spring is here for real
Category: Personal
"for me the printing process is part of the magic of photography. it’s that magic that can be exciting, disappointing, rewarding and frustrating all in the same few moments in the darkroom." – john sexton
Categories
pilgrimage no.1
life is either a great adventure or nothing – helen keller
Categories
pilgrimage to the west [teaser]
yosemite National Park is seriously the most perfect place to shoot with films that are larger than 35mm…more to come!
Categories
happy first day of summer!
it’s finally here.
For Valentines Day this year my wife and I made cupcakes together…well, my wife made cupcakes, and I helped a little, and made lots of photos of the process. The recipe we used was from My Baking Addiction. It calls for fresh brewed coffee in the batter as well as the icing…(can life get better than that!?) Of course, we used fresh ground whole bean for our brew. Also, we topped our cupcakes with chocolate shavings instead of coconut, because we don’t like to follow directions all the way. Too bad I can’t email a sample to everyone who reads this… 🙂
Lately I’ve been trying to master pushed film and I’m learning every attempt that trial and error is the only way to get there. On December 29, 2012 I headed towards Harrisonburg to visit Gold Crown Billiards Bar and Grill. Long time friend, and current New Yorker, Nick Pascarella, was to play a reunion show there with his old band, Annie’s Tragedy. What a perfect opportunity for pushed film!
Up to Now
2012 has indeed been exciting. I’ve spent much time this year redefining my artistic vision, exploring a vast array of different topics of study in the sciences as well as the arts, self-developing over thirty rolls of film, and in the latter part of the year, deciding how to begin to add high quality cinematography services to the package lineup.
This image marks an important checkpoint in my walk as a professional artist. Just before I made this image, I had an amazing explosion of pre-visualizations take place in my mind’s eye. I’ve had similar experiences before, but this time, I finally felt able to direct the model [my wife], to act out what I was thinking. With very specific words, I explained the feeling that the photo should have, told her how to lean her head, where to place her hands, and adjusted everything in little increments until the image in reality and the image in my mind lined up perfectly. The awesome part is, I had spot metered on her face, set the shutter and focused before any of those artistic thoughts took place. I was prepared.
Another awesome aspect of this image is that I metered, set, visualized, executed, developed and scanned all in one afternoon. There’s just something special about self developing black and white film, especially when the images on it are fresh! It’s an amazing experience watching the images roll out one by one while unwinding the reel and hanging the strip up to dry. I foresee a lot more of this in the future.
This image is titled “The Power of a Dream” not just because the mood is dreamy but because it is a dream of mine fulfilled. Years ago, I knew I wanted to eventually make images like this and I think my confidence level is finally catching up. I certainly don’t plan to become vain in any sense, as all vanity is doused by this being the only awesome image on the 36 exposure roll [in my opinion]. But this result speaks to me with much volume: if you have a dream, chase it. Be responsible while you chase it, but don’t let it get away. I have had my eyes set on becoming a better photographer and I truly feel like I am growing every day.
we’ve just added competitive travel rates for destination weddings.