Old Habits

In one portfolio review last October I was cautioned against using the scanner as a photographic instrument because there are a lot of artists now using it. The reviewer was hinting at push back. While I took that criticism to heart, I ended up creating my favorite version of the buckeye, shell and all, with the scanner. Old habits.

I did print it on the Tosahakkinshi (the tosa washi) made for the exhibition in Ino Town, Japan at the Paper Museum. 

Here is a scan of it. I've decided to submit this for the Dayton Visual Arts Center's annual auction. It will be the first time this paper will be seen in the mid-west.

slower than molasses in january

Yes, I do camera work. The view camera has been described as a slower way of working than smaller, hand held cameras. In the hands of a slower worker, it's like pouring molasses on a winter's day. 

Saturday I loaded film holders.

Sunday I took up all afternoon working with buckeyes and using the 8x10 view camera with the extension rails. 

To compound it all, I used a Rodenstock Imagon 360mm lens. Mine has no shutter and the unusual aperture set up is initially a bit confusing.

Today I developed in camera paper positives. 

I am still uncertain as to the final arrangement. I like to challenge myself with negative space but find myself drawn to the initial arrangement which was lost due to camera set up, difficulty of working with the Imagon and the rickety nature of the buckeyes (they are in pieces and barely want to stay put). 

original arrangement

view camera set up for final image

front view of the imagon

uncropped in camera paper positive

detail from the above image

I do like the look of the eye in the original set-up. I think I will revisit this image once I get a few of the sheets of film developed. In hindsight, I don't think the soft focus lens was the best choice so I may go back and expose it with a sharper lens and with more depth of field. 

Some notes to keep on hand:

I photographed from about 3 pm until 4:45 pm yesterday. The paper positive exposures were made with window light around 4:30 pm and I rated the film at about ISO 3. I'm thinking that it should be rated about ISO 1.5. The first exposure was about 8 minutes. I calculated a bellows extension factor of about 4 stops and ignored any reciprocity failure for both film and paper exposures. I did a second paper negative exposure of 25 minutes. It was going to be 16 minutes. Then it was twenty which I stretched out to 25. 

I was doing dishes and couldn't be stopped. 

Both paper positives were developed in Sprint paper developer diluted 1:18. 

Film exposures (not yet developed) were 32 seconds and 16 seconds for ISO 100 film (Shanghai?) and 16 seconds and 8 seconds for some older, fogged TMax 400.