Friday, July 30, 2010

14+26=40

I can remember having a camera as a younger child, be it one of my own or whatever camera my parents had, I consider my photographic experience beginning on my 14th birthday, when I got my first SLR camera, a Minolta X-570. I got that camera 26 years ago, which if you do the math means I'll be turning 40 on my next birthday, which will be happening in the next few weeks.
So to mark the occasion, I thought I would present a look back on the past 26 years of my photography, which I really can't do in just one post, so I will break it up into four parts, representing the different eras if you will of my photography over the 26 years that have been in my photography thus far.
I have given it a lot of thought how I would go about about this, and I keep coming back to the same four parts: "the early years and college", mountain biking, Holga, and the present.

The early years and college, represent just that, those first years of my photographic experience where not only was I exploring the world around me wit my camera, but I was also exploring my own thoughts and techniques. My college years of course were where I was still exploring, but slightly more mature eye and where I would lay the foundation for things to come in my photography.

Mountain biking was a huge part of my life for a number of years, and because of that it was or natural to turn my lens towards it. It wasn't a big period of time, but photographically it's focus was immense.

My love affair with the Holga is the biggest part of my photography, one that has lasted for more than 16 years so far.
With that, I hope you'll join me on this look back on the past 26 years of my photographic experience.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

The last roll of Kodachrome..

On NPR today they did a story about photojournalist Steve McCurry, a photographer you probably don't know, but one whose photography you likely do know. Of all the etimated35 million photographs that Steve McCurry has made over his 35 year career, the one you likely know of the most is the one that appeared on the cover of the June 1985 National Geographic, the one known as "Afghan Girl". You may not recall it as well as I can, but I know you know it.

Getting back to the NPR story, which you can see here, because "Afghan Girl" is such an iconic photograph, and because it was shot on Kodachrome film and because Kodak is no longer producing it, Kodak decided to give Steve McCurry the last rolls Kodachrome, which I must say I in aww of, I mean he is shooting the last rolls of Kodachrome after all..
I have never shot Kodachrome in my entire photographic experience, but I more than understand Kodachrome's place in photographic history.
According to the interview, the photographs that Steve McCurry shot will be appearing in National Geographic sometime next year, which will be a good thing, because the last lab in the world, Dwayne’s Photo, in Parsons, Kansas will no longer be running a K-14 line after December 30th of this year.

So here's to Kodachrome, to Steve McCurry and Dwayne's Photo for bringing us the last photographs from a film that digital technology will never be able to match...

Cue Paul Simon's "Kodachrome", "momma don't taaake my Kodachrome awaay....."

Thursday, July 8, 2010

New photographs....

It's been a few months since I've had any new photographs, in that time my life has changed a lot, which means that there is even less time to fish and make photographs.

So without further ado, I present some new photographs..



















































I got a set of "macro" and "close up" lens for my Holgas recently so I am looking to do some "macro" photographs with them, I am still trying to figure them out, so watch for some stuff along those lines.

On a recent fishing outing, I made another double exposure, for the fly fishing project. I started the roll last summer, and hope to finish the roll this summer. Opportunities to do them come slowly, for lots of reasons. There is the being there when someone catches a fish and then there is the the technical and aesthetic side that make me feel lucky when they come together. A lot of times when I do them there a long time in between each exposure, so I sometimes forget what the first exposure was and what not.

I am planning on doing a retrospective looking back on my photography in the next few weeks, because I will be celebrating my 40th birthday which marks 26 years of my photography experience. I hope you'll tune in for that..