Grumpy Frumpy and Mean. . .

LOL, that is how I feel right now. I've been in my bathrobe and fuzzy bunnies since I woke up this afternoon (don't ask). I've been working on images since 3:00 pm then with an occaisional break to munch and do some dishes. Whahhha whahhha whahhh whiney slimey poopey head!

I did too many images today to even remember them - and that bothers me. It is as I said in an earlier post, I'm not about cranking out images for the sank of quantity, but I've got "projects" due. That's how it is. I don't like feeling like images are just temporary incidents to be sniffed at and left to be forgotten as we head for the next quick fix of imeadiate gratification (stab at sardonic observation of contemporary consumeristic society).

Anywho... amongst the minions cranked out today I did play a bit and did this one in a style inspired Robert Frank and Atonie d'Agata (notice the grain and contrasty crappiness hint hint).

Anywho... just pasted up my teeth with some o' that nasty crest tooth whitner stuff and headed to bed... grumpy grumpy piss and moan grump grrrrrrrr argh!

MY HUBBY IS GOING TO R.I.T.!

Wooooohooooo my hubby was accepted to Rochester Institute of Technology today!!! I'm soooo proud of him. He's been waiting to hear back from them after sending his portfolio in a month ago. He was all nervous and doubtful... silly boy! Everything he does is amazing (dat's why he's my hubby)!!! Click his image to visit his blog!

I'm almost finished with a photo project for M.O.C.H.A and I am really happy with a lot of the shots of some of the kids that were there. They were incredibly photogenic! The experience peaked an interest in portriature. There is something in capturing a person's essence. I just wonder how much of what we think that essence is, really isn't us reading into the images our own projections. Unfortunately I can't provide examples of some of the shots due to the confidential nature of the organization.


Another topic. . . Falling in love with an image. What a strange occurance which leaves me feeling empty an sad. I've fallen in love with this image that I'm hoping to include in my final project. I guess it's the issue of images being a dime a dozen these days. We are an oversaturated society of image consumers and thus, images can sometimes feel so disposable. I suppose I treat a lot of my images as if they are people. I find it hard to be dismissive about them. Yes, photography is a ceaseless activity of shooting and processing and of course one will accrue countless numbers of images. I suppose that is what saddens me sometimes. I don't want any of my little "people" to become lost amongst the crowd.

Sunshine!

Hehehe, the sun is out today yeah!!!

I've been busy this week doing some volunteer work for M.O.C.H.A.
a local non profit H.I.V. educational organization that helps focus on the needs of the Latino and African American community. I've been helping them out with some in house photographic work for their use. I like doing that. So far I've been spending time post processing images at home, color correcting, cropping etc. I suppose by the end of the week I'll have quite a bit to give them. Even though I'm only there for this week because I'm on spring break, I would like to be able to do this for them whenever I can fit it in. Thank god for summer break. I've definately decided that I'm taking the summer off (not that there is any classes available for me to take anywho. . .).

I've got my monthly flu/cold. Part of my ever teetering state of burning out due to my grueling work out routines. I really need to force myself to take every sixth week off for my own good. Bartending doesn't help much either when your always kissing people with colds LOL - not to mention handling glasses and bottles. Thank the Gods for Sudafed and Theraflu!

I've created a galler link to my gallery using a cool free program called JALBUM and uploaded it to Photoblogs.org and linked it from my blog and back. Seems to make it easier for me to publish images all at once rather than piecemeal like.

Gotta run, not much time and I have to head back down to M.O.C.H.A in an hour.

Ciao!

Antonie d'Agata

I came across this photographer a few days ago and felt compelled to mention him. His work. . . raw, unadultered, and hard. There is a body of his work at Magnumphotos but you need to be a member to view them, so I've included one here for your enjoyment. There is some of his work here although not much Agencevu.com

I personally am rarely awed or inspired by nudes or the human form in photgraphy, however I was dumbstruck by some of d'Agata's work. His images reflect the unglorified reality of human existance. No airbrush, soft lens, perfect abs and scrawny beauties here. Just survival and the undeniably animalistic nature of humans in it's rawness. In many cases I was amazed how he could make the human form appear lifeless and cadaver like - even in the many highly graphic sexual images of men and women having intercourse.

Aside from the incredible technical rawness of his images (heavy grain, high contrast, blurr etc.,) his work portrays "us" as we are. Not the sanitized unhuman objects we hold ourselves up to be. I like that - I have no heros and no illusions of life and tend to be existential. I will be doing more investigating into the why of d'Agata's work as time moves along.

Out Out Damn Spot!

LOL, I spent three hours yesterday scanning neg's tedious as that was. . . now I'm spending hours spoting the scans. You might think you got all the dust off a negative before you scan it, but oh nooooo - they are there in all their minions! I used a Nikon Coolscan and it's truly a great machine. It does have ICE but unfortunately it is completely uneffective with black and white neg's. . . go figure. So I'm taking a break right now to blog a bit about nothing... back to spotting.

Gallery

Click An Image To See It Larger

Exhausted. . .

This is my long day of the week. Been up since 7:30 for school and gettin ready for work at the Pub. I should be gettin home hopefully no later than 3 am. I ain't got much energy to write anything elaborate... Must ... get... coffee. . ...

Messing Around with Matt Black on the Epson 2400

My brief introduction into the world of matt paper via fiber based left me very very non-plussed. I did a test to see just how black the Ilford matt would go and discovered that it was not pleasing to me. However, I've just begun experimenting with the Epson K3 inks and epson matt paper and found out that what they've been claiming seems to be true. The dmax or black is visually darker. I don't even need a special dmax meter or whatever to verify this... I can see it! I did some contact printing today on a few prints on the matt and at first I wasn't all that tickled about it. It was because of the the non reflective nature of matt and not the inks. I've been so used to the richness of glossy that matt has me visually confused. It's as if I'm looking for something in the images and can't find it and I know it's there. So I hung the contact sheet up, away from all the glossy prints I've tacked up to let it stand on it's own. I came back a few hours later with a fresh pair of eyes and I have to say that ! I do like them. The black is black, the white is white. Of course there is little reflective light coming from the paper itself but I'm beginning to see the medium for what it is and appreciating it. I haven't decided in what manner I'll print the final prints in a few weeks, but it's too soon to think about it anyway.

I am very very pleased with this printer. The next deal of course is figuring out a way around the expensive 13ml ink carts that constantly need to be replaced. At about $12 or more a pop, that's alot of mulah!!! I'm checking into refillable carts and using ink drained from the 2400 hundreds bigger sisters ink cartridges that hold 110 or 220 ml respectively. I know Epson doesn't make it's money off of the printers. It makes it off the inks, papers and other stuff. but come on - we do need a bulk ink alternative for the 2400.

Work Posting

I thought I might try posting a sample of some stuff I'm working on at the moment. Firstly to see if it works and secondly to give you an idea of what I've been talking off. . .

Notes on above.

Memories in the dark, not always what they seem or what they were, the essence of who I was or thought I may have been. Not in this life perhaps, genetic memory? Those olden days, those golden days. . . Mobsters, fedoras, cigars and tatered clothes... Newspaper boys on the corner.. I remember Atget's prostitute in a doorway. . . THAT LIGHT! Something is going on inside... in a back room.. smoke filled, dice and moonshine.. . A description, a story, a memory that never specifically was...a collection of many possibles having taken place. . .over and over and over... scenes from movies glorified, isolate, crisp and dark. . .


For each lit object there must be a shadow. . . For each shadow there must be a light. The balance, the balance the balance. . . where is that to be found? Nighttime is heavy in shadow.. it isn't for me to change that or make it fit into something more pretty. Accentuate the negative and forget the positive. . . . No wandering people, aimless or meaningless... just because they're a human presence. . . for a vieweres speculation or input. . . They weren't there for any other reason then they just happened by. . . they weren't or are not part of the memory, the story... the ongoing story.


It's the light. . . it's always the light. But it's the shadow... it's always the shadow. I need them both.

In that light there is such cleanliness... pinesol... Gain laundry detergent... bleach... clothes hanging on the line. . . wind... newness for me. I'm just a boy. . . I remember a little. A fruit stand next to the car wash, just a few block from Aunt Roe's house... I dont' know those politics of family squabble, I just go where I'm led. Amy and Terry's house, Aunt Roe always lived above Nonnie's and nonnie smelled of garlic and gave me things to eat. Soup, chicken soup and coffee with cheerios in it. It's all in that light and it makes me want to heave, sob I miss it and got different.. . .very different.

I'm mixed with what I never experienced and what I have in this image. Stories and movie stills of what was and wasnt' true about where I come from and family. What was and wasn't true about family. What is the difference?

I miss what never was.

Photo photo photo

Officially passed the half semester mark and heading into the final half. This has been an adjustment on many levels considereing I haven't been in school since 1991. So far so good. As for my photographic work, we've been handed free reins the rest of semester. I'm returning back to the digital world for my final project with Kirby's blessings (my proff). I'm glad and happy he has a accepting and validating stance on digital. There seems to be so much childish posturing and debate amongst the "traditionalists' and digiheads these days. It's a useless and unproductive argument. They're different mediums and two different ways to approaching a result, with a lot of space for hyrbriding if one chooses. I think traditionalists feel threatened in some way... the defensiveness hurts my ears LOL. Hell, if we reacted the same way to every technological change that came along, we would still be using daguerreatype or grinding botanical pigments and still painting on cave wa! lls. As for my final project this semester, it seems I will be focusing (no pun intended) on the relationships of light and shadow and line. I need to investigate it more. Kirby seems it is something I have a strong handle on and should investigate further, especially in cases where the light source is not seen yet it's result is a major element of the image composition and mood. So I'm returning to digital as of this week. I'll probably continue to shoot in filma nd scan negatives (love it) and work them in PS. Oh by the way. . .I splurged and bought the Epson 2400 and I am very much happy with it. Inks can be expsnesive, but then so is film and it seems to be evening out in many respects when it comes to cost analysis. Taking into consideration the convenience of having and electronic darkroom in my own home as opposed to renting space continually, it actuallay seems much cheaper over the long run.