Pecans and Pinholes

This morning I got out on a walk to the row of pecan trees I have been photographing for the past three winters. Not exactly a morning constitutional, yet. It's about a mile and a half from the bunk house to this stretch of pecans.

I was passed by about four vehicles on the way to the trees; these were tractors, semi-tractor trailers, and maybe a passenger car. The first pickup truck to stop to check on me was driven by my father and law who asked if I wanted a ride. I got a sense that no one walks in Dexter, NM.

I photographed all fifteen of the original pecans. There are several rows of younger trees. I am interested in the original row because these were older trees that were pruned back and moved from another location. They are strange looking, almost Seussian in appearance and the first thing I truly recognize when Bridgette and I pull into her home town.

The photograph below shows the Holga 120WPC photographing the third pecan tree to the south. I'll be back out there with more film on Saturday and Sunday to photograph the rest in pinhole fashion.

framed fugitive

Here is the cut grass sleeping dress anthotype, made during the summer in Boston and framed for the Roy G Biv ImageOhio 12 next month in Columbus.

The Color of Meat

Early this year I thought I had reached a point...a point of no more making presents (at least gifting photographs I have made). Our trip back to San Diego two years ago netted a beautiful shot glass with metric measurements on it (useful in alternative processes) and a plastic bag from the butcher section of Keils grocery store. The plastic bag has a chart depicting the cuts of beef and where they come from on the steer (or is it a cow?).

My in-laws are New Mexico ranchers and Bridgette knew this would someday rightfully take its place as a Christmas present. This year it has. Printed in the gum bichromate process in flame red and carmine red gouache for pigment (on Fabriano Artistico Extra White Hot Press). The PVA size I used didn't prevent staining so the highlights took on a bit of a pink color. But as Bridgette remarked, it is very much the color of meat.

the pinholes

Just a quick image of what I have been working with. Scanned negatives to follow.

in between Ranchita and Anza Borrego

There are still a few minutes for archive Monday. Here is a palladium contact print from my San Diego days. Ranchita a few thousand feet above the Anza Borrego desert floor with my tripod from about 1996. Taken with a Rolleiflex Automat and repackaged HP5.

Illusion and Chemistry

I have work in an exhibition of alternative processes organized by the Kiernan gallery and juried by Christopher James. The exhibition is scheduled to run from January 10th - February 4th. There is also an online version of the exhibit you can see at  http://kiernangallery.com/3/Image.asp?ImageID=1402035&full=1&apid=1&gpid=1&ipid=1&AKey=8JMSW35S.

The exhibit consists of work from Tyler Suppha-Atthasitt, K.K. DePaul, Diana Bloomfield, Ronald Cowie, Emma Powell, Sarah Nesbitt, Susan de Witt, Scott Barnes, Edie Fogel, Michelle Rogers Pritzil, Liz Lee, Geoffrey Agrons, Ivan Bernal Palli, Aspen Hochhalter, Dominic Turner, Rheana Gardner, Peter M. Lindstrom, Andréa Brächer, S. Gayle Stevens, Lindsey Beal, Jenny Brown, Robert Alexander Williams, Timothy McCoy, Paul-Jude Guillaume, Jessica Somers, Michele Cole, Kaltes Klares Wasser, Jasmine Swope, Paul Karabinis, Dan Herrera, Karen Divine, Ryan Shelley & Elizabeth Herrmann, Molly Rapp, Clive Heritage-Tilley, Kristen Kay Thoen, Iciar Bravo, Marydorsey Wanless, John Shuptrine, Sally Ayre, Missa Coffman, K.K. DePaul, Patrick McNelis, Erin McGuire, Kate Shelley, Genevieve Neal, Genevieve Neal, Annie Hogan, Ig Mata, Donna Moore as well as University of Dayton alumnus Christine Zuercher (a former student of mine).

The gallery is located at 23B West Washington St., Lexington, VA 24450. Please visit the Kiernan gallery website for their regular hours and holiday schedule.

the night was mostly a blur

My dinner with Bridgette, Jill and Tim. Much to the annoyance of my dinner companions, last Saturday I propped a white Diana Mini on our table at Woodberry’s and commenced to make long, time exposures while we ate and drank. There are two images by Tim Castlen and the rest are mine except for the last one which is also by Tim.

By Tim Castlen…



The rest of these should be by me but the night was a bit of a blur. Maybe everyone at the table collaborated on this.



One more by Tim.