Thursday, March 31, 2016

:advance film:

Been sadly busy with other things to get as much artwork done as I'd like, but I did get some done, and many thoughts for the future as well. And also there's always a camera of some sort with me too, trying to capture moments and fragments, and places to possibly return to. Trying another roll of film in the Holga, and this one seems to be slowly advancing on its own, so it looks like I'll have overlapping shots whether I want them to be or not.



Still working on another Tiffany picture, I think it's nearly done, but I find that after many hours of working, I need to stop and return to it after a day of so, to hopefully see things anew. I've been pondering just how much white I really need in it.


It also brought something else to mind, of how after working with many of these models, there's been very little further contact, so far. In every case I felt that they were successful and enjoyable shoots, that there was good camaraderie, but after all is said and done...crickets. I know some of them are terribly busy, and I'm not trying to get some sort of epic mail trail going, but a short message or reply isn't out of the question, I don't think. I see too much of this in the rest of my life as it is; people appear to enjoy my company, but when I'm out of sight, it's apparently also out of mind. It does not build up one's confidence.

Self-pity aside, always looking forward. Building a list of places to visit in non-wintery weather this year, and still work to be done on the promotion side of things. Like the damn website, and, I hate to say it, maybe even give in and finally make Facebook page. It still seems like you don't exist if you're not on there, sad to say. Still hoping for a better thing to replace it. People once thought that MySpace was All That at one point, after all.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

:available light:

I finally got my shots back from my third attempt with the Holga camera. I have to do it the (now) old fashioned way, bring the film somewhere to get developed and wait, and since it's 120 film, your local CVS just won't do.

Looking them over, I found that while there is a setting on the camera for low-light situations, most of the shots I took during a rapidly setting sun were quite dark, so I think I'll only shoot in adequate light from now on. The shots that I liked best were the double-exposed ones; there's no auto-forwarding to the next frame with this camera, so you can shoot over the same shot, or even just advance the film halfway. I wonder how many exposures you can pile into one frame.



I'm also still going through the photos from Tiffany's photoshoot last year, but I think I'm nearing the end of those. Right now I'm still experimenting with textures and colors. Again, I think the original shots stand fine on their own, but I like to do something more to them. To hopefully make them more my style. Assuming that I have a recognizable style.


This latest one isn't done yet...been playing around with reducing the color palette and detail. It almost looks like a comic book panel.


With a few exceptions, my method with model photoshoots has mostly been to set 'em loose and see what happens, and along the way, ideas usually present themselves. I am feeling the need to have a concept in mind for future shoots. I recently had a traveling model like Tiffany contact me on Model Mayhem, and I'm considering working with her, but I'd like to have something more specific in mind before I agree to.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

:them bones:

A lot of my past weekend was linked to creativity, although nothing much of the sort that I can actually show. Even though, there are still steps forward.

Saturday I went to one of the curiously regular and increasingly popular "oddity" markets that have been happening in the Boston area. The last two that I went to were held in what was basically the lobby of a tattoo shop, so they filled up quickly and the vendors sold out quickly as well. This recent one was held at a larger space, thankfully, that regularly holds such markets, but not of this nature before, namely with many vendors selling such things as skulls, bones and other things that may be thought of as morbid to many, but as I said, it has curiously become popular in this area.

I got a few skulls myself. I don't have a problem, I can quit anytime. Now just to figure out what kind of artwork to make with them. The only amusing thing that I recall about my last apartment being broken into, was wondering what the thieves thought of when they opened up the containers containing all my bones and skulls.


The coyote skull on the right is actually promised to someone else, but how interesting is a photo of just one skull?

Sunday I went to a gathering of photographers in Salem, at the same studio where I did a shoot last year. We showed and critiqued each others' work, which frankly I don't get much of anymore. One can become so close to one's own work that you can't see any issues, if there are any. Mine generally centered around cropping and composition. It's interesting how a part of the photo can draw your eye away from the main subject. Some observations I fought against, but again, sometimes there's tunnel vision and you see nothing wrong.

I'm going to continue working on these photos, probably this one next, but I honestly can't imagine changing much of it.


I'm also awaiting word on a gallery show that I submitted work to. That is still one of the goals of this year, more gallery shows, but here we are at the Ides of March already, so focus focus focus.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

:wax and wane:


In the continuing archaeology of my belongings, I came across a cache of prints, a 1990 calendar, and other ephemera from the music label 4AD, or more specifically their design arm known as 23 Envelope and eventually just v23. Like the label name itself, I don't think it has any deep meaning.


Back in The Day, mainly from the mid-80s through most of the 90s, they released some truly unique music, and the packaging was no less so. I can honestly say that I bought many of their releases without having any idea what the music sounded like, based solely on the cover art. I don't recall any disappointments, although they did seem to slide into indie-rock territory by the mid-90s, not a bad thing, just not what I was used to from them.


It's difficult to think of a band like Cocteau Twins without the accompanying imagery. And for a band called Lush, both the music and artwork was as well. Sometimes it was quite abstract but even the ones with clearer imagery had an otherworldly tint to them. Which is something that I think is becoming lost in the current age, first the imagery shrinking down to CD box size, then to even tinier, if any artwork at all, for all-digital releases. I suppose the resurgence of vinyl gives some hope, though I've never favored it, but then there's also the growing absence of actual stores in which to peruse the albums themselves. A local retail chain saddens me when with each successive visit, I see the music section has been shrinking smaller and smaller.



It's also worth noting that most of the 4AD work was done pre-digital, or at the very dawn of it, when the process was much slower and more expensive. One had to use film and wait to see the results that developed. It's interesting to read what appeared to be something unearthly was often the most mundane materials. The cover of the "Lonely is An Eyesore" compilation is nothing more than the actual flatbed of the camera setup where surely other covers were created on.


Album art definitely inspired me, and I certainly dreamed of creating some of my own. I found many copies of album covers in my old art files. I did manage to create a few CD covers for real, but not for any major labels.


When choosing shots for Instagram, I seem to largely vary between landscapes and close-up textures. This most recent one below reminded me of the 4AD style and sent me off on the reverie above.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

:breathe:

I find myself short on time this week, and much of what I could show is still undeveloped film, so here's just a few other shots I took during this past weekend.