Total Backtracking This Past Year

Well this past year has been a revisting of things past for me. First going back to school and finishing my degree in Photographic Fine Art and now electronic music. It's been twenty years since I've touched one. I've always regretted getting rid of my equipment when I first went away to school (needed the money). I've told myself that someday I would get back into it, but someday never came, until recently. It all started with some fussing around with GarageBand on my baby's G4. I did some playing around and made up my mind. So much has changed and progressed. I've just ordered an Alesis Fusion 6HD Workstation. If anyone remembers the old Fairlight CMI's that were hovering around 30 to 60 grand back in the mid 80's, this is kind of like that to a degree, only much much much less expensive. It ain't quite a Korg Triton, but it's a start. It's heavy on the synthesis side and that's what I'm looking for. Also it's an open ended system with hopefully continous upgraded as time goes on. Anywho, where I'm going with this "new" revisit remains to be seen. I've got an incredible learning curve to hurdle :).

Panaramic Experiments

This is my first experiment of hand held panoramic images. I was turned on to this by a friend who is a professor at R.I.T. His name is Joe and he is a real nice guy. He would send me some images of his own usually of him and his father every once and while in an email. There was something about those images that always left me with a feeling of anticipation.

This particular image leaves much to be desired. I like the general subject and composition, but technically it sucks. I went back and looked at one of the images belonging to Joe and noticed that when he does his, he tends to take many shots and then lines them up. One in particular that I looked at seems to have as many as seven shots. This one is only three.

I'm not to concerned about the crazy converging perspectives that are off, I like it actually. It is a collection of individual images taken from the same viewpoint to make one image. It is as if the mind can not fool itself into piecing together what we see through the eye regarding our field of vision any long, because a flat image will not allow it.

I like these panoramas. Up until now every image was a static image that was assumed to stand on it's own. An entire story or emotion conveyed in one image. Then I was introduced to the concept of sequencing and artist books by Professor Pilcher during my last semester. I've really been turned on to the concept of sequencing as well. I intend to take a workshop by the godfather of sequencing, Nathan Lyons. He is the founder of the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, NY and rumor has it that he may not be doing many more workshops due to his advanced age.

I am not interested in cinematography by any means, but there is something about the panoramas that is reminiscent of the wide frame of a motion picture. The inclusion of more field of vision might be one of the elements. There is less isolation of subjects in the composition as well. I intend to continue to pursue this experiment a bit more over the summer months. I've hit a wall since the semester ended and have begun to feel extremely bored by my style and images.

Going through countless images in the preparation of my final project made me very aware of how similar my images have been. I now recognize that when I shoot. I don't suppose I'm any less likely to shoot the image if I'm captured by it, but I don't approach it as if it's the first time I've ever seen it's elements anymore - LOL! I may just be taking my tenebristic style into the realm of panoramas - who know.

Done for now...

Semester if Over :)

Well I made it through my first semester back to college and me very very happy! As best I can tell I believe I've got all A's but finaly grades won't be available for another week or so. Now I need to keep the momentum up. Let's see what the summer brings :)