Tag Archives | black and white photography

Photography and Easter in the Eastern Orthodox Church…

By John 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

Jazz, cook-outs and leaky tanks…

By John on March 14, 2010 in Uncategorized

My schedule is settling down and I have a very busy load. The two primary courses are the Digital Printing and the Silver Darkroom classes. These both meet, officially, twice a week, but as a student I have keys to all the labs, so I can go in there any time of the day or night and work. This is very nice. In the digital realm we are working with RAW, but in such a way I have never encountered. The secret is to over-expose the image in RAW to capture as much information as possible, then process on one of the Macs. First rate gear here…none of that buggy PC junk. The b/w darkroom is a real test of my abilities and patience. I am fine tuning so many variables it is hard to list, but ultimately it comes down to being precise with temperatures, times, and note-taking. We are using all Ilford chemistry, film and paper, which keeps developing as close to consistent as possible. The four lovely enlargers are all imprecise in their own way, so consistency is a must. As one fellow student reminded me, “We are doing fine art photography here…” So right, so true. Am I up for that task or am I the equivalent to a shoe-maker in the kitchen?

The rest of the course load is a series of hour-long lectures that run throughout the week. These are, in order, Creative Writing Workshop (twice a week), The History of Photography, The Camera (a tech course), Art History, Classical Greek Literature, and Documentary Photography. As a school, we all go on a hike on Fridays. This is the Socratic method at work, with time to not practice out crafts, but to have time for the self as well while we absorb the knowledge that is heaped upon us all week. There are other courses such as painting, figure studies, vocal ensemble and basic drawing, but that will have to wait until next time. At this point I want there to be a next time.

I was in the darkroom the other day I developed a roll of film and the metal tank leaked, not light, but developer. So this teaches me to check my gear before I work. Last night we all got together and had an amazing bar-b-que/cook-out/grill. A real potluck for 20 and it was a blast. I made grilled Dorado marinated in garlic, rosemary and olive oil. Others brought salads, kebabs, sausages, peppers stuffed with feta and oregano…Super! After that a few of us went out to see a jazz duo (piano and baritone sax) from Athens. What a great time we had. I was able to close my eyes and let the music just flow through my head, savoring every note and movement. As I listened I wrote the second half of a short story I am writing, but in my head. When I returned to my studio apartment I put most of it on paper and revised this morning. I’m doing pretty well.

The director of the Center, John Pack, had a meeting with us all the other day and he reminded us that for whatever reason, we all ended up here. I was directed here by a friend, and so many others are here due to some other twist of fate or fortune. We are all woven together like a creative fabric.

JDCM

Here on Paros…

By John on March 8, 2010 in Uncategorized

I have been trying to log on my blog for almost 45 minutes. For some reason I have to actually go to the blog first and then log on through the meta…Whatever.

Paros is amazing. I am very lucky to be here and have this experience. I thank my friend Jeanne for introducing me to the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts. So far the student body is pretty amazing–all talented and many much younger than I, but still we are all in the same boat. It is an unconventional type of place with a dynamic teaching philosophy. I am not going to try to describe it, but suffice to say that it would be grand if the whole of academia taught this way and not only this very special school.

I am taking 4 classes–The darkroom class, the digital class and probably the “camera class” as well as classical Greek Literature. People tell me that this is manageable.

Jet lag was pretty bad this time and I am still not over it completely. Maybe it is the weather. The Sirocco has been blowing in from northern Libya and the warm Saharan air is full of smaller-than-talcum powder dust particles like a red fog. It is supposed to end soon, but until then there is a strange surreal quality to the surroundings and people’s attitudes.

More to be revealed…

JDCM

One week and I’m off…

By John on February 23, 2010 in Uncategorized

I am beginning to feel the tug and draw of the traveling jones. I fly from JFK next Tuesday, non-stop to Athens and my next great adventure. I have been reading a lot of photographic philosophy on the Webb’s photo blog and this is all good food for thought. Things I need to remember–the sudden flow of geometry, the instance of emotional capture in the viewfinder and a need for patience. I need to wait and see what happens. I need to relax. I am pretty hyper. There has been a lot on my mind lately that does not feel so good, mostly to do with family and their emotions. Nothing I can do about that except step back and let things happen.

I would like to have at least three new prints to add to the portfolio I am bringing with me. I have been taking pictures of the interior of my home–bureaus, mantles, doors, windows, clocks…all very intimate and full of humanity. If I can glean something from them, I will be happy. Then I can finish packing on Monday night and go to sleep knowing that all is taken care of and well in hand during my absence.

I purchased another digital camera. I decided to bring my 50D with me so I needed a smaller digital point-and-shoot for street work. I chose the Canon G11. It’s a great compliment to the Voigtlander, I feel. I like that I can shoot in full manual and adjust my shutter and aperture like the Rebel. I can also adjust the film speed from 80 to 3200ISO. It fits in the palm of my hand. Lovely, and not too dear.

More to come… canon_g11_front1 JDCM

15 days to go…and packing…

By John on February 14, 2010 in Uncategorized

I’ll be back in Greece in just over two weeks, providing the river don’t rise and the airports don’t close. I have begun to pack, if only to feel my way for this trip, which has some additions to my backpack. I have some bulky stuff I am bringing, mostly art supplies. I have not traveled as much in colder weather, even though the high temperature in Athens is currently 65*F. I am bringing a couple of fleeces and some long-sleeved shirts, which all add to the bulk. I also have a box of 8.5×11 Hahnemuhle printer paper that is in there, as well as my portfolio. I have packed my small camera bag, stuffed with vine charcoal, pencils, and so forth for the drawing class. It’s easier to get that stuff here than in Athens apparently. I will buy film there…Ilford is pretty easy to find. My camera bag is all set as well. It has all the electronic stuff I’ll bring and I will be carrying that on the plane. My only regret is that the bag looks too new…maybe I can wash it so it fades some…that would be good.

JDCM

Greek update…

By John on February 3, 2010 in Uncategorized

It is February, the month of my birth, as well as my father. His birthday is today and he is 82. I am heading into NYC tomorrow for lunch with him and two of my half-cousins from my grandfather’s first marriage. They are very nice and we all get along just fine. I am taking MetroNorth from Wassaic which puts me in to Grand Central. Then I’ll walk uptown to the restaurant on Broadway and 105th. Quite a hike, but I can take pictures along the way. Maybe I’ll get two rolls done but three would be very cool indeed. I could use some more urban images fro the portfolio.

In regards to that, and Greece, if the river don’t rise I’ll be flying off to Athens in 29 days. I am very excited and have begun to do some test-packing. I packed my camera bag once and will do so again until I get the optimal set-up. I am taking my Canon 50D and the two L-series lenses I have for it. I am also taking my Voigtlander with the 35mm lens I bought with it and a new 21mm lens that is arriving today. A light meter, some lead film bags, batteries, etc…all round out the gear. There is plenty of room for my notebook, documents, a book, pens and pencils, and some other odds-and-ends. I’ll re-pack the night before I leave, I am sure.

I am going to buy a small refrigerator for my darkroom. This way I can put all my chemistry, paper and film away safely before I leave. I have looked on-line and I can get a good one for less than $300 new from Lowes. I can also get one locally from Campbell and Keeler in Millerton for a little more and support a local business. I think I will do that. Maybe even today!

Below is a new image. I used Efke (ADOX) CHS 100 with my Voigtlander R4M. For printing I used Edwal Platinum II for the soup on Fotokemika paper at f/16 for about 3 1/2 minutes.

rhinecliff-station-2

Photography update…

By John on December 30, 2009 in Uncategorized

"Farm #5, Window #2"

In a little over two months I head back to Greece, this time for school and not just travel. I am pretty nervous but I have certain confidence that reminds me that if I keep on doing what I have been doing for the past few years everything will work out better than I could hope for.

A close friend in Millerton has also contributed to my darkroom gear. Stephanie Stanton is a wonderful photographer who is highly skilled and currently making her living as a photographer. She offered a trade for the gear she gave me: that I be her wedding photographer next September. Of course I said yes, and will work on the inexpensive side since A) She and her partner do not have a lot of dough and, B) she is also offering me a chance to work as her assistant throughout the summer at weddings. This will give me a large amount of experience and possibly open some doors for my own career.

My small portfolio for the Greek school is expanding. I have been trying to print at least 5-6 pieces each week, if not more. I have about 24 images so far and want to bring 48. I am choosing different subjects and examining qualities of light, shadow and and textures. For the next week or so I am working exclusively on my series “Farm” . It is self-explanatory. The point, however, is to remove agricultural elements from their traditional spaces to show qualities of time and aging of organic compounds that have been artificially constructed, i.e. old barns, rusting metal, etc…In b/w the tones can be rich and deep. There are also some landscapes as a way of depicting the space around us and the distances (time as well) ahead and behind. I have added a new image that I developed last night. It is called “Farm #5–Window #2” . I used Kodak Tri-X 400 on a cloudy day. For the darkroom I had some glossy Ilford Multi-grade IV fiber paper developed in Dektol. I like it. Nice textures.

JDCM

Some recent work…

By John on December 9, 2009 in Uncategorized

wateringcanscan Here are some scans of some of the dark room activity I have been involved with. Both images were taken with a Canon QL17 GIII with FomaPan ISO 200 b/w film. One is from the Dalmatian city of Trogir while the other is from the island of Paros. Both are on Fotokemika Grade 3 paper and were developed using Ilford PQ Universal for the paper work. I think I used D-76 for the film development, but it was last summer and I don’t remember.

trogirguitaristscan

I like the deep contrast and the odd quality of the camera itself. The edges are soft, slightly vignetted, which gives the image an older look.

I hope to spend the next week in the darkroom. I really want to start going through older negatives as well as more recent work and printing some stuff. I have enough paper and chemistry and I have the time.

JDCM

Some news on the front…

By John on November 11, 2009 in Uncategorized

…and a photograph or two.

I have been accepted to the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts for the spring 2010 semester. This is quite an honor and it will be an exhilarating and difficult three months, effectively finishing my BA in style. To celebrate this occasion, I have purchased a new film rangefinder, a Voigtlander R4M with a 35mm lens. This is a significant upgrade from the little Canon QL17 I have been using for a while. I leave for Greece at the beginning of March and will return at the beginning of June.

I have also set up a full darkroom in the house. I have a large extra room with an adjoining bathroom that I have blacked out with curtains–very dark indeed. I have great new, used Metro-shelf worktables. My good friend Bruce has sold me his Beseler 23C Series II enlarger with two lenses (50mm and 80mm) plus some other gear for about $100. A real deal, IMHO. I have been developing some film, but this weekend I will have all the supplies and stuff I need to start working with paper again. Now I do not have to drive to use the darkroom, nor sit in a cold barn, or have my good friend Carol pay for heat when she doesn’t need to. It’s a good thing all around.

Last week there was truck fire in the nearby town of Millerton, NY. Serendipity was on my side and I was able to capture some dramatic shots. Here is one them. I will post another tomorrow. I offered them to the local papers but they declined, using there own images instead. Oh well. Their loss. The editor asked for me to stay in touch with anything I might have. Right. Not a chance. This is not the first time they have given me the Bum’s Rush.

I went to Alex and Rebecca Norris Webb’s opening in NYC last week. It was a lovely show and left me wanting more. The Ricco Maresca Gallery highlighted their new, collaborative, book (a first for them) on Cuba called “Violet Isle.” I was able to spend the day walking the streets of Manhattan, visiting museums, and practicing the craft. A wonderful day.

JDCM

PS…Yes, I saw the Frank and Meyerowitz shows…Boffo!

Truck fire, Millerton, NY. November 2009

Searching for Robert Frank…

By John on October 4, 2009 in Uncategorized

I have just returned from a visit with my sister and her husband just outside Boston. While I was there we were all able to meet up with my father at a bookstore in Cambridge where he and his wife gave a reading of some of their new work. I took a couple of pictures, but felt very uncomfortable doing so. After refection I discovered it wasn’t the act, but rather the subject. There was nothing spontaneous and the observing seemed to draw the attention of my father, something I didn’t want. In fact, he pointed it out to the small audience at one point–very off-putting. Our relationship is difficult. His own narcissism has progressed as he has aged and he either contradicts what I say or disregards it. If I think of him as an old man with difficulties and not my father I have a better relationship.

The Robert Frank show is up at the Metropolitan in NYC. I have plans to go in later this month…I think on the 21st. I hope to spend the day looking through the viewfinder and trying not to try too hard. I’m lucky that I am an avid walker…The soles of my shoes are well worn. I’ll stay out of the park: too much wide open space.

JDCM

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