Insomnia Cure

Who am I kidding ?

I’ve been working on preparing some images to submit for a show that is being held in October by a small gallery in Pennsylvania. When I first saw that the call for entry was only $10 for 12 images/works I thought now that doesn’t sound too bad, the downside on the other hand is the some what high 50% commission rate for sells. Then I really started thinking about it and realized why worry about something that I’m never going to have to deal with? After all there’s probable a better chance of meeting Elvis or being abducted by aliens then there is of some one actually wanting to pay money for one of my photos. So that now all I have do is decide if its worth the time effort and cost to submit a CD and then the additional effort and cost of mounting, framing and shipping if by some miracle something I submit is actually selected for the show.
Think I’ll just save everyones time and face fact that only person that I’m kidding about all this is myself.

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Please No More BS

I honestly can’t tell you how sick and tired I am of receiving the typical, I’d like your work or I’m traveling to your area and like your work and would like to work with you emails, from some models.
It would be so refreshing to receive something like the following. I’m traveling to your area next month and though I think you suck as a photographer and would never show the images you take of me to anyone, I need some money to help pay for the cost of my trip, next month rent, ext so I’m hoping you might be interested in hiring me for a few hours at $$$.

End Rant

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This simple one word question has been on my mind a lot lately. For the longest time if someone asked why I shoot fine art nudes I would say something like; I enjoy the creative process and enjoy working with creative people. While at the same time naively thinking that maybe just maybe if I just kept working at it that some how I’d improve and one day actually be able to produce something worthy of being called “Art”. I’m now coming to realize that art comes from someplace deep inside a person and while someone like myself can use the same tools and even apply the same process that in the end the results will appear hollow and uninspiring when compared to the real thing.
In closing part of me truly believes that doing something for the simple enjoyment of it is reason enough but another part isn’t so sure anymore.

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From a recent session with the beautiful and talented Rebecca.

Leica M4-2
Ilford Pan
Kodak HC-110 H

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OK, I admit I’m weak after watching Vernon working with Candace I couldn’t help myself and just had to ask her to let me give it a try so I loaded a new roll of HP5+ in my M4-2 and gave it a try.

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Over the first half of this year I’ve gotten a number of shots that I really like, actually about 12-15 to be exact, but no one shot really seemed standout as anything really special. That was until yesterday morning when I pulled my latest roll of film from the processing reel and looked down and saw the 12th and final frame. As one tends to do in these situations I held the still wet film toward the light trying to check to see if I’d F’d up the focus or did something else to mess-up what could possible be my best work in a while, of course it pretty hard to tell from just holding up a wet negative to the light so I decided all I could do was let it dry and keep my finger crossed, OK figuratively not literally, for the next few hours.
In the end I’m happy to say that everything seemed to have worked out and I’m very pleased with the results even if I do say myself .

Bronica SQ 105mm F-8 1/500th Tri-X 400 developed in Rodinal

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The way I look at things there is usually a negative and positive side to almost all life’s experience’s and while I originally wrote this post from the negative side and went on and on about how displeased I’ve been with Plustek 7500 scanner I’d purchased back in November of 2009 and recently sold at a loss of $200.00 I’d rather talk about the positive experience I’ve had with the pre-own Minolta DiMage IV I bought from KEH a few weeks back. Talk about a world of difference scans from the Minolta look so much better even when comparing higher ISO films scanned on the Minolta to slower films scans on the Plustek. Of course I’m still dealing with the issue of dust but some how it doesn’t seem as bad knowing that when I’m done I’ll have a clean good quality scan rather then a crappy one that happens to be clean. The best part is it has in a manner let me starting using my Leica again for what I originally attended a light weight take anywhere camera that’s capable of producing high quality images, now the operator that’s a different story LOL.

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M4-2 50mm Summarit; Aristia Premium 400 film Artistia Premium Developer

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So how many of you out there like grain and no I don’t mean the stuff that you can add in Photoshop, Lightroom or some plug-in I’m talking about the real stuff that you get by shooting film at high ISOs.

Leica M4-2 HP5 pushed to 1600 Rodinal 1-100 1hr stand

Leica M4-2 HP5 pushed to 1600 Rodinal 1-100 1hr stand

Ikon 533/16 EDU 400 @1600 Rodinal 1-100 1Hr Stand

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