Confused

There are times when we all just ‘fumble’…. well, I had that time the other day, so let me explain.

For the past 6-7 months my photography has been concentrating on a ‘project’ that is a soon to be photo book. One of the guidelines I instilled within my self was that I was looking for symbolism, which, meant that I wasn’t looking for any humanity, just objects. To boot….I shot exclusively with a 55mm lens and with my Olympus Om2-SP.

But last night….I went out with a Leica MA plus a Voigtlander VC11 light meter attached to the hot-shoe. Normally not a problem. But given my past 6-7 months I found myself stumbling along just doing mundane street photography in downtown Tucson with nothing explicit to shoot.

Exactly now where did I stumble? To start off the bungling….take the focal length. Instead of 55mm I was now using a 35mm. Not a lot of difference but enough. One thing I have learned is to take out one lens…..only one lens. Concentrate on that focal length so one’s eyes and brain become in sync and what I ‘seek for’ is what I find; all based upon the focal length I go out with. So shooting for months with a 55mm lens kind of spoiled me a bit too much as my mind sought out photos more attuned to a 55, rather than a 35.

To move on…… in my project I purposely selected ‘no humanity’….only objects. But yesterday I became torn between a combination of both people and objects and I feel…looking back at my shots (on film, so I have no idea what they look like), I feel I missed on both accords. Now did I? not sure….

Moving on some more…..I found myself shooting with a Leica MA where I was experimenting with the Voigtlander VC11 light meter for the first time in the field. This particular model of camera doesn’t connect to the light meter so I have several steps here. First….attempt to adjust my camera settings so they come pretty close, based upon the sunny 16 rule. Second….take a reading on the VC11 after setting what I feel is a good aperture. Third, read the reading…..and move my settings on VC11 to my camera lens and camera. Then shoot. …. This is a bit more time consuming than thought considering I need to wear reading glasses.

With my reading glass issue…..I find myself in a process within itself. My glasses are a top my head while I scan looking for a shot. Then I pull my glasses down to take readings on the light meter. I keep them down as I adjust my camera settings. Then I raise my glasses and take a shot. Then…repeat performance. Seemingly now, not all difficult but remember that street photography requires a bit of quickness to not miss a shot and that entire process with my glasses simply slows me up, thus….I fumble and stumble.

How to move forward…? First..get bifocals. The lower half will be my reading cheaters while the upper half will be essentially clear glass as I am not near-sided. Then, practice, practice and practice on the procedure of using the light meter and making sure I properly transfer said readings to the camera…

Sounds easy….is it?

Salt Printing

I just picked up a 28mm …F3.5 Ziuko lens for my Olympus OM-1…. So you might ask, what is in the bag? Well a 35mm, 50mm and a 24mm. I also have a funky 55mm which should provide some odd bokeh from what I understand, but that lens was purchased in Australia and until I venture down there, it stays down there.

I am an utter sucker for film as I believe it to be the purest form of photography. Yes digital is ‘close’….it is quick, live, real time etc…but sadly, it is not film. The next few days we are traveling up-state and will see how film does.

Update……. a few days later. I had three rolls to develop but the last is still in the camera so that will be awhile. As it be, that last roll is the one I really want to view! But I developed the first two and have some nice results.

I keenly want to stay as analog as possible, even though as I sit….I can see a $5000 Digital Leica Monochrom + a lens sitting on the shelf. There it sits….while I am debating picking up another OM-1 film as ‘backup….’ What? Backup?… well, I would hate to lose the OM-1. I can just hear the ‘sigh’ coming from the Leica as I longs to find a new home.

My analog process involves developing the film, which is not all that difficult. At this point I can go a few ways. I can take the negatives and scan them to my computer (yes I know, this is not an analog process), but with those negatives turned to digital, I can then create my zines which I have as physical copies. I want my images in my hands and not on the computer. I just published one called “No Eyes upon Me’…. and have a few more that I am working on, in degree or the other.

The other option is to select certain photos with high contrast and do a totally analog process called Salt Printing. This is not to be done with all photos, ….no, rather… ithe photos must have impact. What will make a person ask a question. Impact = questions and Impact = contrast. If I am lucky, I will find at least one negative I can use to salt print that takes into. account both of those ‘impact’ legs.

Salt Printing is how photography first evolved….. Salt printing was used to develop images of leaves, or twigs or anything that the sun coupled with chemicalized paper, would produce a view representing the said ‘twig or leaf’ etc…. Eventually technology led to photography as we know it today.

Salt printing using the sun to develop the negatives is a totally inconsistent process but it is about as natural as one can get in the photography world. I work with the variables of intensity of sun UV rays, type of paper, image contrast….length of exposure, how much sizing to put on or how much silver nitrate etc…. Cleanliness also comes into play. Can you say ‘variables?”

While suggested by many, I should cut back on the inconsistency such as paper and sizing and cleanliness and yes, ‘that’ I agree on. Try to build in the process some measure of consistency. But where I conflict with their suggestions is in the using of a UV Light box. I don’t envision that a UV light box was utilized in the early photography of salt printing , so…. My intent is to remain true to an analog process using the sun to develop'.

I expect several ‘takes….’. I expect some underexposure and overexposure. I expect the sun to come and go, and I expect difficulty with ‘dodging’ where needed. I expect failure more so than success but ….when success does come about, the end result truly belongs to me.