Assignment One Submission

Submitted as a pdf accompanied with text and high res images, via dropbox, to my tutor...will report back anon.

A few tweaks here and there

Following on from the last post I am going to tweak the way in which I work. I will shortly submit five images for assignment one as previously planned.  I have made technical amendments where feasible. Despite the cool reception my proof sheets received at the Masterclass, when presented larger, and after some careful post processing, I am not unhappy with them...they are certainly 'salvageable' as a series. Not to say that I won't make changes as I progress with this series from assignment one in to the basis of the portfolio. But for now, I happy to wait for my tutor feedback before making any decisions.

Going forward, beyond assignment one, a few adjustments to my method of working:

• keep it simple, keep it simple, keep it simple
• I have too many complex themes running around my head that seem hugely complicated to execute. I will continue pursuing the concept of 'alternative ways to photograph the Lake District' (apart from for assignment two). But I suspect my execution will be radically simplified, particularly for assignment three.
• no more colour film with 5x4.  Two reasons for this, first I can get 25 sheets of b/w film for the same price as ten colour sheets. So I can take more pictures, make more mistakes and learn more quickly.  It also means that if I want to develop my own in the future, I can.
• go back to basics - I need to become much more meticulous with regards the technical aspects of my image making and processes.  I'm hoping the slow approach the 5x4 enforces will encourage this.
• I need to tackle the 5x4 without the added complication of people and animals.
• each image will require much more thought with regards concept and execution...I haven't been neglectful of this by any means, but am now acutely aware how much more attention I must devote to it. 

I'm sure there are other things that will have altered but those are a few of the main ones.

Assignment One...my first glimpse

I will be attending the Roger Ballen Masterclass this Sunday. And as part of this, there is the opportunity to share 5 -10 images from your portfolio for feedback and discussion. Sounds great doesn't it?  Well it did when I signed up. But I'm rapidly going off the idea.

In an ideal world I wanted to share the beginnings of my 'domestic sublime' series, mainly because it is my most recent project and the thought processes are still 'live' in my head.  However, the 5x4 contact sheets that arrived back today reflect more than a few errors which really undermines my confidence in them. The kind of errors include:

• double exposing: school boy error that was made firstly because of the time lag between the first and second round of exposures...easily done yet could be so easily avoided too if I get my systems sorted.
• forgetting to shift from f5.6 to f11 when I'm ready to shoot...I can't set the aperture straight to f11 as there is not enough light to compose the shot properly.  So I widen the hole to f5.6 initially, compose the shot and then set the aperture after...well on several it looks like I haven't remembered to do this. But despite this, the exposure is there or there-abouts with all the images. So either my light metering is awry or perhaps Peak have worked their magic a little! Or I was lucky! Without the benefit of meta data it is difficult to be sure...I know, that is my cue to write notes!! Thing is, when I'm working with people/kids/animals, I don't have the luxury of time. I always feel rushed...I will just have to become more deft at it.
• on some, there is a white haze over part of the image...I am assuming that at some point I must have let in some light as it is not the whole image or on the edges.

You know what...I find it so damn difficult. It really makes the process much much harder using this camera. It's not that I don't enjoy it, but I do think the sporadic use of the camera plus the need for haste means I'm not methodical.  And I do think a precise and orderly approach is fundamental.  As I've said before, I'll keep going with it for this course, but unless they're going to be exhibited at metre rather than centimetre dimensions in a gallery I am wondering if this is the right approach. I would certainly derive more consistent results on the digital.

All in all I probably can salvage 7 images from the 14 exposures...not sooo bad, but equally they're not sooo good either...and not necessarily how I imagined them (but that's a different issue for another day). The next stage will be to send the negs that I want scanned back to Peak and then when they return, I will work on them and submit what I have for assignment one. I feel myself willing them to be better.

Cost to date, for the record: £106. Sheet film £56. c41 processing £31. Contact Sheets £19. Costs still to come: scanning and printing. I wince as I write this...unless I miraculously find an income stream I probably need to shelve the aspiration for Epstein size prints.

So going back to the Roger Ballen talk, sadly I think showing any images from this series is premature. So what should I do? I think I may decline the offer and see what others produce...I could consider some of the soc doc work, but am not sure. I feel a little intimidated by the whole thing if I'm honest. But as I doubt myself, I hear that braver voice inside telling me the greatest learning is when you're booted out of that comfort zone. And that's where I would find myself...this I guess illustrates my fears addressed in the 'putting it out there' post. And shows my dithering on such matters...I will let you know what I decide.

Assignment One...Domestic Sublime

Just thought I should update you on progress for Landscape assignment one by way of an insurance policy in the event I've messed up! This may sound pessimistic and I don't like to pre-post, but with the large format camera it really is possible. I have just sent off my 5x4 sheets to Peak Imaging.  I'll get back contact sheets in the next few days, that if I'm lucky, should glean 4 or may be 5 images that I can submit for assignment one...even at best that is a long way off the ten or twelve recommended, but to even get that few has been an achievement in itself. And indeed, if I've made technical errors (which is not difficult to do), I may in fact have nothing to show for my efforts at all!  So that is why I include my progress now...so that when April arrives and no assignment is forthcoming, it is because my exploits have failed rather than sitting on my hands for months. There isn't a plan B as such, so I may have to resurrect all the 'chocolate box' rejects I have so rigorously criticised.

DOMESTIC SUBLIME
Simply meaning domesticity in the sublime landscape...

Now I am the first to admit that this is stretching the remit of assignment one - 'the season' somewhat.  If my images come back from Peak Imaging as I hope, they will be linked to the season 'winter' in as much as, they have all been taken in winter. But that is as far as I have gone in making any connection back to the season. This may prove a little too tenuous, however without wishing to preempt anything, photography only works for me if I photograph what inspires me and as you might expect from reading previous blog posts (such as Location, Location, Location, Personalised Landscape, Chocolate Boxes, Landscape Photographers Trap) I was not minded to 'capture the winter weather'. If I continue to photograph this concept throughout the year, the seasonal changes will be implicit in the imagery anyway.

The intention of this assignment is to take a view of the Lakeland landscape from one who lives here.  I'm not holidaying here so I don't need to demonstrate its beauty...there are thousand upon thousand of images that do that.

No, perhaps foolishly, I have taken a satirical approach to this assignment...I have used the landscape as a backdrop to a 'domesticity'..there is reason in the madness...but any further explanation or rationale will kill it in my opinion.

But, they did take more than a little time to set up, coming up with the ideas, trying to cajole friends in to modelling, as well as finding suitable locations and props. And indeed stealing the odd supermarket trolley too (well, renting for a pound)!!

...I have repeatedly questioned my wisdom in investing my efforts in to this series and am probably too close to the concept now to judge it objectively...but either which way, this is how I wanted to start the course...

I, once again, forgot to take duplicates with the digital camera apart from this one which I include by way of an example, although the 5x4 may come out quite different:

TIME LAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY

I have a second piece of ongoing work I may submit to make up for the shortage of images on the Domestic Sublime project which is a time-lapse study. I started it in January and the location is very close to home. It will continue for the full year and is less ambitious or interesting, but I am drawn to time lapse photography!!  I guess there is no harm in posting a link to my tutor when I've put something together. But I may reconsider depending on how far I get with it.

So there you have it...the start of an assignment submission...or may be not...depending on how I have faired technically. I must admit, the large format camera is by no means easy for me and errors are costly.  I am minded to persevere with it throughout the duration of this course in the hope it'll become more familiar...but if it persists in feeling as un-instinctive as it does at present I may retreat to digital and sell it.  It is a beautiful piece of kit that I am 'willing' myself to love more than I currently do...

Exposed or not?

I'm now really concerned which of the 5x4 sheets have been exposed and which haven't.  I've been taking three per location (normally I take two, but wanted belt and braces) which means there is usually a gap before I go out and take the fourth sheet (reverse side of the third).  So when I come to take the fourth sheet I'm questioning myself as to whether I exposed the 'a' side or was I careless and use the 'b' side.  I can't be 100% sure. Two or four exposures at one go works better than three I would conclude. Now I'm hesitant to take anymore just in case I double expose...it's fraught with difficulties this large format photography lark!

Technical Problem

Big sigh...I picked up my camera forgetting it was connected to the computer. It pulled the camera, computer and usb wire with a heavy jolt. I cursed myself at the time, now today, I have tried to download some images on to the computer with the same wire and there no longer is a connection.  I have tried with another wire but to no avail.  It seems I have damaged the output connectors in my camera.  Big question mark...images safe on camera but can't download...

Larging it for Assignment two...

I skipped instruction 17 of SPN to focus on assignment two.  Again, just in case I want to recall instruction 17 in future, it was by Mirko Martin:

Take pictures where you're not comfortable, where you feel exposed, threatened, or morally on the wrong side 

It would have been a touch challenge for sure.


But back to the reason for my post.  To update you on my progress for assignment two, I am relieved to report that there is some, not a lot... however having left the keys for the digital at home and having cranked up the vintage model, I can confirm my speed has reduced to that of snail and energy consumption per picture has rocketed off the scale...


However, don't let that mislead you. My sense of humour has finally returned after several months of unauthorised leave of absence! I'm really starting to feel the magic of this large format camera. I'm fearing it less and whilst I'm certainly still in its awe, I've found myself indulging Ebony with anthropomorphic qualities. We go out on photo shoots together and her presence emanates a sort of authority that I lack!!


It is only a box at the end of the day, but its the nicest one I've ever owned!!


Anyway, I've meandered...I've finally got my first negs and proof sheets back last week. Even processing took me an age to get to grips with...what do I need to ask for so I can view them and what on earth is that on the order form. Well I got it wrong, but after speaking to an extremely helpful lady from Peak Imaging I eventually got a set of viewable proofs. 


My work pre-Christmas amounted to eight images...I know, I told you it was slow...and out of those eight, my success rate was comfortably less than 50%, which sounds abysmal. However, I was strangely pleased that there were some OK shots in there, given the number of potential errors one could make and I was likely to make.  It meant I had loaded and unloaded my film correctly, I had actually understood the settings on my light meter, I had focussed adequately and composed upside down and back to front reasonably well. There are loads of things that are still a mystery, in particular the tilt movement. I understand how it works on a horizon line with landscapes but not with portraits yet.  


Without going in to detail about the actual project which I will save for another post, I carried out four photo-shoots (far too formal a word) before Christmas. Two sheets of film per sitting (can't afford more, the cost per sheet once processed is nearing £10 all said and done - nothing like the coin to focus the mind and camera!!). From the four sittings, I was unsuccessful with two, the other two I have a useable image from each. My errors were not due to exposure measurements, focus or shutter settings which surprised me.  My mistakes were actually due to too much fiddling with the tilt and shift which for this purpose was unnecessary.  Was I pleased with the results? Was it worth all the effort? The project I've taken on for this assignment is designed to be relatively simple given it is my first with the large format camera and may be the images are individually unremarkable however, the print quality of the image and the lighting is way better than anything I've taken with my digital. They have a sort of elegance that I like. I am hoping the images will work as a series where the subtleties will become more apparent.


Since Christmas I've not tinkered with 'tilt' which I think caused the main 'defects' in my earlier shots. I've relied on natural light with no supplementary light so exposures are necessarily long which results in some movement which I think is tolerable. I have redone the two unsuccessful sittings and have completed a further three.  The assignment asks for about a dozen images, which is quite a tall order given the approach I'm taking. And given Ebony doesn't have live view it is many weeks after taking the photos that I find out whether I made any howlers!! I am wanting to put this assignment to bed, so there will inevitably be compromises.


Going forward and taking an optimistic view I am hoping that I have been able to achieve a one in two success rate for each of the recent shoots. If so, it still leaves me five to do if I aim to take twelve. Never before has twelve seemed such a large number!! Looking at timescales and what I can achieve, I think ten is more realistic.  


When I finally get this next round of film sent off and have sight of the proofs only then will I know whether I need to redo any - I really hope not.  After this, I will need to make some decisions on printing. The project I'm working on is a series of images which I think would work best in a book format. However, the book format will result in reduced image quality. So I'm dithering a little. My main concern with mounting is you can't easily retain the order of the prints. In addition, annotating, topping and tailing seems clumsy and less professional. But I will need to come to a decision fairly soon as the costs to print and/or scan are considerable. 


In terms of timescale, I am hoping to complete the photography in the next two weeks.  The printing and presentation is a little unknown to me at the moment, but hopefully by the beginning of March I will have something concrete to submit.

The first of hopefully many!

Dav has sent through the images taken on the large format course I attended six weeks ago.  So, this is genuinely and officially my first image taken with my large format camera. I have taken a few more since then but without the guidance of Dav or Tim, so I suspect the second, third and fourth will be much more experimental, and hit and miss than this.   But, all in all, quite pleased with this one!!

Rural Street Photography

Rural street photography is a new one on me but a term I know I am going to like ... a lot!  Siegfried Hansen (this week's SPN photographer) recommended we should take a look at the work of Kate Kirkwood with regards street photography outside of cities. I am so pleased I did as her work I have found to be very exciting in a number of ways.

I looked through her recent work on flickr and liked her approach to her 'rural' street photography.  Her style was fresh with a distinct eye. Inspired I then popped over to her website. To my surprise she resides in the Lakes and Gallery 1 gives you a flavour of her interpretation of the landscape.  Her work morphs street photography with landscape photography which is a strange combination.  

This is the first piece of work I have seen that has a sympathetic, genuine and unique eye in photographing the living landscape of the Lake District.  For many years, I have seen so many images that show what the Lakes is famous for - beautiful images of a beautiful landscape (I have taken many like this myself).  But imo (and I very much include my own landscapes in this) very few share a truly unique or distinctive voice. I don't wish to be negative or disrespectful at all. Perhaps because I live here and am not wishing to 'relive' holiday memories, I'm looking for more from an image than the stunning scenery. I have found so few images that have cut through the physical beauty of the Lakes to its core.  I really feel that Kate's work does and this inspires me.  

To provide a bit of blurb from her website

I am a photographer working from a farm base in the Lake District in England. Learning to take photographs has been something I have done in the between times, inspired by the environment I live in and by poring over the images of celebrated photographers. In March 2007 I was invited to present my work-in-progress to a workshop on street photography at Photofusion Gallery in London, as an exploration of the possibilities of 'rural' street photography, and later that year I set out to accumulate a serious portfolio after a photograph of mine was selected as one of the final 40 in Tate Modern's 'How We Are Now' competition. That image can be seen in the Tate archive here, and in Gallery I on this website.

The other aspect that interests me is the term 'rural' street photography which somehow legitimises street photography in rural areas such as the Lakes.  For me a creative door has just opened...


Note: I can't help feeling the more great work I see, the more I feel I'm wading through mud or drifting away with the tide in terms of where I would like my own photography to be and where it actually is...stick with it, stop being negative, keep trying...I need to take heed of the advice I am constantly giving the kids!

The penny drops!!!

This last weekend I have attended a large format photography course with Dav Thomas and Tim Parkin. It was a full day introductory course with six other keen novices.  We were blessed with beautiful weather and spent the day on the Roaches in the Peak District. Having admired my camera lovingly for several weeks now, I can now admire it for what it can do, not just how beautiful it is!!!  It was such a relief to understand the basic processes, equipment and chat with others. And I was blown away the first time I went under the cloth and looked through the glass of my ebony.  It really is something else.  I totally understand how people fall for this type of photography. 

There are several bits of equipment that my bag is missing including a loupe and light meter, oh and of course film which I could do with getting. 

I'm itching to get started now.

Thanks guys for a very enjoyable day!!

New lens has arrived!!

There's nothing stopping me now - except me!!  I have an Ebony 45s from Oz, a Rodenstock apo-sironar n 150mm lens from the US - the only limiting factor is ME from the UK!! I really could do with a beginners course with this camera.  There is no instruction manual for the camera - I guess there is an assumption that if someone is prepared to buy one, they must, for crying out loud, know how to use it - apart from ME that is! 

Quite funny really.  So I am starting from scratch.  What is so simple with a digital camera will now require considerably more thought and I'm sure my photography will take a 'backward' step before I progress on!! 

Anyway, I'm going to check out how to load film now. A few good links here and here, and here and here to help me out.  Thank you Tom for those. And no doubt I will be regularly popping in to the Large Format Photography Forums here and here which have been invaluable so far.