Holga Window
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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.
The Story: Shooting Digital Like Film
First the Quote from Frank H. Wu on 35mmc:
“The lesson to be learned about life is that we, or at least I, do not appreciate as much what I have been given as what I have had to bargain for. I earn my film photos. I have to be able to afford it. That means repeatedly. Each and every satisfying click and whirr is a few pennies, which must be in the pocket. I am automatically averse to waste.”
The conclusion is that His film photos are always personally more satisfying (and often objectively better) than His digital images.
My best photos are definitely film. One of last year’s successes IS digital (shown above), but I planned and captured the image like it was film. I saw the potential image, walked around the scene looking for the best angles, made three images; taking into consideration how I might crop the final images as well. And THINKING like a film photographer avoids Waste. For a digital Photographer, the “waste” is all that time you spend in front of the computer sorting through hundreds of images that you would never use. For any given scene, when shooting film I have at most 4-5 images to sort through. If you think film is expensive, what is all that time you spend in Lightroom or Photoshop worth? The most I do in Photoshop is adjust the contrast and brightness for posting online. In the (real) Darkroom I do the film tests and adjust the Contrast using filters. Of course, if I have used the proper contrast filter and exposure when capturing the image, adjustments will be straight forward. Hmmmm……I’m feeling that I need to write a post on Contrast Filters, coming soon!
Through the Glass: Now for the Knuckle Ball
As you read this post I will already have been in surgery for several hours………..
In keeping with my earlier Baseball Reference, we move on to the famous Knuckle Ball Pitch. As you read this I will be entering a second round of surgery. The first was successful as far as it went. But the location and geometry of the Tumor require a second entry point on the side of my head behind the left eye.
Below my surgical pre-visualization image………And following the Dylan Thomas Poem……with the most memorable lines highlighted
“Do not go gentle into that good night”
Do not go gentle into that good night
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Revisiting Doors Open Denver
It’s Doors Open Denver Weekend, sponsored by the Denver Architecture Foundation……And I’ll be very busy making new images. One Event that I’ve particularly enjoyed is their Daniels and Fisher Tower Open House. We have attended it twice……
See more from Past Events here.
Thoughts on Personal Vision
Above, three recent but very different images that I had submitted to an online Gallery. Two are very recent, but the Apache Plume is from about 12+ years ago. So what does that say about my photography skills, style and personal vision. Keeping in mind that vision and style are not synonymous. These represent different styles, but I think a similar vision in regards to how I see the light and what attracts my eye.
All of these images received a similar ranking (details here). That soul destroying ‘Special Merit” category that keeps you wanting more. So what does “special merit” mean anyway? Have I not progressed at all in 12 years? Or are my interests and vision not the current hip and trendy thing? (I think the latter) So I’ll get recognition, but never actually win a contest? (One of my recent submissions is going to be published in a book this year. But that’s another story……..). And what is winning?
My middling success for a while sent me down “The Rabbit Hole” as I discussed recently on my photo diary. So I’m reflecting, reorganizing and redirecting my energies. At a recent Personal Vision Workshop with Cole Thompson, we discussed how winning can actually be a setback to the progress towards understanding our personal vision; leading us to pursue the WIN rather than the VISION. Small rewards can seriously sidetrack real goals and personal accomplishments.
Who are you making photographs for? Yourself or the win?
Reflected UV Experiments: Orchids
You can fine a lot online regarding Reflected UV and flowers. So on a visit to a Friend (who conveniently owns an orchid nursery) I took the time do do a few Experiments:
I’m still working on achieving those ‘spectacular examples….But I’m also getting the impression that most flowers DON’T display the spectacular UV Affects.
And the ‘natural’ light images for comparison. See all the results HERE.
More From Blurry…….
Well if you didn’t see my Satuday post it is now too late for you to enter……Here are my Color Entries:
Happy New Year!
Wishing Us All a Better 2018. And Starting off the Year with Dignity:
Dignity of the Earth and Sky overlooks the Missouri River at Chamberlain, South Dakota. A Tribute to Native America Plains Culture. She has a FaceBook Page. And More about the Sculpture here for those not on Facebook. AND more of my photos (All Film of course) HERE.
How Would You Print This?
Two options for printing this image. Since I’m spending a lot of time in the darkroom over Thanksgiving, comments appreciated.
Full Frame:
Or Cropping out the Grass:
Probably cropped…..I think.
