During the Exposure

4x5 photography is supposed to 'slow you down' and to me, it does. I pre-visualize before I set up my tripod, go through the elaborate process of using the camera, then spend an hour re-visualizing the shots while I develop in the dark.

How Film is Made

Hop over to TheLightFarm and watch this rocking vintage film made by kodak. Its light on the technical aspects of film making, but full of happy workers and classy music. I've been reading up on the process to create dry plate glass negatives. Between TheLightFarm and my copy of The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes by Christopher James I don't think they is much else I need to know. I've been tallying cost so I'm looking forward to making a write up along with scans of the negatives.

Capstone Finished

(Pic is sort of related)

As well as finishing my oil and water project, I was required to write a 'capstone' paper to accompany the photographs. I started with the musings posted on this blog and refined them.

The capstone in PDF format can be found here. Post in the comments if that link breaks. I'm hoping to use google docs to host my pdfs.

Proffesional Artist Presentation

Finally Finished the semester. Feels really good. Now I can get to work on real projects. After the break there is a video of the presentation I did for class. Note: I edited out the questions at the end and cut to the clapping ;)

Current work November 8

I have several projects on going at any moment and I thought I'd share one. Everything that follows is a rough draft subject to change or abandonment!

Part 1
I am photographing the interaction of oil and water, and more specifically 'thin film interference'. I was inspired by the beautiful colors found in puddles where oil and water interacted after rainstorms. I would see these moments of color on black asphalt and have to stop whatever I was doing to stare.

Film is expensive

Today I sent out 19 sheets of 4x5 velvia to Color Services in Needham, Mass. The film is 2.50 a sheet and costs 2.65 to process in total 97$. How can that be worth it?

Quality.

I wanted to visted Color Services before committing my film to them. I have been processing my own film throughout collage and I didn't like the idea of giving up that control. I woke up early, got my coffee and set up my tripod behind the coffee shop. I shot a few holders, and then drove down to the lab.