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Re-focusing my energies…

By on November 2, 2010 in Uncategorized

Since my graduation from SUNY last month, I have discovered that I have become unfocused.  The last five years have allowed me to concentrate on a specific goal, i.e. securing my history degree, long overdue.  I have done this to the best of my ability.  I have written recently about setting new goals and have, I hope, been able to communicate how difficult a task that can be.  Sure, I have my photography, but I am slacking in some areas of that. There are rolls of film piling up that demand my attention; there are prints promised that have yet to be made, let alone test-stripped; I need to get back into the swing of things with a vengeance, as if my life depended upon it, which in a strange way it does.  If this is the path I am to tread, then I must get on with it and stop gazing at the scenery on the side of the road!  I need to focus and get the work done.  Maybe I should make a list of projects.  I’ll start here..

1. Develop all the rolls of 120 film from my trip to Provincetown.

2. Sort through the negatives of fellow students from last spring.

3. Choose the negatives I wish to print and get that done!

4. Sort through the “Lighthouse” negatives and print some of them.

5. Begin work on the “Beekeeper” project.

If I really apply myself, these labors could occupy much of my time.  That’s the issue, I think.  I have a lot of time on my hands and am not using it wisely.  I lack the discipline I have had in the past few years in regards to my academic work.  I need to think one word–

PORTFOLIO

–take it seriously and go from there.  This includes 4×5 contact prints, once I am more capable with that camera.  The most recent exposures are better, not so bulletproof.  I will make this happen.  No more hoping, no more dreams of completion.  I will do it and be happy because I will have worked hard to accomplish these tasks.

More to come…

JDCM

4×5 Crown….

By on October 30, 2010 in Uncategorized

Graphlex Crown, 4x5 camera

I am back in the darkroom these days, developing film and beginning to formulate a working model for a new project, one that I might engage in for many years to come, weaving it through my waking days and dreaming nights.  Beekeeping, I have found, is a fascinating subject.  The interaction between the Keeper and the hives, the product resulting, the need to allow the bees to keep the honey in order to survive and the recent onslaught of Colony Collapse Disorder are all intertwined for me.  Documenting this would be a fascinating adventure, one that I could pursue throughout the world.  I can use digital and film, anything, really.  I am hooked.  And its all because of Brueghel and his “The Beekeepers” lithograph.  With this inspiration comes the possibilities for a photo shoot this Wednesday in Harlemville with a Beekeeper and some of his handmade, sacredly-geometric hives.  I am ready to go.  The weather is supposed to be nice, with lots of sun which means dynamic light.

I have purchased a Crown Grafix 4×5, my first foray into large format work.  The film is not a problem to find and the development is easy.  I find that it is wonderful to develop the film in complete darkness although I have a small tank that can immerse 6 sheets at once.  I’ll be doing that this afternoon.  As of now I can only make contact prints, but I hope to be able to scan the negatives sometime and also find a 4×5 enlarger to do some printing.  This, by the way, is similar to the camera used by an inspiration of mine, the photographer and writer Wright Morris. I think he used a different model of Graphlex, but I feel like I am on a well-worn and honorable path.

OK.  It’s a sunny day and I have errands to run; the PO, the bank, the gym and then home until I skee-daddle out to meet friends for coffee.

More to come…

JDCM

Time for Phase III…The Next Five Years…

By on October 6, 2010 in Uncategorized

Much has happened in the past few days.  The 14th Colony Photo Show went up without a hitch and the six b/w medium format pieces I submitted look lovely on the wall.  To top this off, I have sold one which makes me very happy.  I am here to get my work out there, not make a million bucks.  By the way, if anyone ever asks you about the difference between “b/w photograph (non-digital)”, “silver print” or “silver gelatin print” make sure you tell them there is no difference.  The fancier name was dreamed up by museum currators who felt that “black and white photograph” was too plain sounding and the  “silver gelatin print” sounded more important.

There is one more group show this month that I am in and that will be it for me until next summer, unless someone invites me to be in a show, that is.  Plus, I am off to Greece in March for more work at the Aegean Center, so that will pre-empt any shows I might be in.

After five years of hard work and ceaseless toiling through a byzantine bureaucracy, I have graduated from the State University of New York with a BA in Historical Studies.  I am amazed and really don’t know what to do with the feelings: relief, joy, pride, etc…I also have pretty much visited most of the places on my to-do list.  This brings an end to my first Five Year Plan so I need to develop a new one.  What will it be?  I’m taking suggestions…Perhaps life will, as it does, show me the path to take and perhaps I am already on it.  “Keep going” my father said.  I will.

JDCM

Finally…an update…and ideas…

By on October 2, 2010 in Uncategorized

Forgive me Cyber Readers, for it has been too long since my last blog entry…

August 20th seems a long time ago, and I suppose in the minds of the Facebook addicted eejits, it is, but really it isn’t even the imagining of a drop in the bucket of time.  Let’s not even talk geological passages, here.  Face it folks…A lot has happened and not much time has passed.

The 14th Colony is swinging along.  I was well received in the first group show and both my digital pieces looked lovely on the wall.  I didn’t sell anything, but exposure is what I need these days. I have some misgivings concerning the co-op concept, however.  Granted, I feel that that if a person wants to hang their work, a space should be available.  This is regardless to style or skill.  If they need the outlet, it should be provided somehow.  But…should “naive” art be hung next to more skilled and professional work, thus diminishing one or both of the pieces?  In a democratic/anarchic co-op system, shouldn’t there be criteria when exhibition is involved?  I don’t know.

Right now The Photo Show is up.  This was a show conceived by the “leader” of the co-op and myself.  Originally it was going to be a documentary piece, but that was ruled to be too exclusive so opened up the event and I dropped any leadership role I had assumed.  Suddenly there were 30 photographers signed up.  I didn’t know the group had 30 photographers.  In the end about 20 delivered work to hang and it looks really lovely.  It is a very diverse group show illustrating the many talents of those of us looking through a viewfinder.  Some I like better than others, but that’s to be expected.  I brought 6 medium format silver prints to the show and they all went up, which was a great relief since I had shot, processed, matted and framed all 6 for this show specifically.  I didn’t want to break up the flow based on available wall space.  They are also priced to sell…

The concept of criteria brings me to my next idea.  Using the 14th Colony as an umbrella, I am going to start a small rebellion.  I am going to found what I will call “The Monochrome Collective.”  This will be a small group of photographers (digital and film) who work only in black and white.  Heavy Photo-shopping will not be allowed.  We will deal with fundamentals of b/w work, namely the Zone System. This criterion will weed out many people and, hopefully, allow for a professional edge to emerge.  I wish to keep the Collective small, allowing for more intimate meetings, shows, etc…Like the 14 Colony, it will be a place to exchange ideas, network and support each other’s art.

That being said, let’s clear something up about labels.  ‘Silver print’ is the same thing as ‘silver gelatin print’.  Exactly the same thing.  The idea was coined by museum currators who felt that ‘silver gelatin print’ sounded more important  than ‘black and white’ or just plain ‘silver’.  This is in the same vein as those who try to make a real difference between ‘giclee’ and ‘inkjet’.  They are the same thing, except that ‘giclee’ is used to make a statement regarding paper and inks, which are better, yes, but no different than commercial inks, i.e. more expensive.  Check the web, folks.  The illusion has been shattered.

I’m off to the showers and then getting ready for the opening of the show this afternoon at 3PM.

JDCM

Will I or won’t I…?

By on June 26, 2010 in Uncategorized

I had a great meeting with a commercial photographer near where I live the other day.  he is a real pro and his work is lovely. So far no call back and he promised to introduce me to a small round-table of photographers in the area who meet occasionally.  So far nix on that as well.  So will I or won’t I be working with him?  I have no idea.

I am writing up my evaluation forms for SUNY ESC so I can get credit for my work at the Aegean Center for the FIne Arts, on Paros.  We’ll see.  I have had very little luck with the ESC people since they changed  their tune and became a place for adults moving up the management ladder.  When I first went there, it was all about learning.  Now it seems to be about increasing the global cache of the place while taking in the dough.  Maybe I’m wrong, but the level of bureaucracy has grown and that almost always means more administration who need to put things in neat little pigeon-holes and fewer teachers who can think outside the box.

We shall see…

JDCM

Not for everyone…

By on June 19, 2010 in Uncategorized

Wedding photography takes a special personality and I don’t  have it.  Sure, I know my way around the camera, but my skills are best used elsewhere.  I guess you really have to like weddings in general, and I’m not the biggest fan.  This understanding comes on the heels of my first wedding shoot last night down in Connecticut.  I was the second camera, so the really good shots were taken by a pro who loves her work and does a spectacular job.  I was responsible for the pre-wedding groom’s pictures (dressing, etc…) and some other things.  I was, I hope, able to get those shots.

To be honest I was not comfortable in this situation.  It reminded me too much of street photography-that sneaky, candid spying style that I am also not fond of doing.   Other people can, and the best to them, but not me.  I was told that as the drinks flowed people would loosen up.  That didn’t cheer me either.  I wasn’t looking forward to seeing or even documenting that experience.  Still, it is better to know than not to, and now I have that knowledge.  Plus, the event reminded me that I left the service industry for specific reasons, not just because I didn’t like the business.

Still, experience is experience and I am glad I was able to work with Stephanie.  She’s a real professional and offers a wonderful service to her clients.  She knows her way around the machine, has a wonderful eye and a charming personality.  She is an asset to any couple’s wedding day.  Please check the link on my site, or go here.

Next up…More adventures in commercial photography.

More will be revealed…

JDCM

New directions, new work…

By on May 18, 2010 in Uncategorized

cityweb2

As I have already written, my digital work here as undergone a profound fundamental change.  Gone are the days of treating travel snapshots with the contrived gravity that only my own mind could grasp.  Although my film work has changed as well, it remains more within the traditional scope of photography.  The other has become more abstract and modern.  The example I am posting is a close-up of the ground.  It is from the seaport of Piraeus on a sunny day.  The only manipulations I have performed are exposure and curve controls and some selective colors that augment rather than alter the reality of the image.  It was taken with my old Canon Digital Rebel XT with a fixed 50mm lens.  I tell you all these things because I do not believe that abstract art should be thought of as a riddle to unravel, but rather a representation of color and light.  Be aware that the actual image is 250 x 400cm and fits on an A3 piece of paper.  Also, the colors are much more vibrant.  The yellow is brighter with more orange rather than the mustardy color on the screen. I apologize for that.

More to come,

JDCM

Angst, disconnection and the trials of youth…

By on May 11, 2010 in Uncategorized

There is a little over 4 weeks until I leave Paros and head back to America.  As I wrote before, my digital work has undergone an enormous transformation.  My film work has shifted as well, but more in terms of process and technical skill than any real artistic sense.  Socially I am still a 45-year old man in a school of predominantly women under the age of 25.  They are at that odd place in life when although society considers them adults, they have yet to suffer Hamlet’s slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.  Their emotional forms are soft and romantic, unsullied by the realities of daily life in the cold, dark world.  Granted, there will be joys and pains immeasurable in their future, but for now they are safely nurtured in their own cocoons.  The winds of inevitable winter will toughen their skins, as it always does.

In regards to that, my age and gender have kept me from being a part of their youthful gaggle.  My own work is more focused, my own energy more economized to slog through the next 28 days until the school show.  I have had some technical setbacks in the darkroom and unfortunately I am feeling the social disconnect there as well.  Much of this is in my head.  I will shake it out and get back to work.

More to come…

JDCM

Waiting for an assignment and off to Paris…

By on April 11, 2010 in Uncategorized

I am still enjoying being here.  This comes on the heels of a crisis of artistic faith in which I find myself seeing novelty and light in all things film and dull same-old-same-old in the digital realm.  The solution is simple.  Since I cannot see the forest for the trees I will be given an assignment by the director–actually we all will.  I hope it is soon because I am running out of time to complete my portfolio.  This is not entirely true.  I have almost 60 days until the term ends which is plenty of space.  The director, John Pack,  said that I take great pictures of many things but that they are all very comfortable and secure for me to photograph.  His challenge is to push me out of my comfort zone and see what comes of it.  I agree with his ideas but I am waiting for the assignment to arrive.  I am enthusiastic.  I was told by my other photography teacher that if it seems too agreeable to ask for something else.  That’ll work for me.

Our spring break begins next week.  I’ll be heading off to Paris for a few days to visit my father who is there for the spring on sabbatical from school.  He is there with his wife until June and they have a nice place in the 4th Arrondisement.  My goal is to shoot at least one roll of film per day while I am there and a lot of digital to work on when I get back.  Of course if I need more film I’m pretty sure I can get some there.  I’ll check on-line and find out.

Just a side note…How lucky am I to be living this life?  What blessed stars shine down upon me and guide me through the wilderness and into the light!

JDCM

Photography and Easter in the Eastern Orthodox Church…

By on April 2, 2010 in Uncategorized

I have been logging many hours in the darkroom and digital labs.  What I am learning in the DigiLab has made me aware of the serious shortcomings inherent in the US university system, one of which is laziness and the other is a jealous regard that some teachers have towards their students.  It is true.  There are many teachers who will not teach their students all they know, but rather keep information to themselves lest their students rise above.  I mean, I had never heard of ICC profiles before I came here, and that, as well as other tools, is essential for properly printing photography in the digital format.  Without these tools the computer and printer will never agree on the colors and tones appropriate for each brand and style of paper.  I know, for example, that Bard College never used this system until a student fro The Aegean Center went back there and told them they were doing it wrong.  So next time you go to a “professional printer” and give them some business, ask them what their paper stock is and whether they have an updated profile for that product.  If they give you a result on paper that doesn’t look right, watch out when they blame your camera…Ask to see the ICC profile.

This weekend is Easter and in the Eastern Orthodox Church it is the single largest holiday celebrated, without question.  The island is packed with people coming home for the event and ending their Lenten Fasts.  The primary church here on the island is called Panagia Ekatontapyliani or “Church of Our Lady of 100 Gates (or Doors) and no ordinary structure either.  It was built by the Emperor Constantine’s mother (St. Helen) and pre-dates any other Christian church in the world. Construction began in the 6th Century.  The story goes that St. Helen, the young Emperor’s mama, put in at Paros during a storm.  As is the custom in Greece, she vowed to build a church on the spot where her life was saved.  She died before that could happen, but she was able to inspire others to make it happen.  Pretty cool.  I’ll be there tonight and tomorrow for the festivities, along with about 300 other people.  I’ll try to get some good night shots, in RAW of course…

Tomorrow night at midnight, Lent ends and the whole town will descend on the restaurants and tavernas for the traditional meal of ‘Gut Soup’, which is a soup made from lamb tripe and vegetables–dee-lish.  A whole bunch of us will go out and experience this event as well.  Sunday is not a public day, but rather reserved for family.  We are having a lamb roast, with the whole lamb on a spit over a charcoal grill, turned by hand for several hours.  On Monday the bus and boat schedules change, heralding the real spring season with schedule and fare changes.

More to come…

JDCM