Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Scanned Prints

Ilford HP5+ 35 ISO400

All Gelatin Silver RC Prints

8'' x 10''

Between working more than 40 hours a week and another studio project; I haven’t really had the time to get much of my film to developer. Yet with the new income, I went out and bought simple black frames for some prints I made at MECA this year. These are a few portraits I framed from my Intro to Photo class. I recall every photo from that assignment to be the same; I had a rush of uncomfortable butterflies in my stomach and up my throat. It scared the shit out of me to walk up to a total stranger and ask to make a photo. Even though it has almost been a year now of taking numerous photos of people I don’t know; a butterfly still lingers here and there...in such anxious moments it's these three photographs that remind me of my capability to shoot people.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Today there were some lucky finds at the Goodwill. My first find is an Argus c-four. I got it for $9.99. It was pretty dirty and missing the third component to its leather case, but for 10 bucks I couldn’t leave it there all alone! Plus, I looked up the selling price on Ebay and it seems I saved about 15 dollars or so. I guess the Argus c-four was a super popular camera in the 1950’s. They sold like 300,000 of them or so. I’ll have to run a role or two through it, but after cleaning it, everything seems to be working well; the shutter sounds precise and the superimposed rangefinder appears to be sharp.

I also got the super popular IWAMI 1128. Well, I’m kind of joking about the popular thing, but for $1.99 it’s a pretty dope toy camera! It basically handles like a 35mm Holga. I have this impression that it’s going to be a good “no worries” camera for sure…

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Scanned Prints

Kodak Tri-X 35 ISO400

All Gelatin Silver RC Prints

8'' x 10''

A few days ago I downloaded the new CS4. It’s wicked sweet to finally have it on my computer. The downside is that I’m fucking poor and couldn’t afford to buy it, so in truth what I have is the 30-day trial. I’m attached to it already, which will be bad in 30 days…

For starters, I scanned in a triptych and diptych that I printed among others a few months ago. I was inspired to create an image out of multiple photos after seeing work from Justin Kirchoff (He tought me at MECA) and David Hilliard. Making these images with film was meticulous and sometimes backbreaking. I didn’t know what I was going to get, thus most of the images were not aesthetically pleasing. However, the two above I do enjoy. I feel they are progress to perhaps a larger body of work in the future. I see some in color as well…! Making these photos appeal to me because I’m doing more than just camera work. Color is controlled like paint on a canvas. It’s collage. I’m sculpting. It’s a little bit of everything, which is a mirror of me as the artist…

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Scanned Prints

Kodak Tri-X 35 ISO400

All Gelatin Silver RC Prints

8'' x 10''

Here are some prints I made early this year. I keep finding myself looking back at work to see what works and what doesn’t. I was hesitant to using the same subject for this project. Yet once I saw it all up at crit., I was in fact very pleased. Below is my artist statement I wrote for first Friday.

For this project I drew a main inspiration from photographer, Philip-Lorca diCorcia and his famed Hustler series. The emphasis was to capture the notorious facial expressions and body gestures that make us question whom the individual really is and what they are out to do. I specifically chose to shoot one individual for this project in order to create a comfort level. With such a connection and the use of only natural window light, this inspirational project has become something of it’s own.

.Special thanks to Dan Matthews.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Scanned Negatives

Kodak Portra NC 35 ISO400

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8"x10" Gelatin Silver Print

Ilford HP5+ 35 ISO400

Yesterday I had a doctor’s appointment near Flynn Av. in Burlington. I always loved this area for some reason; whether it’s the train tracks, new graffiti, remains of where someone has slept, or just random shit. The black and white is a print from high school. I found it fitting...

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

8"x10" Gelatin Silver Print

Kodak TMAX 35 ISO4

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Scanned Negative

Kodak Portra NC 35 ISO400

It’s always sick to recreate photographs. The black and white I took and printed a year ago in my high school’s darkroom. The color I took just a few days ago. It’s strange considering I kind of forgot about the black and white photo…

Monday, June 1, 2009

Kodak Tri-X 120 ISO400

All Gelatin Silver Fiber Prints

10" x 10"

I just finally scanned all my prints from my Nightshots project. Again, it’s wicked tough living off campus right now. I ended up just copying the original 11 x 14 prints with a cheap point and shoot digital camera. I’m not too satisfied with the digital slides. They are much flatter and less sharp than the originals. Yet I did happen to like some of the prints. These are just a few…. Below is my original artist statement I wrote for crit.

I am always trying to push my photography into new directions, however I have come to my senses that on this occasion the work has pushed itself. For the first time I have put my confidence purely within the pictures I have come to make. Besides the facts that all photographs are shot within the hours of night, there are little to no regulations to subject matter. It’s the presence of light that I find appealing. How spaces and subjects display themselves with only what the city of Portland, ME have to offer. Whether it’s a pine tree trapped behind a fence or pay phones suspended from a brick wall, something almost indescribable is always present only at night...