Film
I have had a number of questions and comments from readers lately asking about my film work and wondering why I am not making desktops from it. Its something I have talked about in the past but its been a while since I have brought up the subject so I thought I would make some sort of statement about it. I don?t mind at all when people ask for anything, in fact, I encourage it really. Any time any of you readers have any questions or requests or something you feel like talking about just ask. Im just me, there is a person behind fifty foot shadows and I certainly don?t bite.
So about my film work. When I first started to shoot film again I was getting some shots that I thought would make for great desktops but the scanner I had was just no where near good enough for me and I simply was not satisfied with its ability to scan things at a high enough resolution to make desktops out of. Then as time went on something started to change about the way I looked at my film work and I came to feel something for a lot of the photos I was taking and I started to feel more and more guarded about the photos.
I started to shoot film because I started in photography learning in a darkroom and eventually I found that I really missed shooting this way. After buying my Canonet rangefinder I found I was in love with film all over again. It helps me focus more while I am taking photos and I feel like I am re-discovering the world around me. The photos I am getting with film are wonderful and they feel so alive to me. I have finally found that soul within the photos I am taking that I have been searching so long for.
While some of my film images would lend themselves to make great desktops I find that I am not quite as willing to give them all away at higher resolutions. I have started to see a collection building in my mind and maybe, finally, a chance to bring ideas together to build something from the images I am taking. In order to keep the value of these I feel I need to reserve the way they are distributed for printed methods. As a collection I would be able to present the images not simply as a random assortment of nice looking photos but as more of a work as a whole.
All that said, I still love my readers and so I will pick a few of my film shots commonly requested as desktops and see what I can do. I will do that as soon as I have time to re-scan them with a nicer scanner that I have around now. Sorry if this seems long winded, I would love to talk more about my personal connection to film and my plans for photography in the future but its still forming in my head. So check back soon and again, thanks for the interest and support.
Whats Next
So its been a good while it seems since I have posted anything about my life so why not fill you guys in on my newest travel plans. Anyone that has been following my sites long enough probably know that I really love to travel and so I am happy to say that I have another trip planned back to Europe and this time I will be heading to Munich, Germany for about a week and a half in May.
I really dont have much of anything specific planned other than I have a plane ticket and a place to stay there with a friend. I prefer trips like this really, just to keep things open and ready for anything that may come along while I am there. I just really enjoy the feeling of being outside of my everyday element, somewhere new or foreign. It just feels good and inspiring to be a little lost and under prepared. Trips with too much planing often feel forced to me so I am really looking forward to this trip. Anyone in the area feel free to write and say hello and maybe we can get together if your interested. Its nice to know the faces behind the readers of my site sometimes.
So other than that I still have a number of desktops lined up and ready to go that I will try and get out sooner than later. So heres to a new adventure on the horizon..
Dreaming
While browsing through tumblr blogs I came across an illustration that caught my attention and after diging around I finally came across the illustrators home page which led me to many other wonderful images. Many of them have this really wonderful theme of patterns becoming somehow part of the reality within the illustration that I really love. Each one holds a different idea that holds a story all within itself. So rather than just hear me talk about it here are a couple of my favorites so far in my browsing. Please take the time to look further into the illustrators work by exploring the site HERE. It is all in Japanese so if you don’t read the language then navigation will be a little slow for you but its totally worth it.
Thinking Out Loud
I know there has not been to much in the way of signs of life around here as of late and it is simply one of those times when life gets in the way of my personal project a bit. A pretty natural occurrence i’d say. If I had it my way I would be writing every day and taking dozens of beautiful photos to share as desktops but you know, just cant always find the time. So I thought I would jump on and say hello and apologize for being out of touch with my blogging side.
So if I haven’t been writing here then what have I been doing? Well, Ive been working, learning some new gear for audio tech stuff, trying to keep my head together and above water, you know, normal things. I had that burst of inspiration from shooting with my Canonet and it has pushed me to look for something nicer, well, not nicer really, just a little different. Another rangefinder is in my sight and maybe in the coming months I will get my hands on it and talk about it more when the time comes. I thought that I had those lenses sold but it fell through so I am trying to figure out a plan B. I would just post them up here again but I think I will see what I can find as far as trade ins go because I am just using the money to get more photo gear anyway so.
Lately I have come across a number of little mini debates on film vs. digital and its just so weird to me. It seems like not that long ago I was hearing people talk about how film is so superior to digital photography but here comes a new generation of photographers that have somehow found themselves photographers because digital cameras made it so easy to learn. I have noticed more than anything that people have become so impatient with photography. Young photographers I talk to that have gone from digital and tried film get frustrated with having to wait to see the result. Its given this dependency on instant results. Its just beyond me how you could not enjoy the magic feeling you get from taking a photograph and knowing that you captured that light in this special way that is hiding there in the shadows waiting to be brought to life. With digital photography its just… data. A million tiny dots constructed of ones and zeros. But then your battery dies and you have nothing but a useless pile of electronics. Maybe I am just rebelling after years and years of being hooked on gadgets and things. Maybe shooting with film, for me, lets me feel closer to the images I take because they feel so much more unique to me, not just one in a million, not just a click of a button, check the screen, no good, trash, repeat until good image found. Film lets me feel like the image is alive.
I was talking to a friend today about film and digital and she said that she can not get the right exposure with film but she saw it done with digital so surely digital is better. But there are so many things to take into consideration. With cameras everything changes the look of the photo, starting with the camera, film, image sensor, then moving to the lens and how it is made then onto the developing and post manipulation of the photo. Sure with digital you instantly have this infinite set of possibility and damn near ANY image can be salvaged into something half way interesting but then what makes it so special in the world? What good is a photograph if it is simply beautiful for the sake of being beautiful? My thoughts are most certainly running ahead of my fingers as I type and I’m not making any sense… Half thought thoughts and not everything I am saying is in fact what I believe, just thoughts to provoke debate.
I know there are many sides to this argument and I am simply arguing the aesthetic side of it here, this and this sense of urgency I keep seeing within it. I guess I just see it cheapen the whole experience in a way, at least for me. I hate to see the instant result and promise of “oh, ill just fix it in photoshop” of digital photography turn into such a crutch for so many people getting into the medium. I know I’ve said this all before and surely this wont be the last time. I’m still exploring it all myself as well, and to each his own right? Feel free to chime in in the comments. Ive gone on long enough and will leave this post where it is. See you again soon I hope..
Is it crowded in here?
About a week ago (sorry, I’ve been losing track of my days recently) I had the chance to see Bon Iver perform live and finally pick up an actual copy of his album which was released the day after the show so technically I was among the first to purchase it which I like to think is pretty nice. On a side note, of all of the people crammed into the venue that seemed to already know all of these songs that were technically only released in an edition of 200 copies so I hear I only noticed a small handful of people buy the album after the show. It got me thinking about the way music works these days with internet sharing and whatnot. I wondered to myself weather or not these people were going to buy digital versions of the album or maybe they did not really like it or or or. I was just surprised I suppose that more people did not buy a copy…
Anyways, I can now sit down in the dark of the night and put on my fresh vinyl copy of the album. Seeing this show kind of reminded me that sometimes I think that I prefer to just hear music on an album rather than see it live. I do love to see musicians perform and support them by going to shows whenever possible but when it is music like this that it so intimate and quiet I find that I prefer listening at home in the peace of my own home. I heard the songs he performed countless times at night lying in bed with my eyes closed or in my own time and listening to music this way connects you with it on such a personal level and when you go see them performed live there are all of these people crowded around you drinking and talking and pressed up against you and you have to fight your way to see the stage well and hope that you found a good sounding spot in the club and it separates you from the music to a certain extent you know? I did get used to the people and did manage to get lost in the music at times and there was one song where he pulled of a sing along that added to the feel of the song and made the people around me feel less like intruders within this music I knew so well and more like part of the experience.
I think it depends a lot on the type of music as well, with electronic music I love there to be a ton of people there or with rock music or anything with more of an upbeat vibe to it but when it comes to quiet acoustic songs that I usually listen to in the comfort of my own company the audience can sometimes get in the way. I think it is part of the reason I love my job so much as a live sound engineer because I get my own personal space at the show which is more often than not one of the best seats in the house and I get complete control over the sound so I have that personal connection with the artist and the music. Its a bit overwhelming at times to be honest and when the circumstances are just right I feel somehow emotionally involved in my work and chills may run down my spine.
That reminds me of one of my favorite days as an engineer when I was the guest engineer at a live, in studio, radio station performance by Damien Jurado. It was pretty much just me in the control room with the mixer and him sitting in the room adjacent with his guitar. It was like my own personal concert of songs that I loved.
Working back to my main topic here, Bon Iver, I highly suggest you check out his album ‘For Emma, Forever Ago.’ It really is a great record and was one of my favorite discoveries of music last year. Ironically enough (is ironic the right word here?) the person who introduced me to it was a girl named Emmanuelle. Yap.
Below you can see my view of the show which was pretty bad really, as the place filled up I kind of got pushed further and further into the corner and the audio at this club has always been pretty bad and was made worse by the fact that all of the high frequency in the sound system was totally missing my position leaving me with a booming mess of low/mid sound… but they are photos all the same. Nothing to write home about but enough to remember the evening. Enjoy!
Lenses for Sale (sold)
Canon 50mm f/1.2L
Canon 24mm f/1.4L
I have decided to sell my two canon L lenses and consolidate them into one lens. I have been shooting with these for around 6 months or so and they are still in excellent condition. Pretty much the same as the day I bought them. Both of the lenses have the original box and lens bag that they came with. Help me find them a happy home! 
I LOVE both of these lenses and have been nothing but happy with them, the only reason Ive decided to sell them is to go back to using one lens for now. My asking price for both of them (well, not both of them, but for each one) is 1000 USD+ whatever shipping costs
I would just stick them on ebay but I really don’t want to do that…
If you have any questions about them mail me john(at)twistedsun.net