Austin in Black and White, April 2016
A mix of Fuji Acros 100 (in the Leica M3) and Ilford Delta 3200 (in the Mamiya Pro TL). Walking around Zilker Park, Rainey St, and 6th from BookPeople to downtown.
Raleigh, February 2016
Every few months I travel to Raleigh, North Carolina and on these visits I try to explore downtown a little bit. This month I had another trip and took my Leica M3 and my (new to me) Mamiya C330. These are some of my favorites from three sessions — one late afternoon and one nighttime walk with the M3, and one midday with the C330. The M3 had a roll of expired 400UC and the Mamiya was loaded with Ultrafine Extreme 400.
- Raleigh, 2016 I
- Raleigh, 2016 II
- Raleigh, 2016 III
- Raleigh, 2016 IV
- Raleigh, 2016 V
- Raleigh, 2016 VI
- Raleigh, 2016 VII
- Raleigh, 2016 VIII
- Raleigh, 2016 IX
- Raleigh, 2016 X
- Raleigh, 2016 XI
- Raleigh, 2016 XII
I’ve gotten to a pretty comfortable place with the Leica, but the C330 is still very foreign to me. In fact, on three of my images the lens didn’t activate — no idea what I did wrong there. I had switched out the 80mm 2.8 for a 180mm 4.5 and somehow didn’t set it up correctly. Will read more and better luck next time. Big thank you to Karl Abbott for the roll of Ultrafine — it turned out great in a Microphen stock dev!
Aerial Lessons at Abrasive Media
Shadowing Lizard Walker during a couple of aerial classes at abrasiveMedia. We are starting to explore a long-term collaboration which is very exciting!
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- II
- III
- IV
- V
- VI
September 2015. Delta 3200, Mamiya 645 pro tl
Asheville, Kanuga, Western North Carolina June 2015
Extended trip to western North Carolina in June 2015. HP5+ 220 in the Mamiya 645 and Superia 400 in the Leica M3.
Raleigh, February 2015. Tri-X 400 120, GA645
- Raleigh, February 2015 I. Tri-x 400.
- Raleigh, February 2015 II. Tri-x 400.
- Raleigh, February 2015 III. Tri-x 400.
- Raleigh, February 2015 IV. Tri-x 400.
- Raleigh, February 2015 V. Tri-x 400.
- Raleigh, February 2015 VI. Tri-x 400.
- Raleigh, February 2015 VII. Tri-x 400.
- Raleigh, February 2015 VIII. Tri-x 400.
- Raleigh, February 2015 IX. Tri-x 400.
- Raleigh, February 2015 X. Tri-x 400.
- Raleigh, February 2015 XI. Tri-x 400.
- Raleigh, February 2015 XII. Tri-x 400.
This is the roll of Tri-X 400 that I picked up from the ImagingUSA Kodak booth. I haven’t shot any medium format Tri-X before (to my recollection anyway) and I was very impressed with the breadth of tone that could be pulled from the scans.
As always, I loved walking around with the GA645. Just a great camera. So sharp, so reliable — my only complaint is that it shoots 15 instead of 16 on a 120 roll (and 30 instead of 32 on 220). But being able to use the same equipment for 120 & 220 without adapters is pretty awesome. Which reminds me.…I have a roll of FP4 220 that needs to be used!
Photo Exploration: Cabin Wall with Guitar Strings, June 2014.
Since I first started playing guitar I had wound my strings into a little round object as they came off for new strings. It was really more a function of keeping the strings in place as they came off the instrument and not laying around haphazardly.
But over time I started to really love the circular shape and I tried to put a little intention in how I wrapped the strings. I certainly am not the first (or ten thousandth) to do so, but I did really like the way they looked. Especially the older strings when I was lax on changing them. Their worn down feel was beautiful when woven together — all the different thicknesses and material in and out, with enough natural flex and resistance to manual positioning that each set of strings was a little unique.
At Kanuga this past June, the time came to change strings on site. I’d been deliberating on taking a photo of the cabin wall by itself, but I realized that what I really needed was to make a photo of the strings on the wall. The contrast of the organic wall with the two nails (which have been there since who knows when) and the metal circles all came together very well in a late afternoon long exposure (I believe it was 2 seconds at f/11).
I am grateful of my history at Kanuga. I’ve been going there twenty years this summer, and it continues to be as formative then as it was that first year. I’ve almost always stayed in the #30–36 cabins and the textured green walls are as familiar as my own skin. I’m pleased with this image, as a remembrance of a quiet time and place in the midst of a hectic life.
Using the camera as a tool to record a staged event is of mixed regards, and the tension of still life vs more “street” or “organic” compositions still goes back and forth in my own aesthetic. However, I do believe that it is possible to create a clearer statement of place and/or time by layering objects deliberately and then recording that content than by waiting and hoping to chance upon arrangements that speak the same. If we are to have clarity of our memories and our recollections, we must be able to express those same through whatever tools we have available.
Now, an interesting step further is that I left the strings there on the wall. If another photographer was to come onto the porch and see those strings and make an image, they would have the opposite reasoning for doing so — their recording of a found formation as opposed to my intentional creation. Would they feel any connection to my work? Would their prints be at all related to mine of the same scene? Maybe next time I visit Kanuga they will still be there and I can investigate, at least contrasting my own establishing vs finding work.
French Broad Chocolate Lounge, Asheville. June 2014.
- French Broad Chocolate Lounge, June 2014. FP4+ 1
- French Broad Chocolate Lounge, June 2014. FP4+ 2
- French Broad Chocolate Lounge, June 2014. FP4+ 3
- French Broad Chocolate Lounge, June 2014. FP4+ 4
- French Broad Chocolate Lounge, June 2014. FP4+ 5
- French Broad Chocolate Lounge, June 2014. FP4+ 6
We had an extended visit to Western North Carolina in June, and one of the stops was the always fantastic French Broad Chocolate Lounge. Great coffee, great treats.
Shot with the Mamiya 645 Pro TL and expired FP4+ 220 film.