer a wider range of flexibility when it comes to printing. With certain subjects these negatives can be printed as contact prints or when needed as with a large landscape the 5 x7 inch negative can produce 16 x 20 inch prints of outstanding quality. "

Since 1984, he has worked for various publications on travel adding commercial work in Architecture, Aerials, and Yacht photography and supplying stock agencies with his images. Florida becomes his choice for his work.

"My reasoning behind the Florida trips was that while the West in general and more specifically Montana does have a lot to offer the photographer working in the landscape I do not live there, and while I have returned many times it has been mostly with a fly rod to fish on the Madison, Yellowstone and numerous other rivers and streams around the state. To do something productive with a camera would require repeated visits to easily accessible, visually interesting areas; in short, I felt I needed to stay closer to home base.

The Florida that I grew up in, that is to say, South Florida in the late sixties, seventies and early eighties is, unfortunately, gone. Today’s post Disney version of Florida bears little resemblance to that period of time before the floodgates were opened and the mass influx of new residents hit my part of the state. The booming population and the infrastructure needed to support it, guaranteed that the lakes and woods used by myself and my friends as our escape from the real world would soon be filled in, paved over and lost forever under a sea of concrete and asphalt, never to be seen again except in memory."

His love of the outdoors continues to draw his attention adding to an over 16 year project dedicated to personal vision and viewpoint.
"As a photographer working with a landscape that now exists only as a fraction of the place you once knew, the challenge is to bring an awareness to the land through your photographs without resorting to sentiment in the hope of protecting what little we still have left, knowing that loosing this, it too is gone forever.
With these photographs my hope is to engage the viewer in a way that conveys not only a love of the land but also acknowledges the presence of something spiritual. Not spiritual in a biblical meaning, but something deeper, more to do with the belief that there is this unseen force in the universe larger than ourselves we can’t understand and that science and religion can’t explain. More than once it has been suggested to me that my photographs of the Florida landscape have been subconsciously my attempt to bring back the Florida that was, and in doing so recapture my youth and that, which disappeared with it. I’ve never had an intelligent reply to that comment; however if these images succeed at all then maybe what I’ve been doing for the past eighteen years hasn’t been a search for what I’ve lost of myself, but rather a search for the manifested Gods that are to be found within these lands."
For more of his work

Merry Christmas to all

2010-12-20T10:38:00.000-08:00

Wishing all a very Merry Christmas... and a healthy, happy and successful New Year..

Featured Artist...Yvette Worboys

2010-12-13T06:52:00.000-08:00

It's always good to see what is happening around
the world in photography. Some come from "Across the Pond" but Yvette Worboys hails from " Down Under, " Sydney Australia to be exact. Her graphic design background shows in her work "ghosts"

Yvette is a professional photographer and has been working within the industry since 2002. Yvette began her creative career as a graphic designer and she combines both her love of design and photography within her work. After completing her studies in 2003 Yvette began working in the domestic portrait market while continuing to pursuer her love of fine art photography. She has been a successful exhibiting artist in Australia being selected for various shows including the prized Olive Cotton Award for portraiture.

Yvette is currently working on a body of work using color and shapes as the main focus of the images. This body of work will hopefully be exhibited in Sydney Australia in 2011. She uses a vast array of equipment from the iPhone 4 Hipstamatic camera, Lomography cameras such as Holga, Canon 35mm film and digital cameras and a Bron 6 x 6 film camera. Her post production process involves mainly Photoshop however Lightroom is used for batch processing and selecting of images.

Yvette wishes to capture not just the person or place she is photographing but also the stories behind them, as evident in herCommunity exhibition, a study on the northern NSW town of Mullumbimby, Australia. This exhibition told the stories of the town from the local’s perspective. This exhibition was held in Sydney and then travelled to Mullumbimby.
Her work below right is from "Surrealist"

More of her work can be seen here

Featured Artist...Stuart McCall

2010-12-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

This week we receive work through the eyes of Stuart McCall, a Vancouver, BC based photographer, who shows us his panoramic scenes of the deserts of Nevada and northern Mexico.

He began his career as a commercial photographer in 1982. Since then, his images have been published widely, featured in Time Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Saturday Night, Photography Monthly, Boston Globe, Times of London, as well as in books by National Geographic and Douglas & McIntyre. His work has been recognized by Communication Arts, the Lotus Awards, and International Photography awards.

"The desert has fascinated me for some time. It is a place where the climate and environment are quite incompatible with human survival. Scarcity of water, and extremes of heat and cold are typical… Yet people have been inhabiting and trying to make a living in deserts since time immemorial. Many come, but few stay on. The extremes of climate have the ability to preserve traces of past activity in a remarkable way that is not so much the case in wetter or more moderate climate. Structures, roads, footpaths, machinery, fences, and garbage heaps tend to linger on in an unnatural way, far beyond what their creators anticipated. I have for the past several years developed a keen interest in remains left behind and eventually becoming a part of the landscape. The deserts of western North America are wonderful places to study this."

He completed his series of desert scenes in 2010, using small digital equipment as series of overlapping frames,combined in post-production,creating a seamless panoramic image that really shows it better effect here . He has been experimenting with this technique for a couple of years and found the possibility of extremely high image quality with the convenience of small format appealing.

"The desert has fascinated me for some time. It is a place where the climate and environment are quite incompatible with human survival. Scarcity of water, and extremes of heat and cold are typical… Yet people have been inhabiting and trying to make a living in deserts since time immemorial. Many come, but few stay on. The extremes of climate have the ability to preserve traces of past activity in a remarkable way that is not so much the case in wetter or more moderate climate. Structures, roads, footpaths, machinery, fences, and garbage heaps tend to linger on in an unnatural way, far beyond what their creators anticipated. I have for the past several years developed a keen interest in remains left behind and eventually becoming a part of the landscape. The deserts of western North America are wonderful places to study this."

Stuart has several projects which have been in various exhibitions . Hos work continues to evolve with his current approach.

" The notion of a planet absent of human beings has been of interest for some time, and has been cause for expression in my work. While many imagine a future where man and nature will return to a state of equilibrium, my current work considers a world where nature is gradually reversing the effects of a brief encounter with humanity."
More of his work can be seen here

Featured artist...Walt Stricklin

2010-11-29T10:25:00.000-08:00

With over 35 years in Photojournalism, Walt Stricklin takes inspiration from David Hockney and turns his focus on fine art.

As Director of Photography at the Birmingham News for the last 15 years, Stricklin applies his new vision for landscapes earning him an invitation as one of ten American photographers to go to China and be part of an inaugural exhibition and conference at The Art Palace in Xiang Sha Wan, inner Mongolia.

"I call my pictures "Scapes" because most of the (so far) are landscapes and city scapes. They are preconceived, digitally hand crafted and not stitched or blended by a computer program. As I do them, I am not looking for perfection in their assembly. I leave the many individual imperfections to celebrate both my humanity and the enjoyment of discovery. My composite panoramic Scapes are my visual sculptures. I want them to be a blend of reality and my interpretation of a given situation. "

His composite panorama "scapes" are preconceived, digitally hand-crafted and not stitched or blended by a computer program.

"I am not looking for perfection in their assembly. I leave the many individual imperfections to celebrate both my humanity and the enjoyment of discovery. "

"... As an artist, I search for those everyday places and events in our lives that represent the universal truths of shared experiences. What is true in our core is true no matter who we are, where we were raised or where we end up."

More of his interesting work can be seen..here

Featured Artist ...Ellen Jantzen

2010-11-21T07:20:00.000-08:00

Ellen Jantzen's ghost like images have been referred to as " photo-synthesis" Her new body of work appear spiritual, as portraits of the soul within the body. Her book, " Alternative Realities" can be found here shows her vision. It also appears in Amazon, here

Reality of Place

    I am intrigued with how a person adapts to their environment; how they are absorbed and changed. I set about to address this through a photographic photosynthesis in this body of work.
    Having recently moved to the Midwest after living in Southern California for 20 years I was, at first, unimpressed with my new surroundings. But this move has changed me and impacted my work by forcing me to deal with the reality of a given place. It has helped me pay attention to and appreciate the details of diverse environments.
    Having always been intrigued with various aspects of reality, I chose photography as the medium to help me reveal/obscure truths. Traditionally, photography was viewed as an honest replication of the real world. But, as we all know, even from its inception, photographers used their medium to alter, accentuate and eliminate aspects of the "authentic". As I deal with these issues, I've come to realize it is all about the landscape, the environment…. fitting-in, disappearing, blending-in, and perhaps, ultimately embracing.
    In this new work, I have placed my husband (Michael) in various landscapes and in various poses to both highlight and obscure his presence while celebrating the reality of place.

She was born and raised in St. Louis Missouri. Her early college years were spent obtaining a degree in graphic arts; later emphasizing fine art. Upon graduation she and her husband, Michael, settled down on acreage in Southern Illinois and set about to construct several solar and energy efficient structures including their 2400 square foot home. Organic gardens and goat husbandry took center stage in Ellen’s life but a desire for a more “artistic” life led the couple to Los Angeles California.

Ellen spent two years at FIDM (the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) in downtown Los Angeles. Here, she obtained her advanced degree in 1992. After a few years working in the industry, including several years at Mattel Toy Company as a senior project designer, she became disillusioned with the corporate world and longed for a more creative outlet. Having been trained in computer design while at Mattel, Ellen continued her training on her own using mostly Photoshop software.
As digital technology advanced and the newer cameras were producing excellent resolution, Ellen found her perfect medium. It was a true confluence of technical advancements and creative desire that culminated in her current explorations in photo inspired art using both a camera to capture staged assemblages and a computer to alter and manipulate the pieces. Ellen has been creating works that bridge the world of prints, photography and collage.

Ellen’s work has been shown in galleries and museums world-wide as well as numerous web-based sites.

More of her other work can be seen here..http://www.ellenjantzen.com/

Featured Artist Kelly Fitzgerald

2010-11-14T07:45:00.000-08:00

This week we are featuring member Kelly Fitzgerald , an American born artist best known for her black and white film landscapes.
Her selection here is from her recent work, "Colorado" from Infra-red film.

"...Photographing Colorado has been a dream of mine for over 25 years. The first time I was inspired was when I looked through a black and white landscape photography book that had been given to me as a gift. I saw these gorgeous landscapes of nature that had been taken by the photographer Ansel Adams. From that moment, I knew that I wanted to experience Colorado first hand and explore its scenic beauty and history.

Dreams do come true. With 3 camera bodies in tow, along with the very last of the discontinued Kodak Infrared High-Speed Film, I got to travel to Colorado this past September of 2010.

Fitzgerald strives to create works that capture and preserve the beauty in nature and in vanishing places – images that will inform the viewer and convey her deep belief in the value of these amazing places.

Fitzgerald discovered her love for art and photography at an early age. In 1985, while living on the island of Kauai, she decided to move to San Diego, California to pursue her passion of the arts. She enrolled in the photography/art program at San Diego City College. She also studied oil painting and charcoal drawing at the San Diego Art Plex.

Fitzgerald is a black and white landscape specialist using tools such as manual film cameras, black-and-white film and the traditional darkroom to create her silver gelatin fiber base and Type C prints.

Her photographs have been in numerous exhibits throughout the United States and Europe. Fitzgerald's work has also won several awards including The Golden Light Award and the IPA Lucie Award. She was honored at The Hubbard Museum in Association with The Smithsonian Institution in 2003, and was the first photographer to receive the Gene Harrison Memorial Award in November of 2003.

July of 2009, she wrapped up a 5 year project called "A New Discovery" ~ Black & White Infrared Film Landscapes of the Hawaiian Islands. This past year, she was chosen to be a part of the Calumet Ansel Adams Tribute Video. Her image "Shipwreck Beach - III, Lanai" was featured in the video.

More of her collections can be seen here

Featured Artist of the Week...Charles Hedgcock

2010-11-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

Equally at home photographing in the studio or in the field, Charles "Chip" Hedgcock has been a professional photographer for more than 20 years. He is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), the Stock Artist Alliance (SAA) and is a Registered Biological Photographer and Fellow of the BioCommunications Association (BCA).

"I have a deep interest in natural history that has led me on photography and research projects in the American southwest and Sonora, Mexico.

For my personal art work I prefer the classic tools of my trade; film and archival silver gelatin prints. My images often focus on arthropods (insects, arachnids, crustaceans, millipedes, centipedes) and herps (reptiles and amphibians). What I like to call the “Charismatic Microfauna”.

His award winning photography has been called "beautiful in its precision." by the Austin American-Statesman. It has appeared in an eclectic mix of publications including; Spin, Ranger Rick, Cell & Tissue Research, BBC Wildlife, Outdoor Photographer and the Journal of Biological Photography. A gifted fine art photographer, his work has hung in numerous galleries as well as natural history museums and botanical gardens.

Brooks Jensen, editor of Lens Work, had this to say about his work:"Chip is to bugs what Weston was to peppers!"

"I enjoy photographing animals in the studio because of the control it affords me. Control not just of my subjects, but perhaps more importantly, control of the light. Photography is “painting with light” after all, and I feel that working in the studio allows me to paint with a fine brush. This helps me to bring out the sculptural and luminous qualities of my subjects. All subjects are photographed alive and when possible, released back into the environment from which they came unharmed."

More of his work can be seen at

http://charleshedgcock.com/index.html

Featured Artist of the Week..Eric Smith

2010-10-25T16:37:00.001-07:00

Eric Smith has many exhibits to his name. His work ranges from studio to editorials in documentary fashion. But he doesn't let his commercial side get in the way of his Art side, but rather uses it to bring him closer to the experience. His technique lends itself to his subjects shown here in his series:

McLouth Steel

Roll Mill

He says in his statement:

I create instinctually. Time, place, light, and chance: these are the elements from which my photographs are formed. My images are never preconceived or contrived. Instead, my work is firmly rooted in that gap which exists between seeing and comprehending: that place which reveals, but also questions, the truth.

I examine reality. Our world is ambiguous and filled with contradiction and uncertainty. Hope and cynicism. Solemnity and absurdity. Beauty and ruin. My photos explore these incongruous experiences and emotions, and documents their opposition. Essentially, photography allows me to question the indefinite relationship between reality and perception. My work is a constant journey towards authenticity.

I foster discovery. A compelling image is one which reveals something unexpected, even if the material is truly mundane. Photography is a medium which provides the viewer not only the opportunity to observe and detect, but also to emote and respond. My photos are evocative, suggestive, and reminiscent: their subjects are self-explanatory, yet call into question one's usual perception of time and space. My work continually examines how the ordinary is really quite extraordinary.

Oxygen Plant

Roll Steel Warehouse

Drive Gear

" Photography allows me to question the indefinite relationship between reality and perception. My work continually examines how the ordinary is really quite extraordinary. "More of his work at www.ericsmithphotography.com

Featured Artist of the Week..George L. Smyth

2010-10-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

This week we welcome George L Smyth
He began to seriously study photography upon his return from an extended trip to Wales in 1990. After experimenting to find his personal style, he decided to concentrate on pinhole, infrared and alternative process photography.

A member of the Bowie-Crofton Camera Club since 1992, the largest in the Washington-Baltimore area, he has won numerous awards, including Photographer of the Year in 2009. He is a regular lecturer on pinhole and infrared photography, and has offered numerous presentations to area clubs, as well as presenting to PhotoPro Expo twice.

His work is Bromoil is a labor intensive process made out of love. Below his examples with his accompanying stories:

Early Morning Meeting

It was certainly long in coming, but they say that the best things take time. What "takes time" is the connection, and oddly enough, that had been the easy part. He hadn't even considered sharing his plans by starting at the top, but here he was, and this was his time. Spotting his contact across the room, he entered and presented his offering, which he hoped would be the first of many.

Encounters.... the cover of his book "The Extras"..

Nothing was the same. Nothing. Many things were better, but is better always better? A hunger built up in her throat as she found her way through the crowd. The things she had known all her life, and from which she had run, were familiar but not comforting. This new unknown was a hurting thing, but the abundance of the new life acted as a counterweight. She was not sure if she would ever forget her past pain, but perhaps her children would be spared.

George's other work can be seen at his website . He also maintains a blogsite... sharing more work with stories..

2010-10-16T11:10:00.001-07:00

DreamStates... matthew pace photographer |

Self Publishing Photo Books

2010-09-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

not shown in A&I..a client has it..

I have come to some conclusions on self publishing books based on my experience with 3 companies.. A&I.. MyPublisher..and

Mac(through IPhoto} Which is the best? It all depends..

If you're thinking of all those coffee table books in the stores you see, well forget about it. There is no way to expect the same results. You can however expect some good results if you're aware of the things each of these three have to offer and judge if what you are sending can take advantage of it.

None of them have a real Profile to offer, something that would be really great when you prepare your files. None send a proof or at least an online one,,too bad...Profiles are based on paper quality and ink runs and can show you pretty much how your images will reproduce as long as your monitor is "COLOR BALANCED" properly. That means with some device and program and the ability to adjust your monitor accordingly. There are a lot of them but I use a Spyder from XRite. PC or Mac doesn't really matter but PhotoShop (C-3-4-5) is a norm.

Your files (images with or without text) comes #1.. for most images I use Adobe's RGB98 file a standard with PS.. for starters..There are other settings but that is middle and recognized ground that fits a printable gamut range (for those who wish to melt their brain). Once I like the results, I then make a copy to refer to, and convert or assign an sRGB profile to it. Almost all printers use sRGB so the point of debating its smaller gamut is useless..adjust..resistance is futile!! At that point,I size them according to the final size of the pages of the book or a larger size and scale it down with their provided software. Then I add Smart Sharpen and followed by Edit / Fade Sharpen Lens Blur... From my magazine clients, that seems to work best although I do change profiles for them to Color Match but that's another story..later.

Some want jpeg and some take a Tiff..whatever, most keep it at 300PPI to 350PPI.. In Jpeg mode see if their guidelines call for "Baseline standard or Optimized..." at Maximum quality. Put them in folder "Images ready for book" or however you can refer these as.

I noticed in the end, for best results adjust your histogram from 5- 240 lowest black to the highest whites..with a slightly lower saturation in the reds.. their papers seem to pump reds, at least in my case for all three.

Now while all three offer book themes and templates..I found that creating the size pages you want in PS by File/New/ and filling in the required info.. and doing your own layout with whatever size images you select for the page,add type and a background color if not white, works the best. Upload them as full page choices and it turned perfect if you allow some room for images or let them bleed off the page.. in other words don't put important stuff on the edges that you can't give up!

DECISION TIME..who is best ?

Layouts: All offer a free program download for their layouts..

Mac has a simple one but limited in designs..Unless you make your own layouts mentioned above, but quick to use and uploading and ordering is simple as well.

A&I and My Publisher have more designs and themes, not as easy to use, but you can catch on.

Covers: all offer hard and soft bound..here I used Hard bound except for a small 3.5x2 inch book only offered from Mac..very cute

All 3 have a printable sleeve jacket over their cover like a book wrapper..

My Publisher on the other hand offers both jacket and printed on the cover itself...really really nice,snappy .

Both Mac and MyPubisher return the book in a see through envelope to keep it clean..A&I just returns it , cheap on their part for a more expensive product .

A&I and Mac have the best binding..clean and tight..MyPubisher a little less neat on the spine, but that could just be mine, I did two with them.

PAGES:

A&I definitely has the best paper of the three, thicker,smoother nice feel in quality.They are a higher end in quality all over. Mac is second...MyPubisher not bad, acceptable.Depending on what you are printing like if its B&W..I would go with the better paper but I would convert my B&Ws to rgb. For pastels in colors..Mac is best IMHO. A&I needs around 240 in the highlights..

Delivery:

A&I is the slowest..Mac the fastest..MyPublisher is average.

Deals:

MyPlublsher has the very best...the other two offer none.

All that being said...I was happy with all three.I would adjust my histogram for the next round as mentioned above... All three have decent reproduction except MyPubisher liked reds so for for them I would desaturate red 15-20%

I liked MyPublisher's cover best, very attractive nice repro on it. Mac reproduced all over very well..A&I needs 240 in the highest whites as mentioned above..they were the most expensive.

Doing your own books becomes a fever, like tattoos, and a lot of fun, keeping it simple is hard but best in the end results.. All in all, it is a cool and inexpensive way to show work and do a promo piece.. I use Mac's 2x3.5 book as my FOOD give away to potential clients..

I will try some other companies and post on them as well.

Comment on your results

Technology And The Traditional Process Photographer

2010-02-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

In one of our posted discussions, we talk about what defines a fine art print. This might be a good example shared with us, by George Smyth and his Bromoil method.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
..George Smyth...
Despite an apparent resurgence of interest in traditional film photography, digital imaging is quickly pushing silver gelatin print creation into the miscellaneous category known as alternative processing. Those of us who have spent a lifetime working with this traditional process may feel a sense of loss, but the truth of the matter is that it can open a new set of possibilities.
For years I have worked with the Bromoil process, which was first popularized about one hundred years ago. Other than the silver gelatin process, it is the only alternative process that allows for projection, as opposed to requiring direct contact of the negative with the paper. As many people have never seen a Bromoil print (I had not seen one at the time I started making them), I will first explain what a Bromoil print is, then explain how current technology can facilitate the process.
The creation of a Bromoil print involves a number of steps. The first is the creation of a traditional darkroom print, but that is used as a guide print to reference at a later time.

A second print is made, normally exposed twice as long as the guide print under the enlarger, and given a grade less contrast. This is the print that will eventually become a Bromoil, but must first be dried overnight.

The following day the print is bleached and tanned. Typical photographic bleaches merely remove the silver from the print, but the type used in this process also tans the print. This means that it hardens the emulsion relative to the amount of silver that was in the print. Areas that held shadow values will have the emulsion hardened considerably, whereas the highlights will have had the emulsion hardened very lightly. The paper must then be dried again overnight.

Finally the print can be inked. To begin, it is first soaked in water for about 15 minutes. This allows water to saturate the emulsion, and will do so relative to its hardening - the softer the emulsion, the more water that area of the print will hold, the harder the emulsion the less water that area can hold.

The paper is then removed from the soak and all surface water is removed, so the only water remaining is within the emulsion. It is laid on a sheet of glass to keep it flat and provide a hard backing. A stiff brush, often made with hog's hair, is tapped on ink-covered tile to charge it with ink, and then with various tapping motions of the brush, the ink is transferred to the paper. As this is done, the highlight areas (where the emulsion holds the most water) reject the ink, while the shadow areas (holding little water) accept the ink. Eventually the paper will dry out and need to be resoaked before more ink can be properly applied.

After several thousand taps of the brush on the paper, the image is ready to be dried, touched up, and displayed.

Digital technology, for me, has an important place to play in the process. As time goes on, the number of papers that can be used with the Bromoil process become fewer and fewer. Older papers, like Kodak Ektalure and Agfa MCC118 are no longer produced, so old stocks become more and more dear. The last thing I want to do is to waste any of this precious stock with test strips and errant exposures.

The ability to create a digital negative means that I can contact print any image that I have taken. Equally important, as a paper like Kodak Ektalure is a single contrast paper, as long as I have matched a curve for it, what I see on my monitor can be reproduced in the darkroom.

The take-away is that a new technology can open capabilities with older technologies. In my own particular case, I will not only be able to create more Bromoil images from my stock before having to rely on more modern, and less capable, papers, but since I do not have to run tests before making a final print, I can be more productive with this time consuming, labor intensive process.
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For more info on this process...http://www.alternativephotography.com/process_bromoil.html
and... http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_early/1_early_photography_-_processes_-_bromoil.htm

Pigmented Wax Prints

2010-02-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

This week's blog, features another member, Walt Jones and his method, adding another way of presenting images, an ongoing discussion on our group....

from Walt...
Finding the (wax) print

Plenty of people will disagree with me on this, but I’ll claim that the vast majority of so-called “fine art prints” come from a pretty narrow set of methods. On the digital side, you mostly have your Lightjet print and your pigmented ink print. Film, having been around a lot longer, gives us a slightly wider gamut of silver prints, platinum prints, various chrome prints, cyanotypes, etc, with most of them being slight variations on the same basic ideas. The point is, we’re pretty set in our ways. One walk through a large event like Photo LA and you’ll probably be able to count on two hands the number of printing methods in use.

I’ve used the mainstream methods as much as the next guy, but I’m also a strong proponent of experimentation and alternate processes. The question should be, “what medium and process best allows a particular image to find its voice?” If, as a fine art photographer, my prints are what will ultimately be my art, then I can’t just automatically pump things through the “archival pigmented ink on photo rag” process simply because that’s what photographers are doing at the moment. What happens when you print this image on wood? What happens when you print this image on aluminum? What can I do that will make the image more than just color or value on a surface?

More recently I’ve been experimenting a lot with what I call “pigmented wax prints.” The idea was actually born about from a conversation I had with a gallerist at a portfolio review event earlier this year. In the process of discussing a particular body of work, she again and again kept coming back to the idea of the images needing “another dimension” to really connect in the right way; either in the subject, or the message or the printing method itself. Discussing further, the idea arose of finding a way to actually bring aspects of the subject itself back into the printing method. Obviously, this isn’t something that’s often done. It’d be like printing a photograph of a person on human skin or, certainly less macabre, printing a photograph of a tree on wood. Immediately we’re into the territory of a fairly non-traditional process, but the idea is a solid one: bring the subject full circle. I’d already been toying around with a concept for a series of somewhat abstract photographs using liquid wax as a subject, so it seemed only natural to see if there was a way to bring wax into the actual printing process… a sort of reconnection with the encaustic painting methods popular at various times throughout history.

Thus began a fairly long process of research and experimentation seeing about ten months from the initial concept until I actually held a real print in my hands. I’m not going to share specific details of the final process, but my journey did reunite me with a technology I’d not touched since the early 1990s – solid ink printing. This effectively boils down to a process that combines organic dyes with vegetable waxes, then applied to various media using a method quite similar to that of inkjet printing. From afar the prints, depending on the paper used, are virtually indistinguishable from a standard pigmented ink print. Colors are vibrant, gradients are clean. But up close, there’s a different quality to the print – it actually looks waxy. This is not your standard “photograph” in the least. The subject has been brought full circle.

The original image before printing:

Closeup view of the work print showing the sheen of the wax:

An 8x10 work print created using the wax process on a cotton rag fine art paper:

*Walt Jones: Fine Art Photography* www.waltjones.com

Our thanks to Walt for sharing...
If you would care to share work,technique,philosophy as a Fine Art Photographer..please contact me at my email address..

all images are copyrighted by the artist.Usage without written permission strictly prohibited by law.

Developing Film With Coffee..by Tom Kirkendall

2010-01-30T07:58:00.000-08:00

This is the first in a lineup to feature some of our members. Tom is one of our first to join and his method caught my attention. More than a morning wake up..it can do film as well.

(3).................................................(1)

From Tom Kirkendall
A beaker full of Jo

I live in the land where Starbucks Coffee flows more often than rain. With so much caffeinated liquid around there must be something you can do with it besides drink it!?

Through the Fine Art Photography Group on Linkedin I heard about processing black and white film in coffee. I volunteer in the photography class at the local high school where the students are always looking for something wacky to try and this sounded wacky.

There is a lot of info on the web and numerous formulas for giving this a shot. Some of the best advice came from Specialty Color Services Lab (www.color services.com) in Santa Barbara CA. They will process your film if you no longer , or never had, a darkroom to play in. As a bonus they will donate part of the fee to a charity. Way cool.

What do you need……for 1 roll of 35mm...................................(4)
5 large tsp. of instant coffee…..not decaf
3 ½ tsp. of sodium carbonate. I got a life time supply at a pool
supply store
½ tsp. of Vitamin C powder or finely chopped 2 1000mg tablets
2 beakers or glass cups to mix the soup in
1 measuring cup 8 oz to 16 oz
And all the other normal darkroom stuff to process film with like
stop bath, fixer, film washer, photo flow, drying rack and a loud
music system.

Time to brew.
A) Mix the Vitamin C and the coffee in a beaker. Add 6 ounces of HOT water ( 170 - 200 degrees). Stir until everything is dissolved.

B) In a separate glass mix up the sodium carbonate with 6 oz of warm to hot water stirring until dissolved........................................................(5)

C) Let the two mixtures cool in there own beaker until almost at processing temp. I use 70 degrees.

D) Mix the two together ( must use in 30 min.) cool it to
processing temp and pour into loaded processing tank. If you
chopped up your own V- C you may want to pass it through a
coffee filter it strain out undissolved bits.

E) Be sure the tank is full to keep down foaming during agitation.
Agitate for the first minute then about 5 seconds every 15
seconds. Do not be afraid to agitate to long. A JOBO processor
May be a good tool for this formula using continuous agitation.
Process for 15 min. as a starting point. Your time will be?????

F) Stop bath ( I use water), fix, wash and dry as normal to you.

So the results! I did two rolls. I roll of Ilford 120 HP5+ (with a plastic Diana Camera) and one roll of 35mm Arista Ultra 400. I cut the ISO in half for each film and was not afraid to over expose from there. Each film came out a little flat in contrast with a tight granular almost rocky grain structure. Not unpleasing, but not wacky enough to put it into its own category of “wow cool”. I liked the results of the 120 roll better, results may vary. I could see where it would be fun to do a series of portraits of people …..say…..in a coffee house. Print them up and stain the prints in the left over developer??............................................................................................................(6)......

Sample prints, 1+3 is the 120 Ilford film and 4-6 the 35mm Arista Ultra.

Tom Kirkendall

Thank you Tom for sharing

If you would like to contribute an article for our blog, please contact me via my email..

Limited Editions

2009-12-13T08:32:00.000-08:00

During Photo Miami, I had the chance to speak to a few of the gallery owners and reps. I asked about Limited Editions. Here is one rep who graciously responded.

My thanks to Deborah for her input.

Approaching Galleries

2009-12-08T02:06:00.000-08:00

All the various presentations and sizes of photography, I saw this week,made me wonder how does one present their images to a gallery for consideration? After all, can you walk around with a few 40x50 prints mounted on aluminum with plexi or 30x40 steel prints much less mail them?

So I asked a few owners at Photo Miami and also at One Red Dot and here is the general consensus. First, an email or formal letter with an online link or URL address where the work can be viewed. The agreed that the image rather than the presentation should stand out enough to warrant a further review. Along with first intro, a bio,artist statement,and any history that the work gathered as in other showings. The work's presentation should be proposed eg. "printed on wood, 40x50, coated in resin.." some info on the method helps as well, with a possible printed leave behind for their file.

They all said that if the first approach was favorable then the next step would be to see an actual finished piece the way it will be presented. It is possible to have one or a collection photographed and sent or linked to for viewing the scope and type of presentation especially if it is a coherent body of work. All said they deal in limited editions but that is another post soon to come.

In Verso stamps

2009-12-06T10:14:00.000-08:00

At the Red Dot Art Fair, another event during the Art Basel Week here in Miami, I had the pleasure of seeing a great booth space from Modernbook Gallery.

Among some of the great works from newer and older photographers were a collection from a master, Fan Ho. See his work here. One of the things I too notice of and wanted to share is the back of his vintage prints that show a record of where they have been. Like stamps in a passport, the voyages of an image.

Photo Miami 2009 #2

2009-12-04T11:05:00.000-08:00

Stunning as this year's Photo Miami is, this work perhaps stunned me the most. Presented by Irvine Contemporary in Washington DC. it stopped me in my tracks. It was the quality, the material,the presentation,the feel,a reach into the past, the fact that it wasn't digital anything but an old method mastered and so well presented. If only I had money!! But Phil if you are willing to trade..CALL ME!

This I took from his blog and the press release better explains his technique.

I had a informative chat with his Rep on " What is a Limited Edition" which will post later..but for now on with more show..and party of course.

Phil Nesmith’s Flight Patterns is a series of new dryplate photograms created with silver nitrate emulsion on black glass plates.

Nesmith’s new series of images evoke allegories of flight, fragility, evanescence, materiality, and time. Because photograms require the presence of an actual object to cast shadows or allow light to penetrate through a translucent material, the resulting image records a moment in time when something interrupted light and space on the photosensitive medium, but without a camera lens.
http://philnesmith.wordpress.com/

For a press release from his gallery.. http://irvinecontemporary.com/release.php

Art Basel Week

2009-12-03T05:47:00.000-08:00

Once again Art Basel had descended upon us and brings with it some very cool images and interesting photographers as well. To start with are three I saw last night,Claudia Calle at Fabrika art Space showing some very neat work,"Republic of China" prints on stretched canvas and some of her award winning series,

"Living in Silence" prints on wood substrate. (forgive my reproduction)..More of her work can be found at her site http://www.claudiacalle.com I found her work in the images on the left,"Republic of China" to be of most interest and her mark stood out on them.

The second show sponsored by One Model Place..."Eyes Wide Shut" was really well done, a collection of various photographers from Weston to Steve McCurry, to Elliot Erwitt to name a few. However the bulk of the show was from two photographers, one who I really enjoyed chatting with, Jarmo Pohjaniemi..a film lover..and a shooter for Playboy as well! His take on life and art was refreshing and I hope to look forward to developing a freindship. I met his lovely and appealing model Mary Alejo who appears in his prints shown here... I also hope to develop a professional friendship with her as well and while that might sound forward,I do have a series of mine that would be perfect with her in it..left is the both of them..see you Friday night at the party!

The other phtographer whom I didn't get a chance to speak with but I will later is Guido Argentini whose work is here,beautifully printed ..

I wish them all good shooting and today I will visit Photo Miami with post soon to come.