Steady State is not Equilibrium

I used to keep a copy of an old thermodynamics textbook on my night stand. Something to read if I was having trouble falling asleep. And it worked like a charm. At any rate, I like how the man made and the natural appear to co-exist in this scene, a steady state has been reached. In fact, the tree was probably planted as part of the original landscaping, and, of course, it would be cut down without a second thought if it posed a threat to the power cables. But over the decades the tree has grown around the pole and appears to be thriving. What I really wish would happen is that they'd just go ahead and bury the power lines already.

Tasting notes: Canon 5D Classic, 40mm f/2.8 lens.

Devil in the Details

The Nineties may seem like a hell of a long time ago from today's perspective nearly a quarter of the way into the twenty first century. But the little Hexar AF and its phenomenal 35mm f/2 lens remind us that life was still mighty fine back in the day, at least insofar as high quality photographic imaging was concerned. As I was spotting this scanned negative, I noticed what I thought was a dust spot in the upper right third of the image. A closer look reveals that it is actually the image of an airplane! And a still closer examination shows that one can easily make out the horizontal stabilizers at the rear of the aircraft. 

Not bad from a 35mm negative!

That Which Sustains Us

The camellias bloom through the winter and that is a good thing. Although they grow very slowly, some of the older plants present a wall of flowers to admire. Surprisingly, they photograph well even in black and white. Observing the slow, steady changes in nature can help sustain us.

Tasting notes: Konica Hexar AF, Ilford Pan F Plus.

A Konica Hexar AF, a Roll of Pan F Plus, a Sun Dog, a State of Flow

We had a proper winter sky the other day, one filled with high clouds and contrails, and a sun dog. No humidity to speak of. A bit of a rarity of late, such skies. I could have regretted my choice of Ilford Pan F+ film, but it was far too late for that. I had the Hexar in P mode and just decided to trust the process and take photographs. I’m glad I did. The thirty year old autofocus worked just fine, the exposures were spot on, and I was able to put my full attention on the experience. That lens. Man, oh Manischewitz, as the commercial (and my father) used to say. 

Good light this weekend! 

Tasting Notes: Konica Hexar AF, P Mode, Ilford Pan F Plus, Ilford DDX 1+4 

Zine Machine

What is your threshold for an impulse purchase? For me it appears to be around $250, which is roughly the same order of magnitude as my weekly run to Publix for our basic kitchen provisions. So, when I saw a Canon 5D on sale for that price, I decided to go for it. I'm a sucker for old tech, it would seem. Over the years, I've sold off most of my EF lenses, but I do still have a couple of special oldies around that I can't bear to part with. Like the 135mm f/2 and the 180mm f/3.5 Macro. For images that are going to end up printed out at book size or smaller, the camera is still, after 17 years, mostly sufficient. It has fewer bells and whistles than most modern cell phone cameras. As such, it is about as pure a photographic experience as you are likely to see in a digital camera. A lean, mean, zine machine!

Tasting notes: Canon 5D, 135mm f/2 L.

Ground Control to Major Tom

Through the miracle of modern marketing, we were recently sent a complementary bottle of alcohol-free sparkling wine. Luckily, we had a few things to celebrate, and so we broke out the nice glassware and had an informal tasting. The results were quite positive, and in the end, we decided that we actually preferred the experience without the alcohol. So, I can't blame the missed focus here on a boozy buzz. My tech let me down a little is all. It focused in a most-a peculiar way.

Tasting notes: Canon digital camera.

Modify, modify, modify

I hate to admit it, but, over the years, I've picked up more than a few words of wisdom from my workout DVDs. I've been working with the same coach for over a decade now and it really is amazing how consistent his messaging has been. Also, he has not aged one iota in over a decade. I guess it has something to do with those nutritional shakes he peddles on the side. I suppose I should have ordered some, oh well, too late for me. At any rate, about a year ago, I decided to send the Rolleiflex SL66 in for service. It came back mostly looking and working fine, but it looks like a few of its quirks are simply beyond repair at this point. The slow shutter speeds are still slow. I don't have to use them very often, but when I do, I just tell myself they are about double what they are supposed to be. I'm accepting the fact that I'm working with a camera in its late middle age. Grandpa cam. But, as long as Bulb mode keeps working, I'll be able to expose negatives. 

Tasting notes: Rolleiflex SL66, 120mm f/5.6, Tri-X, HC110B.

Beckett and Poons on Failure

As photographers, we are often advised by our teachers to 'work the scene'. Good advice. I was able to get a photograph of this scene that I liked a little bit better by doing just that. Although, I still like having this more literal shot in my archive as a reminder of the experience. Anyway, most of us have heard of the idea of failing up, or failing better, but many probably don't realize it comes from Samuel Beckett. And I recently stumbled upon some words of wisdom from painter Larry Poons.

'Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better'.
-Samuel Beckett

'A failed painting is better than one that's just plain bad. The failed painting is one that could have been great'.
-Larry Poons

Tasting notes: Leica R9, 50mm f/1.4, Santa Rae 1000 film.

Chilly Scenes of Winter

In general, I think most folks prefer going to the beach in the summer. When it comes to the Gulf Coast, though, the decision to visit can be a tad more complicated. For you see, in the summer, the heat, humidity, and bugs can combine to make being outside so oppressive that you dare not venture from the comfort of your air conditioned room. Stepping into the water can be like taking a warm bath. As far as I am concerned, the Fall and Winter are the best times to visit, with daytime temperatures often reaching the 70s, as they did on this day, after the rain blew over.

Tasting notes: Fujifilm GA645Zi, HP5+. Love its little fill flash.

Data Collection

Sometimes I think about going out to take photographs as a mission to collect data. We capture a particular viewpoint, a certain slice of time, a personal experience, only to unpack it later, often much later. I suppose some 'data' stands on its own from the get go, while much ends up being of questionable value, or perhaps even worthless in the end. But that doesn't change the fact that there is something about data that demands attention. An opportunity at least.

Tasting notes: Leica R9, 50mm f/1.4, Lomography Berlin 400, HC110B.

El Ranchero

I decided to watch another famous and well-regarded film from the 1980s the other night, one both my wife and I remembered as having a lot of space, and where time moved pretty slowly. After a few decades, this one didn't resonate so much anymore for whatever reason, although I certainly wouldn't mind driving a 1958 Ranchero. I was left wondering, would a famous European auteur travel all the way to America to make an art film in 2022? 

All that being said, the cinematography definitely holds up, and I really did love the lighting in this scene. According to an auction site, a mint Ranchero goes for around $50K these days. Good light to you this weekend, and happy bidding. 

Tasting notes: Canon digital camera.     

Transparency

I knew that the surfaces of the fabric and the polished concrete were inherently interesting, at least to me, but I was pleasantly surprised at how the camera was also able to capture the volume of space behind the partition in this photograph. The way the optical system rendered the space was tricky to pre-visualize. From my position behind a large column, I was able to take photographs with a digital camera as well as a film camera. In this case, I ended up preferring the digital image. The digital camera was somehow more transparent, and that characteristic was what helped capture the experience for me.

Tasting notes: Sony digital camera.

Ikigai

 

Hey quitters, The New York Times wants to hear from you! Are you one of the millions of individuals who stepped away from their jobs over the course of the pandemic? If so, why not meander over to their website and tell your story. I'm looking forward to reading these at some point in the future. To confirm my own biases, if you know what I mean. For you see, I'm someone who recently pivoted, making my move before we really understood how disruptive things were going to get. For once in my life, I found myself on the leading edge of a national trend (discovered retrospectively, of course)! Recently, I've started to dig into the Japanese concept of ikigai, which, according to the OED, is "a motivating force; something or someone that gives a person a sense of purpose or a reason for living". It's more about following a path than it is about quitting, per se. 

Check it out, and I hope you can find a path forward on your art journey.

Tasting notes: Sony digital camera. Can you see the forest for the trees? :)

Like pears and pecorino…

It is easy to set up most film scanners to handle 35mm frames, making them essentially automatic diptych makers when it comes to digitizing your half-frame negatives. Sometimes the sequences just don’t make any sense, say at a transition point between subjects. Other times, it’s like pears and pecorino.

Tasting notes: Olympus Pen FT, 38mm f/1.8 lens, Kodak XX film. 

What a Drag It Is

Back in the day, I never wanted to drop off my film at the local drug store for processing. Not an option. You see, I was really uptight about anyone seeing my negatives. As if... Unfortunately, quality control was a bit shaky on my side. Super thin negatives. Bromide drag (e.g., those wonderful streaks in the sky). 

Alas, the record of my personal history marred by technical... Hmm, maybe these flaws make sense as part of the record after all.

Anyway, what I do remember about my solo trip to Organ Pipe is trying to sleep in my car during a serious electrical storm. I 'insulated' myself completely in my sleeping bag in the hope I wouldn't be electrocuted. It really was a memorable journey.

Tasting notes: Canon AE-1, Tri-X, Rodinal+Sulfite.

Reflect

Materiality and surface have always been interests of mine, but going back through my archive also reveals other interests and milestones along my art path. Even if at the end of the day this image is nothing more than a quick study, I find it still resonates a dozen years later.

Tasting notes: Olympus EPL2 digital camera.

Getting to the Art of Photography

Photography's poetry arises from its limitations as a medium. Framing, focus, point of view, time, flatness. What about process? Can process play a role in allowing the viewer to set aside expectations and just experience the image as art? Or does it just get in the way, like a buttery, mushroomy sauce poured over an overcooked chicken breast? 

Tasting notes: Minox B spy camera, Portra 400, C41 home development.

A Question of Balance

The Elmarit-R 35mm f/2.8 (first version) is not the best lens I own, not by a long shot, but it is definitely a favorite of mine, and it gets used quite a bit. The reason is pretty simple: the lens designers were able to find an excellent balance between size and performance, one that aligns well with my preferences, I reckon. I would also say that this little lens appears to have been designed before the obsession with boke came into its own. It is pretty unique in its rendering of the out of focus highlights.

I hope you have good light this weekend, and that you can get by carrying a lens that is 'only' f/2.8. 😀 

Tasting notes: Leicaflex SL2, Elmarit-R 35mm, HP5+, DDX 1+4.

Leica 💪

A composition I like.

Tasting notes: Leicaflex SL2, 35mm f/2.8, HP5+, DDX 1+4.

Wipe Out

There was no ass wiping material available for purchase this morning. Not a single square. The empty shelves reminded of my youthful visits to East Berlin. Of course, I was a spectator back then. At any rate, my wife is currently out of town, so there is only one active crapper in the house. Consequently, the TP burn rate is relatively low, and we should be safe. LOL. Sorry, just trying to do a little back-of-the-envelope personal supply chain arithmetic here. After putting the groceries away, as if by magic, one of my Beloved Devices presented me with an article from the team at The Washington Post about this latest phase of bare shelves in America. Turns out there are four reasons, one of which is Winter. Oy gevalt, as my mother used to say. I hate to get all nostalgic on you, but back in the day (2018) we wiped freely all year round. Good luck out there!

Pro tip: there appears to be plenty of napkins in stock.    

It's a Cliché for a Reason

Every photographer loves a good stairwell, right? They certainly make for interesting subject matter. Sometimes it seems to me as if the camera almost points itself toward the upper landing. All you have to do is trip the shutter. This image was made in the High Museum of Art a couple of years ago. It is a place I return to often enough, and grabbing these fun images is part of my museum ritual, one might say.

Tasting notes: Olympus Pen FT half-frame camera, 25mm f/4 lens. With the cost of film increasing right now, perhaps it is time to start using these cameras more frequently. I've never been disappointed in the quality of the negatives I am able to get with them. And 50+ years on, they still look quite fashionable hanging from your shoulder.

FIVE OH CRAP

During the early part of the pandemic, I decided that I would document some of the local schools and playgrounds in my neck of the woods. Nothing overly profound as a motivation, just images of empty fields, that kind of thing. The kind of shots many folks would end up making. Mostly, it was a nice chance for me to get out of the house with a camera and a simple goal in mind during an uncertain time. Then, things got a little weird. I noticed that every time I began photographing, the police would drop by to ask me what was going on. The officers I met always just laughed when I told them what was up, so some nutter must have been calling them, and, in a show of good faith, they had to check me out. Now, these images have begun to take on a slightly more sinister meaning for me.

Tasting notes: Leicaflex SL2, 35mm f/2 lens, Lomo Berlin film.

Vorort des Schwartz

I've read that as daytime temperatures continue to rise, more and more people in warm areas are shifting their exercise and leisure outdoor activities to the evening. It makes sense, but I'm not a fan. Luckily, at first these changes will be limited to the cities. Here in the American Vorort, we should be safe for a few more years to come, one hopes. Fingers crossed. For there is nothing more meditative and restorative than photographing at night.

Sometimes I Just Sit

Whenever I walk past this bench, I wonder how many people have actually ever taken the opportunity to sit for a few minutes to take in the view. I've never done so, and I've never seen anyone else seated there either. The fact of the matter is that most of us hop in the car and drive to this park to walk, run, or take the dog for its daily constitutional. We go to get a little exercise, so sitting would be a kind surrender or a public display of a lack of fitness. But this photograph of the scene does remind me of the need for contemplation. These days, most folks probably do most of their contemplating in front of a screen. 

Tasting notes: Olympus XA2, Lomo Berlin 400.

More Real Art -- And A Perfect Outing

The original plan was simply to drop my wife off at ATL, but since we had the luxury of time, it made sense to combine the trip with a visit to the High Museum to see 'Picturing the South: 25 Years'. We arrived at 10AM when the museum opened and headed straight to the second floor. We had the entire space to ourselves, and it really was quite special to experience the photographs alone in the galleries like that. The diversity of viewpoints represented by the 16 artists is what makes the project so great. Highly recommended.

Visit: link.picturingthesouth.high.org

Mementos

Growing up in Southern California, I was always fascinated by the ice plant that can be found growing wild on the beaches, with it's amazing red and green coloration. At the time I made this photograph, I was waiting for the sun to set and noticing how the succulents appeared redder than usual in that wonderful light. The older Leica lens I was using flared, as it is wont to do, adding to the overall atmosphere of the shot. When my brother moved to NYC, he brought a few cuttings with him and I remember them doing pretty well on the opposite coast with the fire escape in the background.

Tasting notes: Leica R8, 35mm f/2, Portra 400.

Classic '70s

This house is downright unattractive during the day, only really coming into its own after the sun goes down and the carport lights become visible through the perforated brick wall. I'm guessing this was a design element you could specify for your home in the 1970s, because there are a number of these carports in the area. I kinda dig the look. Are the '70s becoming a 'vintage' era? It's been half a century, so it wouldn't surprise me. At a minimum, I have to say that the concept of the carport is starting to grow on me.

Tasting notes: Olympus PEN F digital camera.

A Few Months of Bliss with the Leica Q

 

A few years ago, a friend texted me to say that a very nice copy of a Leica Q had just come into the used department of his shop, and was I interested in picking it up? He'd give me a good price. While I really loved the qualities of the lens on the Q, the fact of the matter is that I just don't enjoy working at 28mm all that much. Plus, I think the lens is actually a little wider than spec. So I tended to reach for other cameras a little too often. Sad but true. Ultimately, I sold the Q and used the money to help fund a boring Canon. I can put whatever lens I like on that camera, and I use it for everything. Thankfully, I got a few cool images with the Leica.

Tasting notes: Leica Q.

No Silver Bullets

I remember stocking up on a particular brand of film that was described by folks online as inherently 'cinematic'. It sounded amazing, and I was excited to shoot a few rolls. But, in practice, the negatives just never turned out all that great, technically, and the results certainly were not particularly cinematic, even if the images were pleasant enough. This experience surfaced again recently because I've been watching a lot of black and white movies that were filmed from the 1940s through the 1980s. What strikes me about the cinematic aesthetic is that the exposure and lighting were always spot on, in other words, technically well executed. No silver bullets.

Tasting notes: Leicaflex SL2, 35mm f/2 lens (first version).

Abstract Expressionism, Foreign Films, and Jazz

Ages ago I read an interview with the author Don Delillo in which he said that his influences were 'abstract expressionism, foreign films, and jazz'. Which was kind of funny to me because, of course, that statement would apply just as well to many from his generation. Still, thinking honestly about your main artistic influences is a worthwhile thing to do, regardless of what story you end up telling your interviewers. This year, we subscribed to a film streaming service and the other night we rewatched the Wim Wenders classic, 'Wings of Desire'. I'm happy to say that the film still resonates with me, but it is kind of disturbing that all of the major actors are now dead. At any rate, it will be interesting to see how I feel about Delillo's classics, a project for later this year perhaps. I hear the film adaptation of 'White Noise' is coming out this year, so stay tuned.

Tasting notes: Canon M6 II, 55-200mm lens.

Happy New Year

I hope the Year of the Tiger is filled with good fortune for you. Hey, we can hold onto the twin concepts of hope and good fortune for at least one day of the year, right? For the cynics out there: I sure hope the tiger doesn't bite you on the ass too hard.

Tasting notes: Fujifilm X30 digital camera set to the black and white film simulation.