Face of a Flower
Category Archives: Intersections
Inspired By Jim Grey: “Selfies” for My Birthday
Reading Jim Grey’s recent Blog on the subject of Bathroom Mirror Selfies made me think about the ones I have done, and the ones that I want to do soon. He also mentioned the importance of Photography as Therapy., as any Art form can be. It certainly has worked that way for me, carrying me through serious illnesses twice now.
I am posting this to Celebrate my Birthday! Something that wasn’t assured just a few month ago. And I am going forth with my Series “Facing 60”. Starting here and now I will post self Portraits from time to time at different ages and stages……
About 10 years ago I was starting a self-portrait project called “Facing 50”. I had read an article by someone who had documented their life through self portraits taken over 20+ years. But my Project ended up being derailed by Breast Cancer. You think I would have learned from that and NOT tried to do a “Facing 60”. Undaunted, I started on that Series anyway, and it was derailed by a brain tumor that IS NOT Cancer, but nevertheless a problem. Having anything growing in your Brain that doesn’t belong there is a problem.
As you can see below I started the original Project on Ash Wednesday in 2010. In this case I was experimenting with my 20 ft cable release and my M645. A little soft focused because I had to ‘guestimate’ the distance. I featured one of my favorite images……
So, I had taken a few photos of myself before the current events. My husband had taken quite a few photos of me to post on my “Through the Glass” blog posts. To Summarize “Facing 60” will contain a variety of “Self-Portraits” and evolve into a Project Page.
So this is where I started 9 years ago when my Cancer treatment had ended, I was on the road to recovery and starting a new career:
And now for some Mirror-Selfies: One full-frame showing all the lovely bathroominess and the rest cropped Rollei TLR 6X6 to remove as much of the Bathroom as possible. I’m going to do a reshoot in this mirror when I get home. Next time I will not have the shower curtain line going through my head!
Through the Glass: Rounding 3rd and Heading for Home….
I Rang Out on Wednesday using the Solari Bell. By the time you see this I will be on my way Home:
And Yes, I am taking my ‘friend’ the Mask. More Scenes from my life over the past 2 Months:
I still have tons of images to post from my Arizona Experience. Those will appear from time to time throughout the Summer.
Archi-Textures
Starting my New “Themes” Series. The only requirement: The shot must satisfy the expressed Theme. In this Case Archi-texture.
Good Friday: The Photo Story
From the Riverside Cemetery, Denver, Colorado.
This post IS for Good Friday. But there is also a Story to be told. This was my second visit to the Riverside Cemetery in Denver. Dragging around my Mamiya 645 in its rolling case. The Riverside Cemetery is a place to go for History Addicts, as it is the oldest Denver Cemetery. It needs some love, but is now being managed by The Friends of Historic Riverside Cemetery.
But things aren’t as they seem, when I scanned the film from my second visit I reversed the negative. And on my first visit I had taken the Long View. The original perspective and correct orientation is below. What do You Think?
Notice the lovely Oil Refinery in the background, which is why on my second visit, I moved in closer to “crop in the camera”, and show the face of Mary. I also had better light on the second go around.
A Quiet Tribute
As student of Art History, and a practicing religious person, I was devastated by the Fire at Notre Dame. No, I’m not Catholic, but I revere ALL sacred places of ALL Religions.
I’m not at home, so I don’t have much that I can post at this moment. But I Love Gothic Architecture. When I had a chance to live in England, I visited all the famous Cathedrals that I could get to during my short stay. So I post a Quiet Tribute from Wells Cathedral. A gem that you should try to see if you are in western England
And what I am going to do this summer is scan all of my best English Cathedral images (Old ECN-II Transparencies) and Post Them!
Through the Glass: It’s Beginning to GLOW in Here……
Yes, this is me in my Proton Beam Radiation Mask. It was custom fit and molded to my face during the Radiation Simulation Session. You literally have to be tied down. The method is so precise that any motion would cause the beam to miss the tumor and hit something inside that you might not want to zap. The lasers and pink tape are used for rough alignment. Then low-level X-rays are used to “see” the four pins in my skull for fine alignment. If it looks uncomfortable, it is! And I go in twice a day for treatment. Best thing, I get to take it home with me. I’m going to make a shadow box and display it in my Living Room…….
The pressure from the Mask caused some swelling on the left side of my head to return. Ooops! But it is better this week. It’s stretched a bit and I’ve been working with the Technical Staff to get a better fit.
So I found out the details of the GLOW Club and will be attending on Thursday. Hopefully I can see the accelerator and take picture. I’ll post an update if pics are allowed. Fun Fact: you can actually see the blue flashes of the Proton Beam as it passes within the inter-cranial fluids. Your optic nerve can detect the flashes so your brain can ‘see’ it.
The focussed beam comes through the “screen” behind my head. The screen is so big because it needs to be focussed across a wide range of angles. It moves along the metal track for positioning. Below, a longer view showing the hand grips for more stability against motion. What you cannot see is that my feet beneath the blanket are tied down to the table also.
I’m keeping my hair very short so I can moisturized my scalp to minimize burning. In the image on the right, you can see a hint of the Surgery #2 Scar.
Keeping it short for Radiation
Below, a handy dandy summary graphic taken from the Mayo Clinic Website. CLICK HERE for better viewing.
Results of Film Expertise Survey and My Personal Thoughts
I have my favorite films and I ask myself whether it is worth the time to learn about new films? My favorite B&W: Kodak T-MAX 400, Ilford SFX-200 and I when I want less contrast Ilford Delta 400; I also want to spend some more time with Ilford Delta 3200. My Favorite Color film for now is Kodak Portra 400; I am presently testing the new Kodak E100. So I have 3 main films (bold); one that I use under certain conditions (bold italic and posted image below); and two that I am experimenting with (plain text italic).
So I posted a Survey on Twitter and asked the followers of both of my Blogs to add their comments. The Twitter Survey ran for a week with the following Results:
Most of my blog followers are also on Twitter, so their votes are included above. I agree with the survey results: 48% of you say 3-4 films and 23% say 1-2 films. Total for less is more: 71%. So most of us agree that you cannot be an expert with dozens of films. My husband said that his answer was 5+ films. He really likes to find special films for special circumstance and does more experimentation than I do, which is a film multiplier. @donkittle on Twitter wrote to me supporting different films for different situations also. I typically shoot 3-4 different types of scenes/subjects. So following this approach may explain why I only need/use 3-4 film types. And I think that most photographers in that 71% are doing the same, typically shooting select films for their preferred subjects and no more.
I am open to experimentation on a limited basis, or using a certain film according to the conditions if I know that it will perform better (Delta 400) than my usual B&W (T-MAX 400). We should all consider new films from time to time. But film testing is time consuming, and I think that my days of trying new films are pretty much over once I’m done testing Kodak E100. If I like the new E-6 film, then it will largely replace Portra 400, since ISO 100 films are better for travel (i.e. they survive possible airport X-ray mishaps better; also some film travel tips here and more here). But since I already understand Portra 400, I can pull it off the shelf when I need it. And although I don’t like the color balance of Portra 160 for my landscapes in general, I can recommend it for Pinhole Cameras. So another case of a special film for a special case.
Now lets consider some Favorite Films of Famous Photographers. I’ve tried researching this on the WEB. Lot’s of discussion of gear (cameras, lenses, etc), but very little on Films used by the Famous. So isn’t Film part of your Gear? Isn’t that why we choose certain films for certain circumstances? Hey, if you become famous, please include preferred Film Types in your Gear…….. Here’s what I found after a few hours of searching for a some of my Favorites who considered the Film a part of their Gear:
- Richard Avedon: Tri-X
- Clyde Butcher: T-MAX 100
- Imogen Cunningham: Developers used but not Films
- Sally Mann: Collodion Process
- Galen Rowell: Fuji Velvia 100 (used Kodachrome through the 1980’s)
- John Sexton: T-MAX 400
- Kim Weston: FP4 (Current Choice; Past films used: Tri-X, T-MAX 400, HP5)
I realize that it may be harder to find this information for deceased Photographers. But if you are still alive, please let us know what type of film you most recently used (even if you have switched to digital).
A Final Thought from the Weston Interview linked above:
“…..If you use a film long enough, you get to know its characteristics. I don’t use a meter, I just know the light…..”
Inspired By: Galen Rowell
Galen Rowell (1940-2002) was my inspiration for pushing the limits of my outdoor 35 mm photography. Our Patagonia Trekking Photos followed his suggested techniques for E-6 film (Shoot ISO 100 at ISO 125); how to pack your equipment for safe travel; traveling with film, etc.
His death along with his photographer wife Barbara Rowell in a plane crash impacted me greatly. And learning that their Families had closed the Mountain Light Gallery in 2017 was a sad reality.
Trekking the “W” in the Paine Massif was a dream of my husband’s, but none of his friend from his mountaineering and climbing days wee interested. So 8 years into our marriage we went to Patagonia and Trekked the “W”. The trip also inspired our first Annual Calendar in 2006.
Now that Kodak E100 is back, I can highly recommend:
Both of which were my early guides to improving my E-6 outdoor photography, and also
- Galen Rowell: A Retrospective
And many other books all available online at that ‘place’ that I refuse to give free advertising to….Looking at his work will show you the full capabilities of 35 mm photography. Below, our 2006 Calendar (in case you haven’t checked out the “Deep Archive”).
Film Expertise?
I have posted this on Twitter. But I wanted to give my followers here a chance at answering this question too. In the future I will write an ‘article’ here on my feelings and the results of my survey. Here it is:
How many films is it really possible to be an expert at using?
While here in Arizona, I’ve been testing various films that I hadn’t used before (e.g. Silberra, Ilford FP4, the new Kodak E100), In most cases for B&W I use Kodak T-MAX 400 and Ilford SFX-200; for color I’ve settled on Kodak Portra 400 (pending my results for E100). I know these films well, and I usually get the expected results. When I experiment with new films, the results are up in the air. Yes with my ‘expert’ films I made early mistakes but worked through it. Now I wonder if it is worth the the time to learn about MORE films or stick with what works? So let me restate the question:
What films do you use and how many do you feel it is possible to be an expert with? Please leave a comment or vote on Twitter @AnalogPhotoBug, and look for the future article.
Kodak T-MAX 400:
Kodak Portra 400:
Ilford SFX-200:
