Category Archives: Inspired By Series

Inspired By Series, Intersections, Personal Vision, Portraits, Social Commentary, The Story

For Palm Sunday: Inspired by Alyssa Chiarello

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No Palms for Palm Sunday, but something to think about during our time of social distancing……..I recently read the Alyssa Chiarello article “5 Photo Books for the Quarantine Life“, as recommended by Jim Grey.  Social Distancing does not mean that you never go out unless your goal is to go crazy!

And so I have been inspired by Alyssa to go out and document what life has become under these quarantine conditions.  And as she suggests, look back at those photos in a few years and see what is different.  I decided to start with photos of my current state of being, AND the often called for Masks…….These are leftover from my days as a geochemist when I was processing rock samples for analysis.  Seems like they’ve found a new use.

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It is also important to remember that  “stay-at-home” does not mean that you lock yourself up at home.  It means maintain proper social distancing when you do have to go out.  The need to go out includes getting some fresh air at the local parks, or taking a safe ride in the country.

 

 

Inspired By Series, Intersections, Landscapes, My Inner Monet, Nature, The Story

Inspired By: Nathan McCreery

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I finally grasped Film as a Journey at a 2016 B&W Photography Workshop in Condon, Montana with the Photographer’s Formulary Crew, and Nathan McCreery as the instructor. Corrected some lazy mistakes I was making, but learned new things too!.  And I was finally convinced to use a spot meter! (Well, OK I still often use the camera meter).

 

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Nathan will be the Artist in Residence , September 2020 at the Big Horn National Forest, Montana………..

Tech Info: Mamiya 6X7, Kodak T-Max 400, film developer Formulary’s FA-1027, exposure (spotmeter) f/22 for 2 seconds.

Check out Craig Sheaks on Film as a Journey that can transform you……And another perspective on the Film Photographic Journey.

Architecture, Film Photography Projects, Inspired By Series, Intersections, Landscapes, Personal Vision, Social Commentary, The Story

Inspired By: Bruce Hucko

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Cisco Ghost Town, Near Moab, UT:

Cisco_Gas_Station

Bruce Hucko was the Founder of the Moab Photography Symposium, which ran for 15 years and had its last meeting in 2018.  The results was a wrap up Book containing images from Participants:

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The Featured Image above is one of my book prints.  The others are here below:

 

But more importantly, Bruce worked on local Preservation and Conservation Issues, contributing Photographs and field experiences that were instrumental in the protection of the Bears Ears National Monument, Utah.  This region and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Park are now under threat from Fracking and Mining interests.  This prompted a recent Visit to the Grand Staircase and Capitol Reef Parks this past Fall.  We wanted to see them before they were gone……..We start with some scenes from Ruins of the Ancient Ones in New Mexico and Arizona.

 

Aztec Ruins, NM:

Aztec Ruins, NM

 

Pecos Pueblo, NM:

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Casa Rinconada at Chaco Canyon:

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Sears-Kay Ruins, AZ:

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And a view from the Cathedral Trail at Capitol Reef:

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Please Remember the Absolute Necessity of Preserving our Natural Environment.  Give it Some Love!

Happy Valentine’s Day

Architecture, Inspired By Series, Interior Spaces, Intersections, My Inner Monet, Personal Vision, The Story

Inspired By: Christopher James

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I’ve done a couple of night time workshops with Christopher James in Downtown Denver.  But I think what I have learned the most about myself from working with him is an appreciation of Interior Spaces:

KEJohnson_Convent
The Symbol of My Journey

As I mentioned in My Inner Monet at the start of the year, I’d been aiming at those grand sweeping landscapes and missing the point………My talents were leading me elsewhere.  More towards interiors and intimate landscapes.

So here is a summary of some interior spaces at Christopher’s Old studio (unfortunately now a gentrified condo) and one from the Byers-Evans House:

 

And what about that space ship in the Denver Library:

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Christopher has been busy lately with the care of his elderly parents.  But I hope to see him back at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center offering Workshops Again……..

Inspired By Series, Landscapes, Nature, Personal Vision, The Story

Inspired By: Richard Knepp

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The Redwoods Workshop was one of the best ever……….And I owe it to Richard Knepp.  Now passed away, but never to be forgotten by me. Most are from my Mamiya 645 with wide angle lens and a green filter.

By Far one of my Favorites, although I still have many more that I could print:

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And another favorite, this one 35 mm:

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I’ve just hung my favorites from the 2006 Workshop on my dining room wall:

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And here a collage of the others that I have printed:

 

Check out all of my Ancient Forests inspired by Rick………..

Follow this link to Rick’s work with the Mono Lake Committee.

Film Photography Projects, Inspired By Series, Intersections, The Story, Themes

Secret Santa Superzoom: I’d like to Continue the Project

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Secret_Santa1P

My Gift had a story described in the Letter.  Important details below:

So now where are we?  The camera actually has a story the results of which can be viewed here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thetravellingsuperzoom/

Here is a summary from my introductory letter pictured below:

“….This camera has a bit of a history in that it’s spent the last few month travelling the length and breadth of  of the United Kingdom (and even got to the south of France on one leg of it’s journey) as a part of a project on an online photography forum. The camera was loaded with a roll of film, the first person shot five frames, and then the camera was sent on to the next person.  The process repeated (with a half-way set of photos when a second roll of film was loaded) until it eventually got back to me……….”

So I would like to sign up maybe 6+ people to help this Camera travel across North America….We’ll follow a similar format.  I’ll load a roll of film, shoot 5 pictures, and mailed to the next person on the list.  We can start a second roll if necessary. To protect everyone’s privacy, you return the camera to me and I send it to the next person.  In the end I will post the images on a WordPress Project Page.  So what do you think?

Architecture, Film Photography Projects, Inspired By Series, Interior Spaces, Intersections, Landscapes, My Inner Monet, Nature, Personal Vision, The Story, Urban Landscapes

Personal Vision: Inspired By Monet

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LilyLake_PinholeDay_2018

” The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the Source of my Inspiration” – Claude Monet

Nature and the Outdoors has always been my inspiration.  My appreciation of the Natural World started with my childhood Family Road Trips, continued through my Geological Work, and finds me now photographing my leisure travels (but always with a purpose in mind).  But I was still relentless in my pursuit of that “Classic Landscape”:

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Above: Landscape Panorama Photo Merge in Photoshop (with Tripod).

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Above: “Classic Landscape” from a Tripod.

RoadsideReflectionFuzzy Landscape………Hand Held, but very attractive.  So much so that I published an article about it.

Now I am finding myself a bit burned out on the classic perfectly focussed landscape.  No, I will not be giving up my Mamiya-7’s.  I’ll have it with me so I won’t miss that classic landscape and later regret it.  But as above with my hand-held ‘Impressionistic’ 35 mm image, I will be exploring the ‘less well focussed’ with more pinhole photography using both my RSS 6X6F and RSS 6X9F, and my Diana and Holga Pinholes.

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So has my Personal Vision Changed?  No, I just need a stylistic change to regain my motivation and inspiration.  I was very engaged by the recent Monet Exhibit at the Denver Museum of Art:

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It reminded me of my love of Impressionistic Abstraction.  And how appropriate is  “The Truth of Nature”?  So in 2020 I intend to bring more of that Abstraction to my Personal Vision while seeking that Truth.  Of particular interest to me were The Late Years, the source of his Water Lilies:

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Before we move on, What IS Impressionism?

Definition: a style or movement in painting originating in France in the 1860s, characterized by a concern with depicting the visual impression of the moment, especially in terms of the shifting effect of light and color.

And so I will be thinking more about Light (and Color when applicable); taking in the Impression of the Moment……..

I also intend to explore more architecture with my Fisheye lenses:

And do a bit more with Interior Spaces:

The Symbol of My Journey

 

So in Summary 2020 will bring more adventure to my work…….This will inevitably spill over into my Frugal Film Project work.  With the Rule Change, I can do more with the camera options I’ve decided to work with.  And indulge my new found ‘love of the grain’ in Ilford HP5.

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Inspired By Series, Intersections, Landscapes, Personal Vision, The Story

Inspired By: Clyde Butcher

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For classic B&W landscapes we often think of Ansel Adams.  And for more intimate landscapes, John Sexton.  But those are mostly Western Landscapes.  The East has beautiful scenes that tend to go unloved.  Even Clyde Butcher ventured west for a change-up in is photo scenes. I was supposed to go to the Everglades last Fall, and had hoped to post images from Florida for this Inspiration.  But my illness intervened.  We are still planning our visit with Clyde and stay in one of his cabins.  My photographer’s eye is looking forward to the South Florida Environs.  Check him out here.

Well,  I live where I live, so my inspiration from Clyde Butcher as acknowledged here, comes from his dramatic, sweeping landscapes and how clouds are an important feature of the landscape.  Also, the importance of masterful photography in Conservation and Historical Preservation efforts.

So my Inspiration from the Cathedral Trail Loop in Capitol Reef National Park.  Also environmentally significant because of the threat to open this Park to fracking and mining operations:

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Also a test of the Rollei Retro 80S IR sensitive film……….using a 695 filter.

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Inspired By Series, Landscapes, Personal Vision, The Story

Inspired By Chris Gampat @Phoblographer: My “New” Fuji GW690 III

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A while ago Chris Gampat had a very insightful article on the Phoblographer regarding the “5 of Our Favorite Film Rangefinder Cameras (One for Everyone)”  Guess what?  I bought one…….This was my first test roll through the Fuji GW690 III.  Boxed like new and delivered from Japan in a timely manner.

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Now for my Very Dramatic second roll through this camera…….Roosevelt Dam:

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Apache Lake, Canyon Lake and the Superstition Mountains…….

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The lens for the GW690III is known for it’s high contrast.  I’d never thought about lenses affecting the contrast.  But see the difference between my Mamiya 7 and this camera at the Superstition Mountains:

 

 

 

View Another Film-Lens-Contrast Example Here.

Architecture, Inspired By Series, Intersections, Personal Vision, The Story, Themes

Inspired By: John Sexton

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After Viewing This Image, I knew what I wanted to say here….Inspired by John Sexton’s rich silver prints:

Roosevelt_Dam

I can’t wait to print this image.  Taken with my new/old Fuji GW690II, this was only the second roll through the camera. The subject, the Roosevelt Dam at Salt Creek, AZ. Oooooh that Black Water!

Yes my Image is grainy and high contrast, but I’m not trying to copy the Sexton Style, I am instead drawing a link in Personal Vision of what represents Beauty.  Inspired by His Book, “Places of Power”  and an appreciation of Industrial Beauty:

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