Friday, September 23, 2011

Some cross blog love...

I don't know about you, but through the internet I have virtually met a lot of great people, some of which I have met in person and many more I hope to meet in person someday.  One such person is a guy but the name of Cameron Mortenson, who runs a great blog dedicated to fiberglass fly fish rods called "The Fiberglass Manifesto".  Over the past couple of years since we've known each other Cam has written about me and my photography three or four times and wrote about my photography again in his post today.  Because of the exposure I got from Cam, I think it helped me get the write up about my photography in the Winter 2011 issue of Fly Rod & Reel. 
The one thing I like most about Cam's blog is that while it is about fly fishing and fiberglass rods, he does a great job at encompassing every aspect of fly fishing from art, to kids (he co runs another fly fishing site, called, www.fishykid.org) and fly tying to name a few of the many things that involve fly fishing and fiberglass fly rods. 
As a way to get the word out about his blog, he sells stickers and t shirts with the Fiberglass Manifesto logo on them.  From there he holds a monthly TFM Spotting contest, where each of the monthly winners are eligible for the big contest at the end of the year, for a fiberglass rod.  I have entered once, with a Holga self portrait, but I didn't get enough votes.
Whether you fish or not, check out "The Fiberglass Manifesto".
Thanks again for the love Cam!

EDIT:
Since this was first posted I have found out that This Is Fly, an online fly fishing magazine has picked up Cam's post and posted about my photograph in its daily blog. Check it out HERE.

EDIT,EDIT: 25 September 2011
I have also found out that Midcurrent.com, another fly fishing blog/website has mentioned me in their "Tippets" section.. Check it out HERE.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Trout Dreams

Dreaming men are haunted men.
Stephen Vincent Benet

I don't know about you, but I sometimes dream about the things I am passionate about, I sometimes dream about my wife while sleeping next to her, I have dreamt about mountain biking, and I of course dream about fly fishing.  I don't remember most of my dreams, but when I do, it's because they are vivid, I often feel compelled to recreate them photographically.   Trying to recreate these dreams is often a slow process, as in the case with the two photographs I am posting here.  The two photographs were on the same roll of film, but were taken years about, about two and a half to be more precise. My dream photographs are usually double exposures, one exposure is of the angler and the other of the fish the angler caught.  I can't really explain why it takes me so long to do photographs like this, I guess they just come to me.  
 
This first one, was literally the first photograph of the 12 exposure roll of film, that was done sometime in July of 2008.  As I recall, I think the first exposure was of the angler, but as all of this time has since  passed I don't remember.  It was taken while fishing my first and only time so far on the Strawberry River, one of Utah's "Blue Ribbon Fisheries".  

 The next "trout dreams" photograph was taken a little more recently somewhere in December of 2010, on the Middle Provo.  I think this one though the exposure of the trout was made first, with the second exposure of the angler.  

Under optimal conditions my technique for shooting double exposures  involves making an exposure of each element on the first frame then reversing the order on the next frame.  I do this so I can ensure optimal dream quality, because the subtitles of doing double exposures can vary. That being said, it's not so easy to do it this way when you want to also ensure that the trout survives, so I have to take what I can get when I do photographs like these.
When I do double exposures I prefer to use a slower speed film, either Kodak's Plus-X or TMAX 100 film, because they can handle a little more exposure.  I have done other double exposures with color film but the dreams I am having about fishing seem to be in black and white. 
I also feel that by doing the entire project in black and white adds a certain time quality, which is a big part of what I am going for with these photographs. 
So what do you dream about and are dreams color or are they black and white?
Brian