I don't usually follow celebrity or well known photographers. For me it feels like their work is so well known that it would be difficult for them to say anything new or significant. I'm looking for new themes, new ideas, new mem-types.
Really now. I do know better than that. Still, it rests in the back of my mind this way.
Fred Miranda's website had this video. I found it charming, inspiring, and it asked me to reconsider how I view other's work.
It was good for me to see that not all famous photographers come across as laser eye'd type-A personality over-achievers.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
More Obscure Ideas...
Once I started down this path, I could see the ideas and realizations unfolding in front of me. There's no slowing me down at times like this.
The original idea came from looking at other people's work on Flickr. Over the past couple years I could see where the ideas and presentations were becoming ever more sophisticated.
In similar time, I read a few books by Neil Gaiman and Neil Stephenson. Some of the visuals scenes and descriptions of people in certain settings started me to thinking. Once the thoughts took hold I knew I needed to try my hand at photo-manipulation.
The visual genres that have appealed to me for some time now has been around Steampunk and Noir Victorian Gothic. All I need to do as I read various authors is to close my eyes and "see". After that, it's a simple matter of composing a series of images and working them to completion.
Can you tell how much I'm enjoying this new expression of my art?
Friday, August 20, 2010
Obsure ideas...
Much of my work is guided by the books I read. Recently I stumbled upon Neil Stephenson's "Diamond Age". It's a pretty quirky book, and it has a few ideas that I find compelling. It's like reading Terry Pratchett or Neil Gaiman, but with a very nerdy twist.
The idea of a Matter Compiler gives me a lot of ideas. A MC is a device that takes atoms and builds them into things people need, use, or want. When you're done, you just put the things into a decompiler and the item is returned to it's constituent atomic bits.
The "Diamond Age" is a fairly dark text. Since I'm exploring ideas along the lines of dark Victorian and Gothic, I thought I'd try my hand at this concept to see what came up.
The images posted here are just a start. With a photoshoot coming this weekend, I hope to add substantially to my base materials that will allow me to explore these ideas more fully.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Working with textures...
Back in the day, William Mortensen sold texture layers to photographic artists. They came (at least) in 8x10 inch sizes. A person selected the texture they wanted to print with and would head into the darkroom. Setting the enlargement size to 8x10 inches, focusing the negative, placing a red filter between the negative and the paper (so as to not expose the paper while setting the rest of this up and help control the exposure), putting the photographic paper into the easel, then laying the selected texture over the top of the paper would, many times, lead to magic.
Using similar principals, artists in the age of digital "lightrooms" can create some rather interesting images.
As many of my readers know, I use a Photoshop-like tool called the Gimp. It is the Open Source communities answer to Adobe's for sale products. The power of the tool allows me to create layers and masks, tints and crops, and all the color management/manipulation capabilities that I could ever desire. In fact, the tool is so powerful that I seldom use more than a fraction of it's overall capability. Much of the time I'm anxious when I launch the Gimp, particularly when I'm just doodling and have no strong idea of where I'd like to go. Stumbling around reaching for an idea while using this tool has many times lead me to disaster.
While some of the textures and tint layer are not obvious, I tend to use them to help create dimension in my work. Somewhere in my processed images will be metal, concrete, clouds, tiles, ceramics, or aged polishes. To support this work, I have created a library of tints and colors that I use in many different layers to achieve the kinds of blended effects that I'm after.
It's not hard to see what influences me. Old photos. Old photographic processes. Movie set lighting. Traditional poses. Jules Verne-like ideas. Increasingly, the more fantastic the idea, the more excited I am to try and express that idea. In fact, I'm thinking of a theme of Death in a Jar, a steam-era Mad Scientist of Biologist's Laboratory. Hmmmm... I wonder if I can pull it off...?
Using similar principals, artists in the age of digital "lightrooms" can create some rather interesting images.
As many of my readers know, I use a Photoshop-like tool called the Gimp. It is the Open Source communities answer to Adobe's for sale products. The power of the tool allows me to create layers and masks, tints and crops, and all the color management/manipulation capabilities that I could ever desire. In fact, the tool is so powerful that I seldom use more than a fraction of it's overall capability. Much of the time I'm anxious when I launch the Gimp, particularly when I'm just doodling and have no strong idea of where I'd like to go. Stumbling around reaching for an idea while using this tool has many times lead me to disaster.
While some of the textures and tint layer are not obvious, I tend to use them to help create dimension in my work. Somewhere in my processed images will be metal, concrete, clouds, tiles, ceramics, or aged polishes. To support this work, I have created a library of tints and colors that I use in many different layers to achieve the kinds of blended effects that I'm after.
It's not hard to see what influences me. Old photos. Old photographic processes. Movie set lighting. Traditional poses. Jules Verne-like ideas. Increasingly, the more fantastic the idea, the more excited I am to try and express that idea. In fact, I'm thinking of a theme of Death in a Jar, a steam-era Mad Scientist of Biologist's Laboratory. Hmmmm... I wonder if I can pull it off...?
Monday, July 19, 2010
Flickr Explore...
One of the more interesting features of Flickr is it's Explore function. This presents a collection of images rated by some mysterious algorithm that selects for something called "interestingness".
Having one's images "Explored" has become something of a contest between Flickr image contributors. There are even web pages devoted to describing how to make the "Explore" pages.
I have had many of my own photos "Explored". But it had been awhile since something of mine was picked up by the wee-minions of Flickr. So it was a bit of a surprise to see that one of my images made it up to #199 on July 19, 2010.
Having one's images "Explored" has become something of a contest between Flickr image contributors. There are even web pages devoted to describing how to make the "Explore" pages.
I have had many of my own photos "Explored". But it had been awhile since something of mine was picked up by the wee-minions of Flickr. So it was a bit of a surprise to see that one of my images made it up to #199 on July 19, 2010.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sometimes...
Every now and then I drop the heavy textured Noir Victorian Gothic image look and return to straight old fashioned image making.
My wife's roses (Jude the Obscure) are incredible this year. After sitting in a vase in our dining room, I saw them begin to droop. Before we recycled them I wanted to see if there was an interesting composition or two that could be made with them.
What I ended up with are incredibly large image files. They retain the kind of resolution only large format film photographers seem to be able to achieve. Printing these to extremely large print sizes shows bugs and pollen and other minutiae.
What camera was the rose image made with? Was it film? Was it digital? Or did I use a camera at all? Are these "real"? Or are these "Memorex" (as the commercial used to go)?
My wife's roses (Jude the Obscure) are incredible this year. After sitting in a vase in our dining room, I saw them begin to droop. Before we recycled them I wanted to see if there was an interesting composition or two that could be made with them.
What I ended up with are incredibly large image files. They retain the kind of resolution only large format film photographers seem to be able to achieve. Printing these to extremely large print sizes shows bugs and pollen and other minutiae.
What camera was the rose image made with? Was it film? Was it digital? Or did I use a camera at all? Are these "real"? Or are these "Memorex" (as the commercial used to go)?
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Published...
David Burns Smith has published me. Again. It's quite a fine honor. David does a great job keeping up with artists around the US.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Oh what fun!
I used to think that I needed to be creative entirely on my own for anything I did to be "valid". Once I started looking at the word "valid" and began asking what that could possibly mean, I saw that it is nothing more than a cultural perception perpetrated by folks who stand to make something off it.
Once I realized the word "valid" held little to no sway over me, I began to experience life, art, and image making differently.
What I presently see is that a collaboration can help bring together and create a sum much greater than it's individual parts.
My wife acts as my assistant and a valuable extra set of "eyes" and ideas. My subjects bring not only themselves and wardrobe, but a lifestyle and way of looking at the world that I dont' always have for myself.
When taken in total, my ideas blended through the aid and help of my wife, and amended and expanded through my subjects leads places I could never have otherwise envisioned.
One such case was when Irish Heather Collins asked if we could do a Pin-Up photo-shoot for a calendar she will be in next year, 2011.
I think the results speak for themselves.
Once I realized the word "valid" held little to no sway over me, I began to experience life, art, and image making differently.
What I presently see is that a collaboration can help bring together and create a sum much greater than it's individual parts.
My wife acts as my assistant and a valuable extra set of "eyes" and ideas. My subjects bring not only themselves and wardrobe, but a lifestyle and way of looking at the world that I dont' always have for myself.
When taken in total, my ideas blended through the aid and help of my wife, and amended and expanded through my subjects leads places I could never have otherwise envisioned.
One such case was when Irish Heather Collins asked if we could do a Pin-Up photo-shoot for a calendar she will be in next year, 2011.
I think the results speak for themselves.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Evolving...
In 1984 I picked up a Guide Blue 1929 while visiting Paris for my first time. In 2006 my wife's Uncle's steam engine maintenance and mathematical calculations guide came into my hands.
As I worked some of my recent images on the various themes of steam, Noir Victorian Gothic, and tribal punk, the thought occurred to me that I could use text as a texture. Relevant to the period I was trying to depict. Subtle enough to not overpower the primary subject. Mixed with other textures to give the image a well "worked" surface.
Since I have plenty of material to work with already, I was able to avoid organizing another model shoot. While working with other artists is fun, I knew I needed to try my hand at the processing stage of image creation.
These images edge closer to expressing ideas of Steampunk, Oilpunk. There is still more to be gained. But for that, I think I need to head back into the studio and re-work my lighting. In fact, I have studied the light of Eugenio Recuenco, and am developing a few ideas. I hope they work out as I intend.
As I worked some of my recent images on the various themes of steam, Noir Victorian Gothic, and tribal punk, the thought occurred to me that I could use text as a texture. Relevant to the period I was trying to depict. Subtle enough to not overpower the primary subject. Mixed with other textures to give the image a well "worked" surface.
Since I have plenty of material to work with already, I was able to avoid organizing another model shoot. While working with other artists is fun, I knew I needed to try my hand at the processing stage of image creation.
These images edge closer to expressing ideas of Steampunk, Oilpunk. There is still more to be gained. But for that, I think I need to head back into the studio and re-work my lighting. In fact, I have studied the light of Eugenio Recuenco, and am developing a few ideas. I hope they work out as I intend.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Monday, May 03, 2010
Inspiration...
If you've never seen a Roman Catholic Mass card, you might not know what I'm about to refer to.
Every now and then I stumble across my up-bringing.
Take, for instance, the photo in this post. As I worked it the images that appeared to me became more and more iconic in nature. Finally, it hit me. My sub-conscious was driving toward a prayer card look.
Brilliant! At least I knew where the inspiration was coming from. Then I could, with a little more awareness, create what it was I felt.
How fitting it was to create Saint Mermaid. Classic. Simple. Religious.
Every now and then I stumble across my up-bringing.
Take, for instance, the photo in this post. As I worked it the images that appeared to me became more and more iconic in nature. Finally, it hit me. My sub-conscious was driving toward a prayer card look.
Brilliant! At least I knew where the inspiration was coming from. Then I could, with a little more awareness, create what it was I felt.
How fitting it was to create Saint Mermaid. Classic. Simple. Religious.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Opportunities abound...
Riches pour in from all sides.
Collaborating with local artists is, for me, very energizing. Recently I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with Stephanie Lopes, Gemma Adams, Keph, Shelley Frederick, and Viola Rose. Some of the work we have done together is quite pleasing. The results are better than I could have imagined. Each collaboration brought new ideas as well as increasing visual challenges.
How to convey the sense of beauty and grace when working with aerialists and handstand artists? How to participate in the act of Butoh when called upon to do so? How to extend the visual themes and ideas that I find so compelling?
Out of the blue, a kind email was received from Irish Heather Collins. She asked if I would be interested in working a theme of Mermaid? Never one to turn down a request of this magnitude, I replied "yes".
We set a time and place. My trusty assistant, my wife, joined me in the studio. Irish painted and groomed herself in the manner of a Mermaid from the very great deep.
As we worked through the shoot, various ideas were raised and worked. We reached a point where the sea chest needed to be opened and it's contents revealed. All the while, tulle was attempting to make it's way out of the chest and into the open world.
It felt like a key point in the shoot when my wife suggested that the tulle needed to be set free. She asked "... why not have our Mermaid marry the Sea?" All at once something struck and held firm. An idea was born.
This is one of the most satisfying images I have made this year. Actually, since this was a collaboration, this is one of the most satisfying images I have had the opportunity to help create with help from other fine artists and assistants.
Collaborating with local artists is, for me, very energizing. Recently I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with Stephanie Lopes, Gemma Adams, Keph, Shelley Frederick, and Viola Rose. Some of the work we have done together is quite pleasing. The results are better than I could have imagined. Each collaboration brought new ideas as well as increasing visual challenges.
How to convey the sense of beauty and grace when working with aerialists and handstand artists? How to participate in the act of Butoh when called upon to do so? How to extend the visual themes and ideas that I find so compelling?
Out of the blue, a kind email was received from Irish Heather Collins. She asked if I would be interested in working a theme of Mermaid? Never one to turn down a request of this magnitude, I replied "yes".
We set a time and place. My trusty assistant, my wife, joined me in the studio. Irish painted and groomed herself in the manner of a Mermaid from the very great deep.
As we worked through the shoot, various ideas were raised and worked. We reached a point where the sea chest needed to be opened and it's contents revealed. All the while, tulle was attempting to make it's way out of the chest and into the open world.
It felt like a key point in the shoot when my wife suggested that the tulle needed to be set free. She asked "... why not have our Mermaid marry the Sea?" All at once something struck and held firm. An idea was born.
This is one of the most satisfying images I have made this year. Actually, since this was a collaboration, this is one of the most satisfying images I have had the opportunity to help create with help from other fine artists and assistants.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
... or maybe not...
I have to smile.
Again, I have changed direction.
This time it seems I need to explore simplicity against a white background. As with my other recent work, I try to let the subject and composition inspire the Muse. There just seemed no way around keeping these images clean and simple. The Muse allowed for nothing less and nothing more.
Working with Night Flight's Stephanie Lopes in her dance studio, my wife and I arrived one fine Saturday afternoon to set up the backdrop and lights. Stephanie worked to apply her makeup and adjusted her attire. After she'd warmed up, it was up onto the cloud swing and away we went.
I really enjoy working with creative people. They inspire me. They give me hope. They help make life engaging and interesting. Invariably, they have political and cultural views similar to mine.
Again, I have changed direction.
This time it seems I need to explore simplicity against a white background. As with my other recent work, I try to let the subject and composition inspire the Muse. There just seemed no way around keeping these images clean and simple. The Muse allowed for nothing less and nothing more.
Working with Night Flight's Stephanie Lopes in her dance studio, my wife and I arrived one fine Saturday afternoon to set up the backdrop and lights. Stephanie worked to apply her makeup and adjusted her attire. After she'd warmed up, it was up onto the cloud swing and away we went.
I really enjoy working with creative people. They inspire me. They give me hope. They help make life engaging and interesting. Invariably, they have political and cultural views similar to mine.
Friday, April 09, 2010
... running into the unknown... [3]
One of my creative modes seems to be drawing me into areas that may be difficult for viewers of my work to "connect" with, get, understand, and even enjoy. Yet I can't stop myself.
The idea that there are as many views of reality as there are viewers drove a concept of varying areas of an image. Each modified area represents a different aspect of reality.
My first implementations of this concept are rather graphic. Straight lines. Modified tones and textures. Varying colors.
Yet I can see the first images based on this concept are likely to be considered immature. That is, they don't quite say what I want them to say. Not yet, at least. Hence immaturity.
I used to be bothered by immature work. Not any more. Or not as much any longer. The roughness of immaturity has worn off enough that I can now post to view and consider works in transition. I find I can use this time to evaluate and ponder where to take a concept, which direction feels right.
The idea that there are as many views of reality as there are viewers drove a concept of varying areas of an image. Each modified area represents a different aspect of reality.
My first implementations of this concept are rather graphic. Straight lines. Modified tones and textures. Varying colors.
Yet I can see the first images based on this concept are likely to be considered immature. That is, they don't quite say what I want them to say. Not yet, at least. Hence immaturity.
I used to be bothered by immature work. Not any more. Or not as much any longer. The roughness of immaturity has worn off enough that I can now post to view and consider works in transition. I find I can use this time to evaluate and ponder where to take a concept, which direction feels right.
Friday, March 26, 2010
... running into the unknown... [2]
As my wife and I watched "Oregon Art Beat" last night something caught my eye. The things that seem to be attracting me these days have a strong graphic quality to them. It feels like a more complete blurring of the line between photography and graphic arts, in more traditional terms.
Coming into work this morning I completed processing an image of Shelley Frederick and thought I'd try to implement the kind of image that caught my eye last night. It feels like yet another direction to launch off into.
Very exciting times. Particularly after a friend reminded me yesterday that just a few months back I was complaining that my muse had wandered off.
Coming into work this morning I completed processing an image of Shelley Frederick and thought I'd try to implement the kind of image that caught my eye last night. It feels like yet another direction to launch off into.
Very exciting times. Particularly after a friend reminded me yesterday that just a few months back I was complaining that my muse had wandered off.
Friday, March 19, 2010
... running into the unknown...
I notice that as I work on photographic images how my awareness changes. It's almost as if my mind has taken leave and I'm left to respond to the work as it evolves. There seems to be no clear indication that a work is "completed" either. If I didn't force myself to pause and look back at a body of work or to see how an image has evolved, I might continue without end.
This is how my recent work has come into being. I start with a broad idea and then let each of the images take me where they will.
A couple groups contacted me about working with them to collaborate on small image collections. They got what they needed for various promotionals and such. I received the opportunity to expand my portfolio of ideas, expressions, and finished works.
When I started processing the image from the "Night Flight" shoot with Gemma Adams and Stephanie Lopes, I felt that the results would be heavily textured. I could almost "see" how the finished images would be. That is, they would continue a theme I first developed with the Tribal Fusion, Steampunk works.
However, the image refused to follow my formula for processing. Something didn't feel right. The images looked pressed to fit into an expression that was inappropriate for the subject. So I took a step back and cleared out my mind (allowed it to take it's leave?). Then I started anew and tried to listen to what the subject had to say.
It didn't take long to realize that my subject was sleek and athletic. It demanded a cleaner, crisper line than my heavily textured work did. I couldn't hide the beauty, rather I needed to reveal it.
Stephanie Lopes shared that she felt the images evolved into a fairy tale-like expression. I can see what she's saying. I'm thrilled with the results and hope they are too.
A month later I had the opportunity to work with a Butoh group called the Seraphic Society. They presented an entirely different set of challenges.
Here was a group that reveled in the extreme. Here was a group who could move in a very different manner from the beautiful Night Flight troupe. Here was a group who wanted to experiment.
To add to expectations, they had also seen my work and liked what I had done in the past.
Yet, when it came time to process their images, I found I was stuck. Every time I tried to use the heavy textures from the Alternative History sets, my images didn't work. So taking a recent lesson and applying it to the Seraphic Society, I took a step back and cleared my mind yet again.
What revealed itself at first was a very elegant, subtle, gorgeous light. The subject could still express something not commonly seen in culture and society. Yet it demanded an image expression that was very classic and pure.
After talking with Shelley Frederick and realizing they wouldn't mind my trying to go dark and scary, I tried a more subtle set of textures. Et voila! Another expression of the subject was quickly revealed.
Folks over on Facebook have been very responsive to both sets of images from the Seraphic Society shoot. For that matter, they were also very responsive to the fairy-tale like results from the Night Flight shoot too.
This is how my recent work has come into being. I start with a broad idea and then let each of the images take me where they will.
A couple groups contacted me about working with them to collaborate on small image collections. They got what they needed for various promotionals and such. I received the opportunity to expand my portfolio of ideas, expressions, and finished works.
When I started processing the image from the "Night Flight" shoot with Gemma Adams and Stephanie Lopes, I felt that the results would be heavily textured. I could almost "see" how the finished images would be. That is, they would continue a theme I first developed with the Tribal Fusion, Steampunk works.
However, the image refused to follow my formula for processing. Something didn't feel right. The images looked pressed to fit into an expression that was inappropriate for the subject. So I took a step back and cleared out my mind (allowed it to take it's leave?). Then I started anew and tried to listen to what the subject had to say.
It didn't take long to realize that my subject was sleek and athletic. It demanded a cleaner, crisper line than my heavily textured work did. I couldn't hide the beauty, rather I needed to reveal it.
Stephanie Lopes shared that she felt the images evolved into a fairy tale-like expression. I can see what she's saying. I'm thrilled with the results and hope they are too.
A month later I had the opportunity to work with a Butoh group called the Seraphic Society. They presented an entirely different set of challenges.
Here was a group that reveled in the extreme. Here was a group who could move in a very different manner from the beautiful Night Flight troupe. Here was a group who wanted to experiment.
To add to expectations, they had also seen my work and liked what I had done in the past.
Yet, when it came time to process their images, I found I was stuck. Every time I tried to use the heavy textures from the Alternative History sets, my images didn't work. So taking a recent lesson and applying it to the Seraphic Society, I took a step back and cleared my mind yet again.
What revealed itself at first was a very elegant, subtle, gorgeous light. The subject could still express something not commonly seen in culture and society. Yet it demanded an image expression that was very classic and pure.
After talking with Shelley Frederick and realizing they wouldn't mind my trying to go dark and scary, I tried a more subtle set of textures. Et voila! Another expression of the subject was quickly revealed.
Folks over on Facebook have been very responsive to both sets of images from the Seraphic Society shoot. For that matter, they were also very responsive to the fairy-tale like results from the Night Flight shoot too.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Fluidr
Someone commented on one of my photos on Flickr from Fluidr. I am happy to see alternative interfaces like this being developed to access Flickr. These are turning into great tools for exploring the very best Flickr has to offer. I'm continually impressed with the level of talent found on Flickr. Very inspiring.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Published
My work made the front cover of the Oregon Coutry Fair's Fair Family News. Fun stuff! THANK YOU OCF!!!
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Published
The photos of Rachel Brice are mine. Kind thanks to Marthyna for contacting me and selecting these two images from my collection. If you are in the Quebec area in March, consider attending their Tribal and Fusion bellydance event.
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