Tag Archives | darkroom work

Christmas/New Year post…2014

By John on December 22, 2014 in 35 mm photography, beauty, biking, darkroom work, Greece, John D.C. Masters, John Masters, mountain biking in Greece, Paroikia, Paros, quiet islands, rangefinder camera, skill and craft, spiritual journey, working

-I am back in the USA for the holidays. If there is anything I have learned this year it is that the varieties of human experience can be summed in a single word: absurd. Tragic, comic…whatever. It is all variations of absurd arrogance and tomfoolery. Disagree if you want, I won’t stop you. I am no different.

-The ‘Cafe/Kafe’ images are on display in a new gallery on my Sidelit website. You can access them through the blog or simply click here. These are scans of the actual b/w photographs, not scans of the negatives.

-I took the train to NYC a few days ago and visited the Metropolitan Museum for the day with a friend. We looked at a marvelous Cubist exhibit, a private collection of Braque, Picasso, Gris and Leger. Superb! Then we gazed in wonder at the Stanford Album, a collection of 18″x 22″ photographs from the 19th century photographer Carlton Watkins, the first to document Yosemite National Park. Truly amazing! Then we wandered among the 29 portraits of Madame Hortense Cezanne , painted by her husband over the course of many years. Lovely! We could not resist the small but dramatic El Greco exhibit. Astounding! With time to spare before our respective trains we ventured into the American Impressionist wing, visiting Sargent’s ‘Madame X’ and looking at Winslow Homer’s wild seascapes. She returned to New Haven and I headed back north. A perfect day at the museum.

-I have been going to the health club and walking/jogging my 8 miles on the treadmill with regularity. I love the knowledge that I can get my heart rate up to 170 bpm and keep it there for 45 minutes without losing my breath. I will be ready to get back on my bike when I return to Paros in less than two weeks. I miss it already. I have some Greek language homework to finish and a couple of emails in Greek that I have promised my teacher. First things first.

-I have been shooting some Fomapan 400 with my Leica M2 so I will have some non-Greek views to look at when I return and develop the film. I have to print more portraits before I get too busy in March. If I cannot complete the printing on my own then I will have to send the negatives to Athens and pay for the work. This is not an ideal situation, but if I have to do it, then I will.

-Christmas is in a few days and the New Year follows. Much has occurred in this past year and I am happy I have no regrets. 2015 is already shaping up to be busy.

-JDCM

Paving my own road…

By John on November 30, 2014 in 35 mm photography, 4×5 photography, autumn, beauty, craft, darkroom work, Greece, John D.C. Masters, John Masters, Paroikia, Paros, Paros Portraits, portraiture, quiet islands, silver darkroom, skill and craft, Uncategorized, working

–My ‘Cafe/Kafe’ show went very well. It is such a quiet time here on the island that an event like this was a wonderful way to have a get-together. It was a community event in a small community. A good chin-wag with friends on a windy autumnal eve. Mikro Cafe was packed and the opening lasted for about 3 hours. I feel it was a great success for us all. I took down the pictures a few days ago. On to the the next one.

I have begun printing my second portrait show, which I have slated for October 2015, here on Paros. I have ideas about the venue, which I will evolve. The show itself will be a continuation of the first ‘Paros Portraits’ exhibit, but this time I have relaxed my eye. The first show was strictly large format 4×5 and printed digitally. As lovely as the 4×5 is, the process began to feel formal, something I wish to avoid in this next installment. There are a few 4×5 images in the new portfolio, which I will contact print, but the remainder are 35mm. I am hoping for about 35 to 40 pieces and they will only be printed in the darkroom. I want this next show to be more loose, more casual, with an element (just a smidgeon) of the ‘street.’ The prints will also be smaller with most of them falling into the 8×10 category, or thereabouts. If I can print them all by the end of April then I can shuffle them off to the framer and pick them up at the end of the summer.

The weather here turned distinctly autumnal last week. It was about 14C before Thursday and the drizzly, dark streets were perfumed with the aroma of burning olive wood. It was damp, but then the wind is shifted from the south. For the past two days we have seen sun, balmy breezes and well over 20C. Lovely.

I must stay busy with my own work, even if it a small casual show like ‘Cafe/Kafe’. As a friend reminded me tonight at dinner, “you have to pave your own road ahead of you…”

–JDCM

cafe/kafe, romanticism and keeping it light…

By John on November 15, 2014 in 35 mm photography, Athens Greece, autumn, beauty, craft, darkroom work, Greece, John D.C. Masters, John Masters, Paros, rangefinder camera, silver darkroom, skill and craft, Uncategorized, working

–I was eating my corn flakes and goat’s milk one morning and it occurred to me that I am an incurable romantic.

–I returned from Paris two weeks ago and I am back on Paros, about 2300 km and one vowel distant. My time in France was lovely. My heart was filled with warmth even though the weather had chilled by the time I departed.

–I was able to shoot 4 rolls of Rollei Retro 400s while in Paris. I also gave myself a Christmas present. I found a very affordable Leica M2 at the local Leica store. The deal was good and I was there. I had to get it. According to the serial number it was manufactured in 1966. I find it extremely cool that I bought a an old Leica in Paris. It just feels right. Very romantic.

–While in Athens on Friday, I ran a couple rolls AGFA APX 400 through it. That made 6 rolls. When I returned to Paros and checked my ‘to do’ box in the darkroom I found two more rolls of film (Rollei Retro 100) that needed developing. I spent Sunday afternoon developing of film. 8 rolls from three different places from three different cameras…Here’s the breakdown:

–4 rolls Rollei Retro 400s, Voigtlander r4M w/ Voigtlander 35mm lens, Paris; 2 rolls of AGFA APX 400, Leica M2 w/ the same Voigtländer 35mm lens, Athens; 2 rolls Rollei Retro 100, Balda ‘Super Baldina’ (c. 1956), fixed 40mm lens, Paros.

–While working I listened to The Clash’s ‘London Calling.’ It was released in the UK in 1979. 35 years later it still sounds fresh, complex and vibrant.

–Romanticism…OK. I don’t wish for days gone by. Whatever they say, life was not simpler, or easier. Thomas Hobbes referred to life as ‘…nasty, brutish and short.” He was right. I like living on a remote island. Romantic again.

–The ‘cafe/kafe‘ photographs are matted, framed and behind glass. I will hang this small exhibit this Friday at Mikro Kafe here in Paroikia. It is not a grand exhibition, just something light and easy, something small to keep my hand in while I continue the prep for the second, far more involved ‘Portraits‘ exhibit next autumn. There. I said it. Autumn 2015.

–JDCM

Departures and arrivals…

By John on September 17, 2014 in 35 mm photography, autumn, beauty, biking, black and white portraiture, craft, darkroom work, Greece, John D.C. Masters, John Masters, Paros, Paros Portraits, portraiture, quiet islands, silver darkroom, skill and craft, spiritual journey, Uncategorized, working

The crowds have thinned out on Paros. The roads have become less treacherous and the island is, once again, for those of us who live here. There is a collective sigh of relief. I have been biking well, using my new Boardman road bike and loving it. In a recent post I stated that I wanted to ride at least 125km per week. I have done that in three days. I will have to up the ante. Maybe 200km? Easy-peasey. My mountain biking has been vigorous and rugged. As it should be.

I continue to build a solid portfolio of 35mm portrait pieces for my exhibit scheduled in the fall of 2015. I think I also have enough ‘cafe-Cafe‘ images for the small show I hope to hang in November. Now all I have to do is print, matte and frame 12 images. This will begin in October, when I return…

I am leaving for Italy tomorrow. It will be a short trip, only a couple of weeks, and I will hook up with friends and colleagues for some art, art history and good eats. I am all but packed with only my shaving kit to stuff in my rucksack. My camera bag is ready, awaiting my laptop and assorted odds and ends. I am only bringing two cameras: my trusty, well-used Canon G11 point-and-shoot and the small Pentax 35mm I bought from a friend last July when I was back in America. I will bring the 50mm and 135mm lenses. I have been having fun with this little machine and so it feels good to continue the joy.

Cavafy’s poetry continues to inspire and fill me with emotion…

Return

Return often and take hold of me,

cherished sensation, return and take hold of me–

when the body’s memory awakens.

and past desire again runs through the blood;

when the lips and skin remember,

and the hands feel as though they touch again.

Return often and take hold of me at night,

when the lips and skin remember.

–JDCM

In the shift…

By John on August 31, 2014 in 35 mm photography, autumn, beauty, biking, black and white portraiture, darkroom work, Greece, John D.C. Masters, John Masters, mountain biking in Greece, portraiture, skill and craft, Uncategorized, working

–The August crowds have departed and it is almost September. The summer is slipping away (has slipped away), a tide across the sand. The light has shifted. It is no longer the July glare. Delicate clouds mute the summer fierceness. Autumn approaches. Today it is windy and cooler. A meltemi eases fevered brows. A scirocco will present itself midweek. The breeze will drop to almost nothing.

–All the forecasts point to the possibility of a light shower this week. Whether this will happen on Paros or another nearby island is never certain. I shall just have to wait and see.

–The mountain bike race on Andiparos has been cancelled. The next event I can participate in is the race on Naxos, at the end of October. That’s OK, although I was looking forward to Andiparos.

–In a couple of weeks I head off to Italy to visit with friends, eat some steak Florentine, and allow the Renaissance to inspire my eye.

–My portrait work continues. I would like to shoot and develop a couple of rolls of 35mm before I head to Italia.

–I continue my biking. I need to pump up the kilometers a bit. Now that it is cooler and there are fewer cars, this is easier. I pay the final installment on my road bike tomorrow. Then I can begin that dynamic routine. 200 km a week total with both bikes. That is all I ask…

–JDCM

Ancramdale, NY 12503, July 2014 part 2…

By John on July 30, 2014 in 35 mm photography, beauty, biking, craft, darkroom work, Greece, mountain biking in Greece, Paros, spiritual journey, working

Soon I will depart for Greece, and Paros. It has been splendid being back here. I have spent my time visiting with good friends and family, eating American food, driving around…

I joined the local gym the day after I arrived and have been able to work out 6 out of 7 days. I have stuck with the treadmill. Why not the stationary bike, you say? Simple: boring. All exercise aside, the stationary bike has none of the qualities I look for in bicycling. There is no wind in my face, no exhilaration of speed, no constant vigilance concerning traffic and/or obstacles. It contains none of the rewards I glean in a long uphill slog on a rutted, rocky road. So I hike the treadmill. I have been able to walk 8+ miles (12.9 km) at a stretch, keeping a constant 4.3 mph (6.9 kmh). The only variable has been the grade. I start off at 6.5% and by the time I am finishing up mile number 4, I am at a 15%. It is all downhill from there. I finish at 0.0%. I count the time, the miles, and watch the calories drip off. I manage to burn off 1800+ per session. I think, let my mind drift. The exercise has allowed me to indulge the American palate. To be honest I have also been eating a lot of watermelon and grapefruit. At my age, I cannot pretend my metabolic rate is the same as when I was 40, or 30. Move a muscle…

I attended an estate sale last week and purchased a neat little Pentax ME 35mm camera with a nice F/2.0 50mm lens and a F/3.5 135mm telephoto to go along with it. I figured I couldn’t go wrong for $45. I ran a couple of rolls of film through it as a test. For technical sake it was roll of TRiX 400 and TMAX 100. I developed them both using Rodinal 1:50 for 11.5 minutes. They look pretty good. The camera is light-weight and easy to use. I will carry it with me.

I have missed Paros terribly. My heart is there. Greece has gotten into my blood. My senses are full of the place. I have succumbed to Her wiles. The seduction is complete.

Pentax ME w/135mm lens

–JDCM

Traveling…again…

By John on July 2, 2014 in Uncategorized

–I leave Paros tomorrow for Athens. From Athens I fly to the USA via Vienna. This is my usual route. If all goes well I will be at my mother’s house in upstate New York in time for dinner Sunday night. I will stay three weeks, then return to Greece, and Paros, on August 1st, just in time for a friend’s watercolor exhibit.

–I have much on my mind. Distance will allow me some perspective.

— When I return to Paros I have my work cut out for me: I need to start house-hunting in earnest. I have been told that August is the time to do this. I will also take possession of my road bike, a different animal from the mountain bike. So I will have two bikes. It is similar to having pets. I need a new space. Ideally I am looking for something with a small terrace where I can store the bikes and an extra, small room where I can keep my photography gear. Currently these fill my living room.

–While I am out of town a close friend is housesitting for me. She leaves on July 21st so at least my flat will be occupied and used for the next couple of weeks. It will be good to keep it aired out. She’s a peach! Thanks JR!

–Before I know it September will be here. I will finally (!) begin Greek language lessons. I have been here too long to know so little. I am embarrassed. There is a 25km mountain bike race on nearby Andiparos in which I would like to compete. I also have my own photography to work on. I am working towards a small solo show in November.

–Lots of thinking, lots of action. At night the wheels spin in my head, clanking about like rusty, broken gears. Sleep can be difficult.

–JDCM

Happy May…and some thoughts on photography…

By John on May 2, 2014 in 4×5 photography, beauty, craft, darkroom work, Greece, Paros, Paros Portraits, portraiture, skill and craft, spring in the Aegean, working

–May is here. The sun is shining, the tourists are few. The winds are from the south, north, east and west. It is lovely here on Paros.

–My darkroom work is progressing nicely. I have been printing my Weather/Texture 35mm images on a regular basis and am finding great joy in the consistency of this portfolio. I have also been keeping up with my 4×5 portrait work and recently photographed a young artist who is visiting our fair isle. I made 12 exposures, of varying depths-of-field. I’ll develop them this weekend. Paros Portraits, Part II moves at its own pace…

–Recently a close friend gave me a lovely gift: Richard Avedon’s Woman in the Mirror . The images reminded me to look a little deeper into this photographer’s life. I have always been impressed by his work. I admire those who labor at what they love and have paid their dues, either through hard work, hard times, or both. Avedon was a skilled craftsman who supported himself and his family through commercial photography. While I never met the man, I get the feeling that while he became famous in his own time, he maintained his humility.

Avedon said that “I never wanted to be called an artist. I wanted to be called a photographer.”

…also “sometimes I think all my pictures are just pictures of me.”

He also believed that “a photographic portrait is a picture of someone who knows he is being photographed, and what he does with this knowledge is as much a part of the photograph as what he’s wearing or how he looks.”

–Dig it.

–JDCM

April upon us…

By John on April 7, 2014 in 35 mm photography, beauty, biking, black and white portraiture, darkroom work, Greece, Paros, Paros Portraits, skill and craft, spiritual journey, spring in the Aegean, working

–I have heard from folks in the US that their weather has finally turned spring-like and the snows have ended. It has been a difficult season for them and they need to put away their shovels and plows.

—Slow Art Day is coming up. I will be gathering with some friends at a local museum here on Paros and participate. I was reminded this morning that the average museum visitor spends between 5 and 30 seconds looking at a piece of art and that time is usually when they read the tag on the wall. During this day we will look at 5 pieces, for 15 minutes each. Then we will reconvene and discuss what we saw, how we felt, etc…I am looking forward to it. Too many cultural institutions treat their space like a shopping mall. MoMA in New York is one of them. I think I have blogged about this already.

–When I first visited Paros in 2006 as a tourist, I came specifically to see their museum. It has one of the finest collections of Greek art in Europe. It only cost me 2 Euros to get in. It still costs 2 Euros. I was here for two days and visited twice.

–I continue my own printing in the darkroom. I am doing well. Although I may have made some strict goals at the outset, I have relaxed those boundaries. I seem to be falling within them anyway. Tomorrow I hope to expose some 4x5s.

–I competed in my second Parian sports event the other day. It was the Paros Diathalon, held out at Molos Beach and the village of Marmara. It consisted of a 7km run and then a 12km mountain bike. My teammate Margaret ran and then I biked. I had a great time and, once again, felt at home within that diverse community. I will post some images on my Flickr site. I am waiting to hear from people who have pictures of me. Our total time was 63min, 55sec. I think we placed 5th or 6th in the ‘Teams’ category.

–In a couple of weeks I have a break from work. I might stick around, I might take off. I might do both. Load up the panniers and go…

–JDCM

Mid-March, Paros, 2014…

By John on March 16, 2014 in 35 mm photography, 4×5 photography, beauty, biking, black and white portraiture, craft, darkroom work, Greece, mountain biking in Greece, Paros, Paros Portraits, portraiture, rangefinder camera, silver darkroom, skill and craft, spiritual journey, spring in the Aegean, working

–Yesterday was the Ides of March. I made it through unscathed. Et tu…?

–The day before, march 14th, was my mother’s 90th birthday. She made it as well. 90 years…

–What has she been witness to since 1924! Well, almost everything worth talking about. Plus, she has raised three children and set them on their respective paths. One is a professor at a large University. Another is an artist living on a small island. The third is…well, that’s me. Funny. It feels like we three have all found our own islands we call home. Her love has been unconditional and generous. She may, at times, worry about our sanities, but she has always been there, no strings attached. She has never asked for proof of good will. If I have had any regrets or guilt, they have been my own and are non-transferable. Kind of like airplane tickets.

–Today I went to a mountain bike race in the hill town of Kostas. I could have raced it myself, but opted out so I could photograph instead. I brought my big Canon 5D MKII, my 35mm Voigtlander and my Wista 4×5. I packed up 16 pieces of Kodak TPX 320 and had some old-time fun with large-format sports photography. I am eager to see how they come out. While I waited along the dirt road for the pack to appear, I was suddenly struck by the knowledge that this is how it was always done, for almost a century. Photographers standing on the side of the road with their tripods and 8x10s/4x5s/etc…waiting for the runner/horse/bicycle/car/locomotive to come barreling down the track and trying to catch the moment. It’s not easy. I was thankful for my knowledge of depth-of-field so all I had to do was whip the film packs in-and-out of the back of the camera. I was loading, exposing, sliding the cover back on, unloading, and tossing the exposed film pack on the grassy ground. 15 exposures later (one dud) I was done. I finished up a roll of EFKE 100 35mm in the Voigtlander, made a few digital snaps of the closing events, and called it a day.

–I have been lining up some new subjects for continued portraiture. I figure that if I can practice diligence, I will have a large enough portfolio to begin printing next autumn. I continue to pray to the gods of photography for deliverance of a 4×5 enlarger.

–Spring seems to have arrived. The light has been superb. What else is there to say?

-JDCM

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