Gelatin Transfer with Plaster on Wood Panel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eloi82WaeL4&hl=en&fs=1

 

Surveillance Art

This post is food for thought.

Yesterday I was sitting in Rena Leinberger‘s Design: Color class and the project the students must complete is titled: Image Interpretation: Under Surveillance.  I acknowledge the existence of surveillance but didn’t put much thought into it, since  they are in all retail/convenience stores, subways, airports, bridges and highways.  The list goes on. Apparently, in London an individual can be recorded up to 700 times a day on surveillance and in New York City up to 200 times a day if not more. This brings up an interesting topic of whether this is an invasion of privacy or does it further provide comfort knowing that everything is recorded.   Apparently, in Long Island they are using google maps to find individuals who are not paying their taxes on their pools!  Is this wrong?  This then made me think about how many images am I in and who is watching me at any given moment?

Rena showed a few artists and I thought I would share them with you since they are thought-provoking.

Jill Magid- make sure to check out her other related work. The high heel surveillance camera reminded me of Times Sq. for some reason.  Everyone has a camera and video camera there.

Surveillance Camera Players- This was quite brilliant.  Just watch.

William Betts- An acrylic painter

Oh and if you are thinking you need some Surveillance equipment, B&H Photo has more options than I can explain.

New Work

I’ve sort of realized that I tend to focus a great deal on topics that are more of the “how to” variety. I’m pretty sure I could have said that with less words. Turns out that I actually do shoot on occasion. Hence the whole point of this post. No long winded diatribes on process. No eye reddening pontifications on the finer points of lighting. Just straight up images! This is a collection of images I have shot over the last 9 months or so. So, enough gum flapping, lets bust out the projector!

Adventures in Digital Printmaking

Garden Muse, 2001

I think we can all agree that the digital  age has ushered in an era of unparalleled  access to image making. There is a Photoshop plug in for nearly every look that Hollywood and pop culture has thrown at us. I do have to admit, though I like the “Thermopylae” setting in OnOne Software’s Photo Tools plug in for Photoshop.

Thermopylae

Original

Digital imaging has made available to the masses whole worlds that were previously the domain of only a select few. Almost anybody these days can go out and make a Baraka, or shoot models and have them look like they where shot by David LaChapelle. It’s incredible

Sometimes though, I feel like I’m cheating. I feel that at some point I lose the connection with my work. I know some of you out there feel the same way. You feel like there is a lack of process. There is no darkroom. There is no light sensitive emulsion or concoction of chemicals with  fussy temperatures and rituals of submersion and agitation. At some point it’s just an automated parade of 1′s and 0′s.

For those of you who aren’t in the know, you’ve come to the right place. There are several movements afoot that put process back in the hands of the digital image maker. Pioneers of Alternative Photo Process such as Dan Burkholder and Christopher James have written tomes about coating substrates with various light sensitive emulsions and exposing them through digital negatives.

There are others, such as myself, who’s approach lends itself more towards the printmaking end of the spectrum. Class, this shall be the main point of our discussion today.

I’m sure there are a few of you out there who did Polaroid Transfers back in the day. There are probably even a few that have experimented with various transfer techniques using inkjet media, transferring with acetone or gel medium. So, how many of you have heard of using Purell Hand Sanitizing Gel to facilitate  image transfer? I know, it sounds ridiculous, but I’m absolutely serious. See Exhibit A.

Purell transfer on to Rives BFK paper

So, I guess your wondering how its done. Well, it goes something like this.

1. You need to print the image (reversed or rotated horizontally) on to some kind of clear film. I typically print on HP Clear Film. If you don’t have a printer that accepts rolls, your options shrink substantially, but don’t despair. InkPress recently introduced a Clear Film (not to be confused with Transparency Media, Transparency Media will not work for these kinds of transfer processes) that is available in sheets and rolls.

Purell Transfer on Rives BFK. Image transferred from Inkpress Clear Film

2. You need to pick a substrate. I find that printmaking papers such as Arches 88 or Rives BFK work the best. However, I do like to experiment with various fine art papers.

Purell Transfer on Fine Art Paper

For this exercise I’ll assume you have chosen a print making paper such as Rives BFK. You will need a few more items, also.

A. Purell hand Gel

B. 11×14 piece of glass, lexan, or plexi

C. a Brayer (Speedball Hard Rubber works the best for me)

3. Place your paper on your piece of glass, lexan, or plexi.

4. Pump a few squirts of Purell Hand Gel onto the paper. Use the brayer to spread it around, eventually coating that entire side.

5. Flip the paper, if you have excess Purell on the edges use the brayer to work the excess back onto the paper. Pump a couple more squirts on to the paper and work it evenly with the brayer.

6. Flip the paper over again. Make sure the paper is evenly coated with Purell, but not to wet. At this point you are are ready to apply the image, usually I start at the edge, (printed side facing the paper) bowing the image away from my body. Slowly roll the image out to ensure there is even contact between the image and the paper. Then take the brayer, applying a moderate amount of force, roll it back and forth across all areas of the image.  You can stop and lift a corner to see how the transfer is progressing. If your having a problem spot, you can use the backside of a spoon to burnish that area. It shouldn’t take more then 3 minutes to obtain a decent transfer. This is all about practice and developing technique.

This is pretty cool right? But wait, there’s more! This is all pretty simple, and cool because it is a legitimate process that ensures a unique result.  For me though, it’s not always enough. Sometimes I like to take something sharp and scratch the hell out of the image before I transfer it. You get the idea here, the image can be modified, degraded, etc. numerous ways prior to transfer.

Purell Transfer, with scratches applied prior to transfer.

Sometimes this still isn’t enough. That is why I’ve saved the best for last.  How many of you have heard of a little company called InkAid? InkAid makes inkjet precoats. This means that you buy a jar of this stuff and it will allow you to coat almost anything you can fit into your printer. I’ve coated aluminum, canvas, and hand made fine art papers with this stuff and then run it through my printer (Canon iPF6200) with amazing results (which will be the topic of a coming blog entry). Anyway, turns out you can coat acetate or in this case Duralar with it. Specifically InkAid Clear Gloss Type II.  All you do is paint on a couple of coats as per the instructions, and then print on it like any other clear film. The results are interesting, and as you become more proficient, you can achieve more interesting effects based on how you paint the precoat on. Not to mention the Duralar can be re-used. Below is my example.

Purell Transfer from Duralar coated with Ink Aid Clear Gloss Type II

As you can see there is a whole world of possibilities that exist when you combine digital imaging with basic print making techniques. I can assure you that this is just the tip of the ice berg. It is possible not only to re-connect with your photography, but to take it to levels you never knew existed.

The Curious Case of Mayor Bloomberg and The NYC Parks Department vs. The Artists of NYC

I firmly believe that for any society to endure it must place paramount importance on art and free expression. When you think of New York City, what thoughts come to mind? Sure, first maybe the bright lights of Times Square;  the incomprehensibly high Empire State Building, the sea of yellow cabs flowing on 5th Avenue; people walking shoulder to shoulder in Midtown, the subways thundering underneath.  But what does New York City symbolize to you? Think about that while you read the rest of this post.

As some of you may be aware,  I sell my photography in Union Square Park in New York City. For those of you who have know idea where or what Union Square is, I have a short analogy for you. New York City is very much a living, breathing entity. Union Square is the heart that keeps the blood flowing. It is the convergence of the NRQW, 456, and L trains. The amount of people above and under ground at Union Sq at any given moment is just staggering.

My endeavors there are why it is so hard for me to keep up with this blog, and for that I apologize. Anyway, enough of the BS. The long and the short of it is this; Michael Bloomberg and his flunkies at the NYC Parks Department are seeking to revise the rules with regards to the Artists that sell in 4 NYC parks.  The Artists of Central Park, Union Square Park, Battery City Park, and the High Line Park are in the cross hairs of these revisions. Currently there are 60 pages of rules that regulate what we can and cannot sell, where we can and cannot set up, and the size of our displays, etc. Currently there are no regulations on how many artists can set up on a given street, or a given park. The new rules seek to change just that. The old rules remain in effect, however the proposed ones severely limit how many artists can set up in the a fore mentioned  parks. Below are the proposed numbers:

* Battery Park, only 9 artists allowed
* Metropolitan Museum of Art (between 79th and 81st streets) 12 artists.
* Fifth Avenue (between 84th and 85th streets) 12 artists.
* Union Square Park 18 artists allowed.
* Columbus Circle, 4 artists.
* Wein Walk (near the Central Park Zoo) 8 artists
* High Line Park, 3 artists
* Central Park South, 5 artists
* Grand Army Plaza (by Plaza Hotel), 8 artists

So as you can see Union Square is only allowed 18. I took a head count on Saturday, and by 11AM there where 127 vendors present. I guess what you are all wondering now is why? Surely there must be a reasonable and logical justification for this.. I will present an excerpt from the Statement of Basis and Purpose of the new proposal as the argument for revising the existing rules.

These rules are promulgated pursuant to the authority of the Commissioner of the
Department of Parks and Recreation (the “Commissioner”) under sections 389, 533(a)(9) and
1043 of the New York City Charter.  The Commissioner is authorized to establish and enforce
rules for the use, governance and protection of public parks and of all property under the charge
or control of the Department of Parks and Recreation.

The proposed rules provide reasonable opportunities – by and through limited time,
place, and manner restrictions – for expressive matter vendors to display and sell their wares on
parkland.  These rules not only provide greater clarity for vendors regarding where and how they
can operate on parkland, they also ensure that our parks do not become so congested that they do
not provide the public with enjoyable and accessible open space.

The Department determined that it was necessary to promulgate these rules to address
concerns raised by park visitors, vendors, and other members of the public, as well as
Department staff, related to the proliferation, in certain parks, of expressive matter vendors and
the impact they can have on parkland and other park visitors.  In fact, in the absence of
Department rules regarding expressive matter vendors, the number of these vendors combined
for Battery Park, Central Park, and Union Square Park has almost tripled since 2001, when the
Department ended its old lottery system for vendor permits in these parks pursuant to the New
York City Administrative Code.  This dramatic increase in the number of vendors has resulted in
changed conditions in certain parks, which required the Department to develop regulations in
order to strike a balance between expressive matter vendors and other park visitors, and address
other concerns related to maintaining and operating open space under the jurisdiction of the
Department.

For example, expressive matter vendors at Union Square Park have increased, and
continue to increase, in number to the point where they occupy almost the entire south-west
corner of the park.  This not only presents a concern regarding potential hazardous and unsafe
conditions stemming from undue congestion and pedestrian gridlock, it also detracts from the
experience of those park visitors who wish to experience and enjoy the park in other ways.

Now I realize to many of you I may seem predisposed to bias for favor of the artists, so before I issue my counterpoints, I will provide a few links in the interest of being fair.

Robert Lederman: Robert is a NYC artist and activist (He is the head of a pro artist group called A.R.T.I.S.T.). Thanks to Robert’s tireless vigil we are able to display and sell (continue to display and sell) our art on the streets and in the parks of NYC.

Squaring Off: Post from NYC artist, writer, and dear friend Richard Kriheli  that offers more insight into the Parks Department’s motivation for requesting approval in amending the rules for vending.

NY Times: NY Times article presenting arguments for and against the proposed rule changes. Includes a full copy of the Dept. of Parks resolution.

Ok kiddies, here we go!

I’m not going to go in to all the 1st Amendment hoo ha, and allegations of privatization, those are arguments that have and are being made by others much more eloquent then I. My rebuttal represents the situation on the ground at a place I spend more then 40 hours a week, every week at.

1: The term “Expressive Matter Vendor“. This is a derogatory term and it is one I especially detest. While technically it is correct, it serves no other purpose then to offer no delineation between artists who create art and those who merely vend art. I’ve spent a lot of money on my education, and nearly all my adult life honing my eye and my craft. I am an effing Artist and don’t you forget it!

2: According to the Statement of Basis and Purpose “..the absence of
Department rules regarding expressive matter vendors, the number of these vendors combined
for Battery Park, Central Park, and Union Square Park has almost tripled since 2001, when the
Department ended its old lottery system for vendor permits in these parks pursuant to the New
York City Administrative Code.“

Absence of Department Rules? Are you kidding me? There are 60 plus pages of rules and regulations pertaining to vending on NYC Streets and in NYC Parks.  If you compare the Vending Rules for Artists as they have existed for at least the last ten years to what the Parks Department is proposing, you will find thing only thing that changes is that now they want to regulate number of artists in certain parks. The only thing that is absent is the enforcement of the existing rules. We will get into that one more later in this post.

3: “…the number of these vendors combined
for Battery Park, Central Park, and Union Square Park has almost tripled since 2001″

Ok, so where are these numbers coming from? Did the Parks Department conduct a census of artists in 2001, and then again in 2010? And where is the breakdown of numbers for each park and each year between 2001 and 2010 to substantiate such a claim? How many Artists and vendors where in the parks in 2008 vs. 2010. Do these numbers reflect the severe recession that is going on and the record number of people are unemployed? (nearly 10%) In any case there is a serious lack of evidence other to back up that statement. I would also like to point out (and this is a very important point they very conveniently leave out) There are numerous people who illegally vend in the parks. In NYC and under the 1st Amendment, Artists are allowed to sell and display their art on the streets and in the parks without a vending permit. If say you want to sell bullshit that is made in China you have to get a nearly impossible to obtain Vendor Permit. That being said, many vendors circumvent this by attempting mingle in with the artists in the parks. The day I counted 127 vendors, I counted 42 people illegally vending (selling jewelery, clothes, nick knacks, coffee mugs, cigarette lighters, dream catchers, pan flutes, beads, salt and pepper shakers, all manner of stuff deemed illegal to vend by the current rules). By days end nearly all of those vendors where still present.

4: My last point. “…For example, expressive matter vendors at Union Square Park have increased, and
continue to increase, in number to the point where they occupy almost the entire south-west
corner of the park.  This not only presents a concern regarding potential hazardous and unsafe
conditions stemming from undue congestion and pedestrian gridlock, it also detracts from the
experience of those park visitors who wish to experience and enjoy the park in other ways.“

Only on days where the Green Market is present  do the artists take up the south west corner of the park. And that is because the Market forces the artists to begin setting up in that location. In all honesty, when the Green Market is busiest (Saturdays during the summer months) it takes of the entirety of the north and west sides of the Park. As for “pedestrian gridlock”, anyone who attempts to venture through the Green Market on Saturdays will experience that to an infuriating degree. Even on the busiest days, it is still possible to move freely though the corridor occupied (in accordance with existing rules) by the artists. “…This not only presents a concern regarding potential hazardous and unsafe
conditions stemming from undue congestion.”

What a joke! I cite Exhibit A!

Pillow Fight, Union Square, April 2010

Ok, so they are so concerned with preventing hazardous and unsafe conditions due to the presence of a bunch of artists, but sanctioning a pillow fight involving  (with no permit and requiring dozens of police officers to regulate ingress and egress) a couple thousand and more people beating each other.  Maybe to you a pillow fight seems benign, but I saw first responders carting off people that had passed out in the fray, and in my own display they where treating a 7 year old boy (not even a participant, just passing through the park with his father) who was bashed in the face and covered in blood. Are you effing kidding me? This is acceptable to the Parks Department? Events like this pose no hazard to park goers?

In conclusion, the reasons for changing the existing rules have no basis in reality. They definitely do not reflect the situation on the ground. Last Wednesday I attended a Community Board Meeting (#6). At that meeting the chairman asked Deputy Parks Commissioner Bill Castro about enforcement of the existing rules, and if he felt there had been adequate enforcement for the rules as currently exist. The response was that he did not believe the rules have been enforced to the degree that they could be. I can personally vouch for that. There are days where I have literally spent 20 or more hours in the park. There are no shortage of PEP Officers (Parks Enforcement Police). I watch them stroll up and down the walkways occupied by artists. I watch them flirt with cute girls illegally vending jewelry. I watch them shake hands and do fist pounds with vendors who engage in the practice of buying and selling spots (completely illegal, and an act of privatization) .  Rarely do I see them issue tickets, and even rarer is the instance of removing a vendor who is operating illegally. In short the enforcement of current policy regarding “expressive matter vendors” is completely non existent. They want us to believe that if these rules are allowed to be changed, they will create a better park going experience. They want us to believe that after 10 years of virtually no enforcement they are suddenly going to enforce policy knowledgeably and fairly? Yeah right.. So now the PEP Officers are going to be on duty 24 hours a day in order to insure the 18 spots in USP are delegated fairly. PLEASE!  Need I remind you that 15 years ago Union Square Park was a redoubt for junkies and criminals (hence the name “Needle Park”). Most people avoided the area like the plague. If these rules are passed, they will do nothing more then secure an embarrassing legacy for all those involved. It will guarantee new additions to the unemployment rolls, already at an all time high. It will create an artist diaspora that will be felt city wide.

Around 2200 words ago I asked you what NYC symbolized to you? To me it symbolizes the epitome of the American Dream. It is the only place where there is a market for anything. It is the only place where the mantra “if you can dream it, you can do it” exists. How many movies have been made about the dreamers who come from humble origins to endure trial and tribulation to attain success they never thought possible. That is NY. That is the essence of this city that courses through my veins everyday. For all of its sometimes seamy underbelly, I love selling my art in the park. I love the many talented artists I have met, most of whom I call friends. Never in my life have I had the good fortune to work with and befriend people from all over the world. It truly is amazing and sublime. And it is the quintessential New York experience. If they take it away, they will be taking away and essential piece of the cultural fabric of  New York City.

Don’t let them!

There is a public hearing at Chelsea Recreation Center (430 West 25th Street) on April 23 at 11AM. There will be a protest at 10AM. In addition you can write and voice our opinion to the following before April 23rd:

Alessandro G. Olivieri, General Counsel, Department of Parks &
Recreation, The Arsenal, Central Park, 830 Fifth Avenue, New York, New
York 10065, by April 23, 2010. You may also write him at this email

address: alessandro.olivieri@parks.nyc.gov

You should also send the same email to the Parks Commissioner,
Adrian Benepe.
His email address is:
Adrian.Benepe@parks.nyc.gov

Finally I will leave you with a link to this video. It is an inspiring and informative speech given to the USP artists by Robert Lederman last Saturday.

Did You Say Gelatin?

I know, I know, I’ve been a very bad blogger. It has been quite the while since my last post… Months you might say. I have spent the majority of my hiatus adjusting to making a living off my photography. Not easy to do, especially with the current state of the economy. On a more positive note I have been spending a great deal of time learning and perfecting some cool new processes. That brings us to the subject of this blog. Gelatin.. It can be tasty.. It can be fun to throw at unsuspecting passers by.. A less known fact is that it is amazing at facilitating the transfer of images onto numerous substrates.  My personal favorite are wood painting panels. As a final presentation solution they are as unique as they are impressive. There is so much you can with the wood before making the transfer. That, however, will have to be the subject of another blog. What I have done (as sort of a mia culpa) is to make a short video showing the process I do from beginning to end.. Well almost the end.. I do have to keep some things secret! As a side note, the Flip Video camera and iMovie make one hell of a team. I hope you enjoy!

transfer_process 1

►

New work and works in progress!

Well, I have only 9 more days and let’s just say I am trying to crank out as much artwork as I can without rushing it.  Slow and steady is my philosophy. I suppose watercolor doesn’t really allow for anything but that.  Surprises have been appearing in my artwork and an evolution of some sorts. I like it.  Swimming and kayaking really help keep the creative flow going. Also seeing old friends and eating Milano Cookies has helped!

Tomorrow night I meet with the Senior Art students, chatting one on one about their artwork.  I am really excited to hear their ideas and see what they are working on. Should be fun. Hopefully, I will be almost finished with my fourth large painting by the end of tomorrow.  Busy week.  Thursday I head to DC to visit a friend, see Sue Johnson’s art show at Washington Project for the Arts as well as see the wonderful art museums!  Should be fun!

New Work!!

My talk at the Boyden Gallery was today!  The presentation went extremely well and students told me they enjoyed it.  I have to admit, it was very refreshing to see the chronological order of my work. The ability to reflect on old ideas and new ideas and meet in between is so very important.  I am excited to see what comes out of me the next few weeks I have left here.  I am so thankful the faculty and students have been so warm and welcoming.  Apparently, my talk information appeared in the Washington Post.  A few lovely ladies from DC came! Today the writer, Alicia Shandra Holmes, arrived. Great to finally have someone else in the large house with me.  I think her and I are going to go kayaking soon! 

Artist Residency New Paintings

Currently, I am back in my home town, St.Mary’s, Maryland completing an artist residency.  First thing I noticed upon my return was how much everything changed.  Not only the county but also St. Mary’s College. There is now a Marshalls, Famous Footwear, and a Super Walmart (yuck.) Not only are there the big box shops, there are also banners everywhere. Visual overload on signage.  This also includes evacuation route signs as well.  I am not sure what I am supposed to evacuate for, but I suppose if the time comes, I have the signs to point me out of harms way.

The Artist House is fantastic.  Since it is associated with St. Mary’s College, I get all the perks of college.  They have a state of the art swimming pool, so you guessed it.  I am swimming every day. They also have scanners at my service, hence how I am able to display my daily ink drawings here on this blog. I have all these new ideas! My new painting currently has an elephant emerging! I hope to finish that tomorrow or Sunday.

I have giving a talk on Tuesday September 8th at 4:15 p.m. in the Boyden Gallery.  I am almost prepared.  Still editing my slides.  I didn’t realize I have been so productive over the last 4 1/2 years.

Hope you enjoy my works in progress.

Getting back on Track

Many of you may have wondered where the heck Digalogue went?  Well, we are back!  In it to win it! I would say we are bringing sexy back, but nope, just photography fun!

So I guess I will start with updates.

*Michael has immersed himself into the freelance photography realm and I have to say he is doing quite well.  If you would like to say hello to him, you can find him in Union Sq. NYC on the beautiful market days.  So go get that amazing fresh juice or baked good and stop by to see Michael’s wonderful Gelatin Acrylic Transfers.  If I do say so, they are only getting better! His bookmark (business card) alone is worth the trip.  Also if you are a fan, he does $10 off Canvas Fridays.

*I have 4 paintings hanging in a Peruvian Restaurant called El Pollo located at 291 5th Ave Brooklyn, NY and  4 other paintings in the Boyden Gallery in St. Mary’s Maryland. I know this is not photography, but it is still pretty cool to check out!

*Michael has two photographs hanging at Bierkraft located at 191 5th Ave Brooklyn, NY 11217.  If you are a beer connoisseur, this is the place to go.  His images are quite ironic in this space.

We have tons of new gear to talk about:  The Canon ipf6200, our new baby.  This thing is incredibly brilliant.  We will divulge more information soon.  I also just got the Kodak Zx1.  I will soon be putting together a little movie to show you it’s magic.  So please stay tuned.

This week I am off to the Maine Media Workshops.  I am taking a class with John Goodman called In Search of the Personal.  The first assignment was to read The Ongoing Moment by Geoff Dyer.  When I finish it, I will let you know how it goes.  I hope to give you some updates while I am out there.  This should be exciting.  I also get to see Christopher James, which is always a treat.

NYC Photo Openings

The Thursday windy, chilly night blew a good friend and I into Chelsea to view the hottest and latest craze hanging on the walls of galleries! The streets had art lovers briskly walking with much anticipation to get to their gallery of choice.  The night prior I had checked artslant.com for  photography openings/receptions taking place.  The three galleries explored were Massimo Audiello featuring Alison Brady with An Uncertain Nature, Caire Oliver showcasing Janet Biggs’ Vanishing Point and my ultimate favorite P.P.O.W with Teun Hocks’ New Works.

Alison Brady’s Digital C Prints were  begging the viewer’s attention creating quite an uneasiness and discomfort.  Some images had very vibrant colors, while others were dimly lit with spaghetti as the main focus.  I suggest you see for yourself and come to some of your own conclusions on the ideas being revealed.  Massimo Audiello is located on 526 West 26th street. #519, New York, NY.

Janet Biggs‘ Vanishing Points was quite an interesting show to adventure to as the photographs in the front are a little deceptive as to what is in the back of the gallery.  As you walk into the space she has about 4 large prints of the Utah Salt Fields vanishing into the horizon.  As you keep going further back you come to realize that Janet is actually a video artist. The main project was a juxtaposition of Leslie Porterfield (a very fast motorcycle chic) and the Harlem’s  Addict Rehabilitation Center Gospel Choir.  The clever connections made using the Gospel Choir’s words, which were written by Janet Biggs and the occurrence of Leslie Porterfield riding at 234 mph create ideas suggesting willpower, bravery and concentration. Janet Biggs wrote about her experience on the Claire Oliver blog. I would love for everyone to go see it and let me know what you thought of the piece.  Claire Oliver is located in Chelsea on 513 W. 26th St New York, NY 10001.

Now for the photographer whom I absolutely loved: Teun Hocks! As I first walked into P.P.O.W. there was a little drawing animation to the left. It was short, maybe about 2 minutes demonstrating a man holding a banner. I immediately thought of how this was created and thought back to William Kentridge. A sample of William Kentridge’s work is on youtube. Basically, the animation is created by filming a drawing, erasing and making slight changes and filming again.  This is repeated many many times.  Each shot ranges from 1/4 of a second to 2 seconds.  This can also be done by taking still photographs each time a change is made and inputting into Flash, Quicktime, Final cut pro, imovie and or Adobe premiere to create the animation.  I have always been interested in process and this requires many .  The finished product is very dramatic and unique using the mark making of the drawer.  The erase marks create an urgency and an action.  Now, with the Canon 5D Mark II and the Nikon D90, stills and video can be captured!  I have to get my hands on the Canon 5D Mark II and experiment.

Teun Hocks displays other processes in his large photographs which are constructed scenes within his studio and photographed using gelatin silver print as final output.  He then uses transparent oil paint to color the photograph.  How can you not love Teun Hocks!  He combines two of my favorite processes to display the struggle man endures within life.  

Not only did he have these amazing constructed photographs, animation, he also had this slightly humorous video of himself crawling out of a hole much like a doggie house with a projection or even maybe painted doggie surrounding the hole.  A literal translation of a man in the dog house!!! I suppose there are other connections to be made there with dog as man’s best friend, man as animal etc… 

All in all GO SEE TEUN HOCKS at P.P.O.W!!!! I am taking Michael to see it today!

Financial District

Click on image to view gallery!!!!

Ah yes!  The wonderful Financial District, the area we have all seen under such scrutiny this year! No bailout plan was going to keep Michael and I warm on this cold Analogue Field trip.  To be honest, I don’t think Michael and I even thought once about the economy that day.  It felt great to have the Holga and Diana F+ in our hands and just roam the southern most part of Manhattan!  You can become a fan of Michael’s converted Diana on Facebook! It is really something to see.  You can now shoot the Diana with Strobes!  Michael will be posting on Digalogue this week on how to!  He is just waiting for the lab to develop the film to show you some before and after shots.

In particular the financial district would not be a place I normally would photograph, but earlier in the week I had gone down there for work and found some interesting attractions!  Inspiration hit us as soon as we walked out the doors of the South Ferry Terminal. We headed west and then north.  Along the way we captured images around the World Financial Center, which can be seen in the image above.  Michael captured some great color photographs.  Be sure to check them out.

On our way to the Irish Hunger Memorial, we came across this parking lot squeezed between two buildings. This is what we found:

 

Michael’s image of the blinking traffic light has a little bit of a light leak due to the fact that the roll of film did not ravel tightly, but the leak works in his favor. The element of surprise when getting film back from the lab is like having your birthday everyday.  The present is always better than you had wished.  This bicycle was in the lot and well I thought it was the most hilarious thing.  If I rode a bike to work, think about how much money I would save on metrocards! Speaking of Bicycles it reminds me of my buddies at Project Tandem!  I hope they are doing well on their  bicycle adventures around the United States.

Sorry for the tangent.

After we came across the parking lot, it was now basically perfect lighting around 3:30 p.m. when we found the Irish Hunger Memorial. For those of you who don’t know about the Memorial it is basically a reminder for all the Irish who died during the famine between years 1845 and 1852. This memorial is so beautifully done, giving the feeling that you are stepping out of NYC into Ireland.  For myself when I was photographing, I kept in mind the juxtaposition of Nature vs City.  The evening light really made everything glow.  Couldn’t have asked for a better time and Memorial to shoot.  Here are a few images Michael and I captured. If you click on the image it will take to you to the rest of the photographs!

Now, I am off to the Camera Club of New York to see F295: Exploring 21st Century Photography gallery show displaying some amazing alternative photographs. Some dear friends Gabriel Biderman and David Brommer are in the show.  I will be reporting back with some Polaroids of the event!

Modifying the Diana F+ Part 1

I remember 10 years ago when digital imaging first started to make inroads into mainstream photography. I was having a conversation with a photographer friend of mine who was extolling the virtues, and future of digital photography. I rolled my eyes at him and swore that I would never give up wet process. Two years later I sold my view camera and my 35mm, went digital and never looked back. I was so amazed at the immediacy, and the possibilities that where only a mouse click away. I spent years watching the technology evolve, brimming with excitement as 22 megapixel medium format backs approached affordability. Reveling in the orgy of digital slr’s packing higher resolutions, better analogue to digital converters, and ever decreasing price tags. While I engorged myself with obsessing on histograms, and the image proudly displaying itself on the lcd panel I forgot the most crucial part of the image making process – the image. I forgot the time spent analyzing the scene, taking meter readings, and taking into account the film loaded in the camera. I forgot about the uncertainty, anticipation, and excitement of waiting. Waiting for the lab tech to bring the fruit of my labor, waiting to eagerly grab the loupe and splay my negatives on the light box. I forgot how good that all felt. 10 years later I feel like that kid again. It’s not because of some new kick ass Photoshop plug-in, it’s not some awesome new technique that emulates the films we all cut our teeth on. It’s because of a simple $50.00 camera that is beyond basic; and in some circles the notion of it being used as a serious image making tool would be heartily scoffed at. It is the Diana F+. It is a plastic camera with a plastic lens, 3 apertures, and two shutter speeds. It has light leaks, which require a hefty dose of gaffers tape to mitigate; It has zone focus; it’s three apertures, I’m still not 100% sure what they are. It is unpredictable at best. So, you might be wondering,why? Did I mention that it has three apertures that vary from camera to camera?? Well, this recreation of the venerable Diana from the 1960′s features interchangeable lenses. Currently there are four; a 20mm Circular Fisheye, a 38mm ultra-wide angle, a 55mm wide angle, and a 110mm telephoto. In addition it has the provision for a flash. Unlike the Holga (another popular toy camera) this provision does not come in the form of a more useable hot shoe. There is the caveat. The flash is a proprietary connection. Interestingly enough, the optional Diana Flash comes with an adapter to make it compatible with any camera that has a hot shoe. It is also supposed to come with a regular hot shoe adapter; mine did not Which brings me to the whole point of this post. I shoot a great deal with strobes, I love to mix strobes with ambient light, and I love to shoot with strobes in the studio. So I devised a simple way to modify the Diana F+ to accept a hot shoe. My modification also enables the user to directly plug a Pocket Wizard, or Elinchrom Skyport  into the flash sync. From there, the sky is the limit. I use remote triggers, and this mod works extremely well with those too. So, without further ado, lets get too it.

What you will need:

Wire Strippers

Wire Cutters

A Soldering Iron

Solder

Sand paper or Dremel

A shoe adapter  (I used the Bower Shoe Adapter for Tripod / Lightstand)

1 Paramount Miniphone to Hotshoe Female Cord

1 1/8″ Stereo In-Line Audio Jack 

(2) 6″ strips of 22 gauge hook up wire (1 black, 1 red)

Small piece of gaffer tape (or electrical tape)

Small amount of plastic cement

The Process:

Begin by arranging your workspace, lay out the needed items in easily accessible places. Take a deep breath, try to quell the excitement building up in you, as you  begin the process of converting your Diana into a world class image maker.

1. Make sure your soldering iron is nice and hot.

2. Expose 1/2″ of bare wire from both ends of the black and red hook up wire. You can accomplish this by striping the ends of the wires with wire strippers, or with your teeth. (my preferred method)

3. Position the camera so the lens is facing away from you. You will notice the two connectors to the left of the viewfinder. 

 

4. Begin with the connector closest to the viewfinder. This is your ground. Insert one end of the black wire into the hole. I made a loop with the end to increase the surface area of wire making connection. It also helps to wedge the wire in the hole while you secure it with the solder. Take your solder, and with the soldering iron melt the solder in the hole until it fills, or the hook up wire is secured. (you shouldn’t be able to pull the wire out of the hole)*

*While soldering, it is a good idea to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth. Soldering generates a fair of noxious smoke, which I’m pretty sure is bad for you. Use caution when attempting this procedure.

5. Repeat the process with the red wire in the remaining connector. This is your positive connection.

You are halfway there!

 

6. Take the 1/8″ Stereo Connector and remove the plastic sheath. You do this by twisting the metal top counter clockwise. Thread the wires through the plastic sheath.  Once removed you will notice 2 small gold prongs on the innermost portion of the connector. This is the positive connection, and the portion which you will solder the other end of the red wire to. The ground is the semi-circular terminal at the end, and is silver. You will also notice that each connector has a hole in it. The easiest thing to do is to thread the exposed ends of the black and red wires through these holes. Twist them to temporally secure them, permanently secure them with a small amount of solder. Be especially careful when soldering the red wire. If any solder gets on the outside of the connector or touches the ground it will short out the connection and you will have no flash.

7. Once you have soldered the black and red connections, plug the male end of the Paramount Hot Shoe Cord into the female end of the 1/8″ stereo jack. If you have a hot shoe flash handy, mount it to the other end of the Paramount Cord and turn it on. Depress the shutter button on the Diana, if you have followed all the above to the letter you should be greeted by a nice bright flash.

8. Once you are satisfied with your connections and testing, insert the 1/8″ stereo connector back into the sheath and tighten clockwise. Take your small piece of gaffer tape and tape the stereo connector to the front of the camera with the connection facing down. 

9. You will now mount the shoe adapter to the top of the camera. You may have to sand the bottom of the shoe adapter so it will sit flush on the top of the camera. In any case you will want to sand the top of the camera where you plan to mount the shoe adapter. I chose to mount it between the two wires. Place a small amount of plastic cement on the bottom of the shoe adapter and a small amount on top of the camera. Mount it to the camera. Let dry.

You now have the ability to mount any shoe mount flash or remote flash trigger to the Diana with a minimal amount of intermediate wires. This is especially useful for Pocket Wizards, or Elinchrom Skyports. I use both, and with this modification I can now fulfill quite a few personal projects I have been working on. 

 

 

F295 NYC!

Photographic processes have evolved so much over the course of this century, allowing creative individuals to experiment with any type of camera and output. If you had asked me about 6 years ago if I thought photographs were a fine art, I would have probably replied no.  I thought heck you just point the camera and click,  how hard is it really? My fine art background was traditional in the sense that I pursued drawing, painting as well as printmaking.  Photography started to really become something I dabbled with every so often in college beginning with a Photography and Painting theory class.  The book used was David Hockney’s Secret Knowledge, which explored the idea of master painters using lenses to help create their magnificent paintings, whether it was a portrait, or space etc. Specifically the camera obscura was used. This created a bit of turmoil within myself as the question that continued to haunt me was: is this considered cheating? Other essays I explored were Walter Benjamin’s “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” and John Berger’s book Ways of Seeing.  A brief synopsis can be seen at this link. With this being said, when I was developing my ideas with printmaking, I was introduced to a photo sensitive process called imagon. This process allowed me to use digital media to create a “photo-intaglio” print.  Really I have to say I thought this was quite interesting and I really loved the results! As my interest in photography grew, I finally was persuaded to take an Alternative Photo Process class with Margaret Adams, because of the painterly quality I have seen with Cyanotypes, Platinum Palladium etc… I thought why not give it a try. This is where I met Leonardo, the 8×10 Super Wide Angle pinhole camera and cyanotype!  This changed my life forever bringing me to the wonderful topic of F295!!!

This past weekend my dear friends, Gabriel Biderman and David Brommer had the opportunity to display one of their prints within the F295 Photo show at the New York Camera Club! Other artists included were Jo Babcock, Jill Enfield, Tom Persinger (founder of F295), Martha Casanave, Michelle Bates, Jesseca Ferguson, France Scully Osterman, Keith Taylor, Dan Estabrook and the list goes on. Processes ranged from Gum Bichromate, Platinum Palladium, Collodion, Ziatype, Bromoil, Tintypes, etc… The show was well put together and the turn out for the Saturday Reception was incredible. On Sunday, many of the artists spoke at the Event Space at B&H Photo, Video, Pro-Audio.  All of these photographers are so inspirational and I recommend taking a look at their websites and books.  To learn these photographic Processes F295 holds a symposium in May. Last year I learned how to make tintypes with the Diana camera taught by Jill Enfield as well as how to make large painterly pinhole and camera obscura images with Ilan Wolff. I hope to see everyone there as it is so much fun!  Everyone is very creative and kind.  Contemplation and learning at its best. Christopher James also has a phenomena new book that details each process. If you want to get started now, Bostick and Sullivan has kits to be purchased.  B&H Photo also has some alternative process kits.

The camera of my choice for the Saturday night gallery reception was the Polaroid Impulse!  I just had  the impulse to take a few pictures of the artists and event with their work.

Tom Persinger, Founder of F295

Of course to celebrate, the remaining group went to Hill Country for some yummy meat!

Modifying the Diana F+ Part 2 – Test Shoot

I would have made a terrible scientist. Anyone who knows me can attest to that statement. I have a habit of wanting to try many things for the first time, at the same time. This usually ends with me pulling my hair out, and taking a more pragmatic approach. This test shoot was one of the rare occasions where everything worked out (must have been some crazy planetary alignment.) I digress. I had been eagerly awaiting a shipment from Bogen containing everything I needed to test out my new Custom Diana. Amongst the various and sundry items where my new Elinchrom BX400′s, Skyport Universal Kit, and  Pump Cup with Baby Swivel Pin. The first order of business was to hook up the lights to make sure they worked, the second thing was the charge the Skyport Receiver. I then thought about what I was going to shoot. I’d been wanting to shoot the Rollei Infrared Film that had burning a hole in my camera bag. After a little cajoling I was able to sucker, I mean persuade Angelia to be my model for the shoot. Once my receiver was charged I set about positioning the lights. I wanted to use the bathroom in my apartment for the backdrop, since it is the only thing remotely interesting in my tiny abode. I had also been wanting to experiment with with mirrors since they are a interesting metaphor used repeatedly in art. I used the pump cup to mount one of the 400BX’s to the tile wall in the bathroom. I did this because the bathroom is super tiny and there is no room for a light stand. Plus I wanted to test the how well the pump cup would hold the light. As expected the pump held for the entire shoot. I mounted the light out of sight of the camera and bounced the light off the ceiling. Since I was shooting at f11 I metered the light for f16. I wanted to slightly overexpose the whites in the bathroom, to create a sort of ethereal air. I positioned the second light outside of the bathroom and pointed it directly at Angelia. I wanted some fall of with this light so I inserted a 30 degree grid into the reflector. I also wanted to ratio the lights so I metered this light for f8. After I was satisfied with the overall look I set about getting the camera ready. Up first was the Rollei Infrared Film. The nice thing about this film is that it can also be shot like normal black and white. I decided to shoot half the roll with the infrared filter, and half without to see the difference. The filter I used was the Kodak Wratten 4×4 89B Opaque Filter in a Lee Gel Snap Holder. The thing to keep in mind when shooting this film which is rated for ISO 400, is that with the 89b filter the ISO rating changes to between 12 and 25 depending on the scene (depending on how much in your scene emits infrared light). I metered for ISO 12, and thankfully my lights where able to provide enough output to still keep me at my original aperture setting of f11. Below are the results.

 

I love this film with the IR filter. Even though the light in the bathroom was set a stop over the main light, it still fails to washout the background. The main however lights the face beautifully due to humans being excellent emitters of infrared light. Notice how dark the eyes are. 

The dreamlike quality of infrared is a perfect compliment for the Diana. In other images I had some really interesting lens flare, hopefully I will have time to post those soon. After I finished the Rollei I decided to load some Fuji Pro 400H color negative film. This ISO 400 film was great, since it gave me a lot more latitude with the lights. I wanted to create more mood so I placed a blue gel over the light in the bathroom.

The only thing I would do differently with this shot would be to power down the light in the bathroom by 1 or 2 stops. As it was I accidently over exposed the film by two stops, I had the lab pull process it -1 stop. Oops. Hey, it was 2 in the morning.

This is what I mean by how unpredictable the Diana can be. As you can see there is a substantial amount of vignetting in this shot. Much more so then the one previous. Overall this was a very successful test run. The camera, lights, and skyports performed beautifully. I was able to test a lot of things, and experiment quite a bit. In the end thats what it’s all about. Experiments, happy accidents, and eagerly waiting  with loupe in hand for the lab tech to bring you your film!

NYC Lomography Gallery Store Opening!

You guessed it! Of course we went to the NYC Lomography Gallery Store Opening! How could we resist? It was a splendid gathering of toy camera lovers drooling over the newest, coolest Lomography gear! To make the night even that much better, drinks, food and music were provided. We knew Lomography could throw a pretty gosh darn good party.

Michael sported his modified Diana F+, which was a great conversation piece. Even Liad took photos of Michael’s little, masterpiece. Michael will be posting his Diana pictures shortly, just waiting to get them back from the lab.

Although I own the Diana, Diana Edelweiss and a Holga, I grabbed the intant camera known as the Fuji Instax 200. I felt a little guilty as I knew this was not a Lomography product, but I just had to have instant gratification of the Lomography party.

Here are some of the great highlights:

1. The space is really well lit with a photo wall galore!

Michael chatting about his modified Diana, notice the photo wall!

2. Gadgets!!!! Including the fisheye, fisheye underwater case, Pop 9, Colorsplash, Diana F+ deluxe kit, Diana Glow in the Dark, Lenses, Horizon, Lubitel, Holga, Holga Pinhole, Lomography bags and much, much more!!!!! There are also rolodexes highlighting photos from each camera demonstrating all creative possibilities!

Fisheye

Diana Deluxe Kit

3. And of course the really awesome people!!!!

Apparently, in November 2009 they will be showcasing Dianas from the 1960s and 1970s. This location will provide workshops, speakers, events and etc….

So hurry to 41 W. 8th St New York, NY 10003 and check out the new Lomography Gallery Store.

Rock that analogue!

Photographing Flat Art Work With Digital Part 1

It’s been a little while since my last post, but I assure you this one is worth the wait. This one is a three parter. In part one we will deal with lighting and capture considerations pertaining to, you guessed it, photographing flat art. Part two will deal with technique. Finally, part three will deal with post processing and output. My recommendation is to get yourself a steaming cup of joe or an ice cold beer before reading on. 

I have on numerous occasions been called on to photograph, or to advise others on how to photograph paintings and other flat art. There are numerous things to take into account, and it’s easy to get bogged down in the minutiae, throw your hands up in the air, and solicit the services of a talented professional. Here’s the deal, it’s not that hard to capture useable, printable, beautiful images of your art work with out having to spend a fortune on the latest greatest digital camera and lighting package. You can do so with an entry level digital slr (Canon Digital Rebel series, NIkon D40, D50, D60, etc..), and a basic set of continuous lights. Depending on your budget, you can easily get repeatable, reliable results.

 To begin with, we will focus on the most important thing, lights. I say this because to deal with all of the different camera options, this article would take days to read and you will probably get a little bored and move on to fark.com. We will assume at this point that you have a digital slr of some sort (I will also be showing you results  later on that I obtained from a few different cameras to illustrate the point that it really all comes down to lighting). There is one thing that I will stress before moving on, no matter what camera you have, get a Prime Lens. By prime, I mean a fixed focal length lens. Every camera manufacturer offers a 50mm lens of some sort, and that’s what I would recommend to use. The reasons are that regardless of manufacturer, 50mm lenses tend to be very sharp, low on distortion, and fairly inexpensive. You can usually find good deals on used ones too. Plus even in crampt quarters (like a NYC apartment) you should be able to photograph even larger size paintings without having to rearrange all of your furniture.

Onto lighting.

You will need at least two lights. Unless your trying to photograph a billboard, two lights will serve you well in most cases.

So lets just say you have $200.00 to spend on lights. This kit from Impact will get you by for a while. It’s about as basic as it gets, but offers a lot more adjustability and control then lights from Home Depot. These lights have plenty of output and replacement lamps are easy to find. The kit itself sets up and breaks down in no time, and takes up little room. It’s also very easy to transport. The included lightstands allow you to easily adjust the height of the lights. The caveats? These baby’s put out some serious heat. It won’t melt the paint on your beautiful artwork, but after a while you may find yourself opening a window. The lamps, since these lights are household based,  will accept numerous wattage lamps, anything from 75 watt bulbs to 500 watt photofloods. This kit comes with (2) 500 watt photofloods. The downside of Photofloods is that they don’t last long, typically 5 – 20 hours. 

So lets say you have between $350 – $400. What does that get you? The next kit is from Lowel. It is the Lowel Tota Light Two Light Kit. This kit is an industry standard for photographing artwork. It delivers a whopping 1500 watts of gorgeous tungsten halogen illumination. A couple things to keep in mind with these lights. 

1: These lights draw a combined amperage of 12.5. A typical household circuit is rated for 15 amps. The bottom line; avoid plugging both lights into the same circuit. Or at the very least make sure they are the only things plugged into that circuit. There is nothing more annoying then throwing a breaker switch. 2: These lights use halogen lamps. DO NOT touch or handle the lamps with bare fingers while installing or removing them. The oil from your fingers could  cause the lamps to explode, at the very least oil from your fingers will dramatically decrease the life of the bulbs. 

What is good about these lights? Lots of things! Large amount of output; a really wide throw; easy to find replacement lamps; long lamp life; two year warranty on fixtures (Lowel lights are manufactured in the good ol’ US of A, and are well known for excellent customer service); wide range of light modifying accessories; most Lowel lights, Tota’s included, can be adapted for use in a Chimera, Photoflex Cine or Silverdome,  and Westcott softboxes. The down side: Heat, like the Impacts these continuous lights put out a lot of heat, using lower wattage lamps can mitigate that somewhat. Out of the box these lights can be a little hard to control in terms of diffusing or controlling the spread of the light. All in all these are a durable and versatile lights, and are a tremendous value for the budget conscious.

So lets say you have a fair amount of money to spend, and for whatever reason continuous lights aren’t an appropriate solution for you. I may be opening a pandoras box here, but I feel compelled to include this as an option, as it is one that is used often by museums, auction houses, and artists who require the highest quality lighting. Welcome to the world of Studio Strobes. Strobes are useful because they don’t have the power requirements of some continuous lights, and are a daylight balanced source. They are also much more comfortable to work with and around. That being said, we could have an hours long conversation on the merits of various manufactures strobes, and the virtues of Monolights vs. Pack systems. I won’t delve too deeply into that, as for this application, technique really does reign supreme. So here are two options.

Option 1: Elinchrom 400BX (2) light kit. I own this kit, and I’m extremely happy with with it. It’s very consistent in terms color temperature and output from shot to shot. There is very little you can say to fault this entry level lighting kit. The only thing, and it’s a minor thing really, is the modeling lamp. It’s only 150 watts. When you start mounting certain modifiers, like softboxes, it gets rather dim, and becomes a little difficult to see the effect of the light. 

Option 2: Profoto Acute 2 1200. This is a pack system kit with a pack and 2 heads. This is where we start hitting the higher end of strobe lighting. Profoto‘s are extremely reliable and consistent in terms of color temperature and output. It is the reason why they are the standard issue at most rental houses. I have shot with these many times and they are nothing short of amazing. If you dig around you would be surprised by the number of auction houses that use Profoto for reproduction work. The only caveat with a pack system is that the heads are tethered to the pack. Most of time this is a non issue, especially when photographing art work. 

Both manufacturers offer a complete line of light modifying accessories for their lights. Fortunately, most situations will require just the reflectors, or umbrellas if you need to soften the light.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Photographing Flat Art With Digital Part 2

 

What a busy week it has been! In addition to preparing material for Part 2 in this series, I have also been hard at work preparing for the next few posts. I can assure you, there will be some photographic awesomeness coming your way!

So lets get to the task at hand. In Part 1 we examined some lighting options, and briefly discussed the camera end of things. In part two we will discuss the process of photographing (your) flat artwork. I’ll assume at this point that you have some sort of two light rig, and a digital slr. (the following is valid for film shooters as well, but those capturing digitally will get the most out of this how to) There are a a few things that you will want to have on hand as well as they will make capture and post processing a lot easier.

1. A relatively steady tripod.

2. If your tripod  head lacks a bubble level, you will want a shoe mount bubble level to level the camera.

3. A contractors box level also comes in handy if you are photographing art work hanging on  the wall.

4. A gray card, or Xrite Color Checker. I recommend the later because it is a chart comprised of known color values, and neutral grays. Very handy in post.

5. Depending on the camera you are using, a focusing grid screen will help you to keep your vertical and horizontal lines parallel. Most Nikon digital slr’s have a mode that will display a grid in the viewfinder or lcd display.

6. A hand held light meter. Not essential, but does save time when setting up your lights.

 

We will begin by positioning the artwork and camera.  the  Its really important to position your artwork as flat as possible to the lens plane. If it is leaning to far forward or backwards your vertical lines will converge or diverge, instead of being parallel. If it is not possible to position the artwork in proper relation to the lens of the camera you can always correct for this by adjusting the camera until your lines are parallel in the viewfinder. I usually try to to make sure both the camera and artwork are level before photographing as this saves time in post. After you level the artwork and try to make it as perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the lens as possible, position the camera as close to the center of the image as possible. At this point  adjust the camera if necessary to compensate for any leaning your artwork may have (this is where a grid screen comes in handy, you can use it to line up you vertical and horizontal lines).  Try to fill  the viewfinder with as much of the artwork as possible. Don’t worry if you cant fill the entire viewfinder, as you probably won’t, and you can always crop later in post. One note about positioning artwork. You’ll find it best to place artwork at about chest level. This makes it easier to position the camera, and to ensure parallel lines.

We now have have our camera and artwork into position. Onto lighting.

 

Above is a very basic lighting diagram. This part is actually fairly easy. The goal is to evenly light your artwork from edge to edge, top to bottom. All of the lighting kits I suggested in Part 1 come with umbrellas. These are very basic light modifiers, but the use of will give you nice even lighting without hotspots. Refer to the above diagram and set up your lights at the same distance away from and on either side of your artwork. You will see right away the effect of the lights once you turn them on. Avoid placing the lights to high or to low in relation to the center of the art work being photographed. With some kinds of paintings, (Oils and Acrylics in particular) that have lots of relief, lights positioned to high or to low may cast undesirable shadows. You can check the evenness of your lighting with either a hand held light meter, or the cameras built in meter. Most mid-range digital slr’s have the option for spot metering. If you decide to use your camera’s meter, and your camera has a built in spot meter, use it. Meter the opposing edges and the center of your artwork, if you experience disparities in your exposure, (if one edge of your image reads f8, and the other say reads f5.6)  adjust your lights by moving one of them forward or back, left or right until the different portions of your artwork meter the same. I usually shoot at f8 or f11. These apertures maximize the full sharpness of a typical 50mm lens. It is important to meter all parts of the image to ensure that there are no hot spots. So at this point we have our lights set up, and the camera set up, now what? Before shooting, make sure the camera is set to the following:

1. The camera should bet set in manual mode, at the lowest ISO setting possible, with the appropriate aperture and corresponding shutter speed set. These settings will be determined by your meter. So if your meter says 1/30th of a second at f8, at ISO 100, thats how the camera should be set.

2. You should be shooting in RAW with your White Balance set to the light source you are using. DO NOT use Automatic White Balance. So, lets just say you are using the Lowel Tota lights. You would set your White Balance to Tungsten (the lightbulb icon), or 3200k. If you are shooting with strobes, set the White Balance to Flash, or 5200k.

3. Make sure you format your card before beginning, it’s easier to deal with images when it comes time to import them into your computer.

Lets start shooting!

Begin by placing your Gray Card or Color Checker in the scene and take a picture. It should look something like this.

I did this by using the self timer and holding the Color Checker in the scene. I guess it goes without question that you should double-check the viewfinder to make sure the image is in focus. If you find that your shutter speed is slow (under 1/60th of a second) use the self timer for all of your shooting. This way you won’t shake the camera and cause the image to become blurry.

You may notice that the image on the viewfinder is a little light or a little dark, or has a color cast. Don’t worry about this. I will explain how to get rid of color casts in Part 3.

As for the image looking light or dark, It will to a large degree depend on the nature of the artwork you are photographing. Remember that light meters measure for 18% gray. If your artwork has a lot of white in it, it may seem a little dark, you will likely have to adjust the shutter to let in more light. The opposite may be true for artwork with a lot of darks. Your meter readings may cause the image to appear a little bright. You would compensate by choosing a faster shutter speed. In any case you will want to take multiple images at different shutter speeds. This is called bracketing. What I want you to do is take a series of 3 – 4 images, and bracket the exposure starting with an image that is slightly under-exposed and ending with an image that is slightly over-exposed. You can accomplish this by changing the shutter speed as you move along. This is important for a technique I will show you in Part 3, and it will also give you a variety of exposures to choose from later depending on how you proceed with processing your images. Consider the following, and I will join you soon for Part 3!

 

Watercolor shot with Canon 1DS Mark 3 and 85mm f.18 l series.White Balance set to Tungsten. 1/40th of a second @ f8. ISO 100

 

Watercolor shot with Canon 1Ds Mark 3 and 85mm 1.8 l series lens. White Balance set to Tungsten. 1/20th of a second @ f8. ISO 100.

 

Watercolor shot with Canon 1Ds Mark 3 and 85mm 1.8 l series lens. White Balance set to Tungsten. 1/10th of a second @ f8. ISO 100.

Watercolor shot with Canon 1Ds Mark 3 and 85mm 1.8 l series lens. White Balance set to Tungsten. 1/6th of a second @ f8. ISO 100.

Lighting used was provided by Lowel. (2) Lowel Rifa-Lite EX66.

Gail Albert Halaban and Mark Ruwedel

Perhaps it is the element of surprise that continues to draw me into galleries. I really never know what I am going to see or experience even though prior to my visit I may have scouted the show online or in a magazine.  Mark Ruwedel’s show Westward the Course of Empire and Gail Albert Halaban Out My Window displayed beautiful images, reminding me of other master painters and photographers I admire.   

If you have never been to Yossi Milo gallery, the doors are frosted, allowing absolutely no peeking.  Once you walk in the exhibit it is either exactly how you expected the works of art to appear, or completely unpredictable.  Since I knew Mark Ruwedel‘s photographs were taken with a large format camera, I was hopeful for large detailed black and white images.  Instead there were about 4 groups of about 32 or so 8×10 gelatin silver prints. Each group had a theme involving different elements of 19th and 20th Century railways of the American and Canadian West.  For example, one group of gelatin silver prints were displaying decrepit bridges, while another grouping showcased tunnels. The more and more I looked at the images, I thought about photography as documentation of time and history, which led me to think about Timothy O’Sullivan‘s image “The Harvest of Death.”  This particular image documents dead soldiers on the battlefield of the civil war, obviously documenting a historical moment.  There are many reasons I thought about Timothy O’Sullivan, but it is quite lengthy and I would really like everyone to come to their own conclusions about Mark Ruwedel’s photographs.

 

Gail Albert Halaban Out My Window at Robert Mann Gallery

Gail Albert Halaban is a gorgeous exhibit. There are many ideas of who is observing who, space, light, emotions etc…  Her work reminded me of Vermeer and Edward Hopper. I wonder if she looks at these painters for inspiration.  The photographs are so amazing, that everyone should go check it out at The Robert Mann Gallery!  You will be blown away and absolutely inspired, especially since they were all shot with film.  You will wonder: how did she do that? 

I promise in March I will scout all the really great shows and tell you all about it!!!!

Language of Images

The other day I was sitting enjoying a cup of my favorite hot chocolate at Bouchon’s Bakery to look up and see a huge advertisement on the windows of Armani Exchange. The image was larger than life size of two men and a female, displaying sex appeal at its max with limited clothing and accessories. This then reminded me of Abercrombie and Fitch’s advertisements, as both stores seem to be using the same approach to draw customers in.  As I was experiencing the Armani Exchange advertising campaign, I was reading, Chapter 7 of John Berger’s Way of Seeing, which talks about “Publicity”.  I have read this book many times over the years, as it always enlightens my way of seeing images. Berger’s ideas can be applied and seen in museums, galleries, newspapers, magazines, billboards, ads, painting, photographs etc. In Chapter 7, Berger explains how “publicity” uses the same visual devices shown within historical paintings in order to persuade the viewer of a particular lifestyle. He details how influential messages within images make one reflect on ones own desires to be loved and accepted within society.

Images surround us everywhere, especially now with the speed of technology. This is especially true in NYC, as thousands of images flash before my eyes all the time, everyday.  It starts probably with the AM or Metro Newspaper that is shoved into my hands every morning as I enter the subway.  While waiting for the subway there are billboards for movies, health plans, tv and broadway shows.  Then on the train there are advertisement spaces on each end of the rows of seats along with long ads above, so people standing have something to read and see. The infiltration of images really do work, by making us evaluate every portion of our lives from what we wear, to what we do and see on our free time.  I can tell you I have the L train PBS Comedy Series Make ‘Em Laugh advertisement list almost memorized. “Thank you Tree Huggers.” On the outside of the 7 train: History channel advertisements. Colleges and doctors are in the N, W, R trains. As I get off the train on 34th street I pass Macy’s, Foot Locker, H&M, Starbucks etc to get to work which all have window display cases, more billboards and advertisements. Upon arriving to B&H Photo, Video, Pro-Audio (work), my home page on my Internet browser is MSN.com where a slide-show of images pop up to show different articles to read.  To be honest, laziness has prevented me from changing the home page.  The cycle continues as I leave the office to visit hotel concierges and then proceed home.  It is almost as though “they” (whoever they may be) are saying we are not educated enough, unhealthy and don’t dress to impress. 

So I ask you, what images do you pay attention to?  How do those images make you feel?  What messages within the images do you listen to and act on?

Photographing Flat Art With Digital Part 3

WPPI Hot Items!

Now that WPPI has come and gone, I thought I would do a quick synopsis on what was hot during the event.

1. You probably guessed it the most wanted item was the Canon 5D Mark II, but even hotter was the Canon LP-E6 Rechargeable battery for the precious new camera.  The battery just does not stay in stock!

2. JB and Deette Sallee were speaking which drew in tons of questions and inqueries about the Lowell ID light powered by a Bescor battery pack.  Some accessories that were popular were the 4 way barndoors, filters, snoot and handle

3.  David Ziser loves the Quantum Qflash T5D with Turbo 2×2 Battery

4. PocketWizard’s new products: MiniTT1 Canon and FlexTT5 Canon

5. Smith Victor On Camera Video light kits.

6. Canon Powershot G10 still one of the top point and shoots among professionals

7.  There were great deals on Lexar and Sandisk high performance memory cards

8.  Nikon D700

9. Tamron lenses 14mm and 90 macro lenses

10. Nikon and Canon lenses of course

11. Sekonic L-358 light meter 

12. Frezzolini professional camcorder on camera lighting

13. Litepanels LPMICRO Micro LED on camera light

14. Flash accessories such as Honl, Gary Fong, Lumiquest

15. Bags: Kata, Tamrac, Tenba, Lowepro

Look for Michael’s up and coming blogs with in depth information and examples of some of these products!!!

Shooting Noir Style with Modified Diana F+

 

Sarah

 

 

There are never enough hours in a day. Especially when it comes to photography. There is so much involved with the capture and processing of images these days, that sometimes it just takes the fun out of being a photographer. Thats why, to me, photographing with the Diana is so much fun. There are few settings to consider, and to use this camera is an exercise in the revelry of imperfection. 

For this shoot, I chose to shoot with Rollie Infrared 400. It’s a perfect choice for creating images with an emphasis on the mysterious. I have been wanting to shoot in the stairwell of my building for quite sometime now. Its a perfect location because it is old, grungy, and poorly lit. I decided to use my friend Sarah for a Noir style shoot. I wanted inky blacks, and raking shadows, so I brought out my Elinchrom 400BX’s, gridded them up and blew off a couple rolls of infrared. For my main light I went with a 30 degree grid, and for the fill light I used a 40 degree grid. I love shooting with harsh light this way, especially for eliciting the mood of noir films from the 50′s. On a couple of shots I shot through the bars on the staircase. The one thing I will say is that the Rollie Infrared has a very soft emulsion and scratches easy. That was readily apparent after this shoot. The way to mitigate that is by placing electrical tape inside of the camera on the areas that make contact with the film. Some lessons you learn the hard way. The scratches don’t bother me much with this particular series because it accentuates the idea of timelessness. I am always amazed at the images I get with the Diana, it continues to be one of my favorite cameras to shoot with.

Sarah

Photo and Art Events you must go to!!!

I wanted to give you a bit of a heads up on some very cool NYC photo and art events coming up this week that are a must go to!  One event features my own work.

1.  Tuesday March 3, 2009 6- 8 p.m. Krappy Kamera Competition Soho Photo Gallery 15 White Street NY 10013  Phone #212-226-8571

My dear friend Gabriel Biderman has one image in the Krappy Kamera Competition.  I can’t wait to see all the analogue images that are hanging in this gallery.  For those of you not familiar with Soho Photo Gallery, you should check it out.  As a photographer you can become a member and have shows on a regular basis for a fee.  If becoming a member does not interest you, there are still plenty of opportunities to show at this gallery as they are always having photo competitions.

2. Friday March 6, 2009 6-9p.m. World Of Imagination Vol.2 APW Gallery 48-18 Van Dam St. Long Island City, NY 11101

Here you will see over 500 artists including five new paintings I created.  They are super fun and all 12×12.  I know this is not particularly photography, but I guarantee this will be a fun art networking event.  There will be artists, art collectors and gallery representatives to chat with.  Come mingle with others and myself.  I would love to see everyone there.  

3.  March 5- 8, 2009 Thursday- Saturday noon- 8 p.m. Sunday Noon – 7 p.m. The Armory Show Piers 92 & 94 12th Ave at 55th St New York.  

This is a must go to event if you are an emerging artist and photographer!!! A great show to see all the contemporary work being displayed all over the world.  My strategy each year is to see what is hot and what is not along with investigating what galleries may be interested in my work.  You never know who you may meet. Be prepared to see a lot of images.  Some you will be very drawn to, other pieces you may think how did that get on the wall.  

I hope to see everyone there.  Enlightenment is on the way this week!

Krappy Kamera Soho Photo Gallery Opening!

Yahoo!  What a nice turn out at the Krappy Kamera Opening at the Soho Photo Gallery Opening.  

As you know Michael and I are very avid toy camera shooters and it was great to see walls filled with holga, diana and pinhole images.  There were a lot of images that caught my eye.  To view the winning images take a peek here.

The first place winner Nina Buesing Corvallo Ferro I was absolutely beautiful.  Very mystical and symbolic.  Good job Nina.

May Perkins Benton’s Pods was a colorful floral image, showing the hazy color that can occur within toy cameras.

Gabriel Biderman’s Terminal 1 piece was timeless: a very unexpected piece of his to see on the wall.

Michele Newman’s Holga image, Paper Face, was fragile/ delicate, reminding me of an egg, or perhaps even a 1920s silent film.

I absolutely loved Jamie Tucker’s Prayer Tablets!!! There was a slight scratch, which did not bother me. This image was very contrasty, with the light hitting the tablets in just the right way. Really demonstrates what the Diana + is capable of doing. 

Lastly, one fun image I saw was Stephanie de Rouge’s Shoe Obsession, created using the Holga.  Clear example of what can happen if you don’t wind the film all the way, or put it on the 16 image setting when it is supposed to be on the 12. Nonetheless, the image demonstrates Brooklyn New York to the T.  Everyone has witnessed the motion and “shoe obsession” when in NYC.

If you have a chance, hop over to Soho Photo Gallery at 15 White St. Soho NYC.  I promise you will have fun, you will want to go shooting immediately, so you can enter the contest next year.  I know that is true for myself and many of my friends.

Bling For Your Canon 5D Mark II

A little while back a colleague of mine took my aside and asked me to research accessories for the Canon 5D Mark 2.They where to be featured on a display at this years NAB show in Las Vegas. Allow me to pontificate a little bit. I firmly believe that the desire to make moving images is a natural progression for the still photographer. It’s a whole new canvas to paint wondrous masterpieces on. Truly, imagination is the limit. You have so many new ways to tell a story, so many subtle tricks to use that amount to key elements in the final piece. In these times artist enjoy near limitless methods to express their vision to the world. So when the 5D Mark 2 was announced, I could not wait to get my hands on it. My anticipation was further exacerbated by the release of Vincent Laforet’s “Reverie”. What an amazing showcase for the ability and potential of this camera. I digress.Few things in my professional career have influenced me as much as The “Qatsi” movies (Koyaanisqatsi in particular) and Ron Fricke’s Baraka. These movies made me want to go out and spend hours at a time shooting time lapse. More specifically I fell in love with Ron Fricke’s motion portraits. Koyaanisqatsi features some really amazing ones. The point of this whole rant is that up until now the projects and experiments I had in mothballs due to whatever technology was current but inadequate became thing of the past thanks to the new 5D. I know the 5D MK2 has its detractors, and it has some caveats. The point of this article is not to address the 5D’s shortcomings, or it’s strengths for that matter. I see it as a watershed product that will usher in a whole new era and approach to image making. Enough pontificating.

When my colleague asked me to research accessories, I was a little stumped. I am so used to thinking about Digital SLR’s as just that. Accessories to me are things like memory cards, batteries, filters, cleaning supplies. So I was thinking, what would somebody shooting video on the 5D need. After a little thinking cap time it occurred to me that one of the coolest things you can do with video the new 5D, its great big sensor, and cadre of fast glass is”pull focus”. ” Pulling Focus” is a common technique used in film making, basically it is changing focus from one subject to another during the shot. So after a little bit of hunting I came across a manufacturer by the name of Zacuto.

Zacuto DSLR Indie Kit

This kit allows you to do amazing things with your Canon 5D Mark 2. You are like a true Hollywood DP with this bad boy. Once your camera is mounted to the baseplate you are using the new 5D like a high end shoulder mount video camera. It is also counterweighted in the back so it’s nice and balanced, it will help to make much smoother hand held camera moves. The Z-focus module in the front will allow you to do pull focus with just about any lens you can mount on the camera.

So, I guess right about now you want to see some results, some test footage if you will.. Well sorry.. I’m not really into testing out cool gear.. Just kidding! The people over at Zacuto are very cool, and sent me a DSLR Indie Kit to evaluate. The first thing I’ll say is that Zacuto knows what they are doing. All their products are made in the USA and made extremely well. The fit and finish is beautiful. The kit assembles very easily and I found no need for instruction. After I was set up I grabbed Angelia for some Pull Focus goodness, shooting on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Canon 5D Mark II on Zacuto DSLR Indie Rig Minus Counterweight.

First Attempt at Focus Pulling

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Second Attempt at Focus Pulling

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It is quite interesting to use the Zwhip to focus the lens rather then using the focus on the lens itself. I’m sure you could imagine how difficult it would be to get an acceptable shot if you had to focus on the lens while hand holding the camera. One of the nice features of the Z-focus is the white plastic ring on the side. This allows you to a dry erase marker to mark you focus points. This ensures repeatable takes when pulling focus during a scene. The caveat with this system doesn’t lie with the Zacuto. It’s an amazing system, and works exactly as it is supposed to. The caveat lies with certain Canon lenses. The 24 -70 f 2.8, 105 F2 and 85 f1.2 I was shooting with lack hard stops. Meaning the focus ring keeps spinning after you’ve gone passed minimum or infinity focus. Also the throw on these lenses is quite long. Depending on the distance between your focusing points you may easily find yourself having the turn the focus puller again.That sort of ruins the continuity of a pull focus shot. Still I was quite happy with the results. There are many work arounds for this situation. Not the least of which is simply finding other prime lenses with a shorter throw and hard stops. Did I mention that this system costs a little over 3k? Well, this is where perspective reigns supreme. This is what products of this caliber and level of use cost. They have always cost this much. They are deigned to be used and tortured, and withstand the rigors of heavy Hollywood style use. Think about this though. What is the least expensive camera that shoots HD video on a full frame sensor cost?? I’ll give you a hint. Starts with R ends with ED. A 5D MK2 with a full compliment of lenses and the Zacuto system still falls well short of what the Red with everything you need to use it costs. One last thing I highly recommend with this system. A small monitor mounted to the Zacuto and connected to the 5D will make your life so much easier.

Parting Shot

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One last video I would like to share is a quick one I grabbed of Angelia while we where waiting for the train. Even if your not using the Z-focus mechnasim for pull focus it, it is so much easier and precise to use while in video mode then the conventional focus on the lens.

angelia_train

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APW Gallery Opening and Armory Show

APW Gallery Opening of World of Imagination Vol.2 was a blast, partially because my watercolors were on the wall and mostly because a lot of good friends came out to see them.  There was some amazing art on the wall. You can check out APW Gallery’s Blog to see more pictures, but below you can see the fun festivites. I want to thank all my friends for coming and everyone else who stopped in to see all the awesome artwork.  There were some photo canvas pieces on the wall! Unfortunately, I did not catch any photos of them. Overall, very clever 12″x 12″ artwork. If you didn’t have a chance to stop in on Friday, the show is up until March 29, 2009.  

A few quick notes on the Armory Show this weekend, which I have to say was quite the overload of images.  Here are some photographers that caught my eye.

John Neff

Basic or Boring Pictures

Barbara Astman

Barbara Astman's work

 

 

 

Joao Penalva

 

Susan Hiller

 

Adventures in Green Screen with the Canon 5D Mark 2 Part 1. The Still Shoot.

 

 

Canon 5D MK2 Mounted on Zacuto DSLR Indie Kit. Lowel Rifa Lights, Datavideo CKL-100 Chromakey System

 In my last post, Bling for Your Canon 5D MK2, we talked about one very cool, and sometimes very necessary accessory; the Zacuto DSLR Indie Kit. In the next couple of posts we will dive even deeper down the rabbit hole. In my past life, I worked in the Pro Lighting Department at B&H Photo in NY. At least 5 times a day someone would come to me looking for a way to do Chromakey on the cheap and easy. Well, there are ways, but things get problematic when doing full length, especially with regards to lights casting shadows onto the background. I of course would also get requests from still photographers looking for a chromakey solution. Usually this was for school or event photography, so it was a little easier to accommodate those requests. But, what if your shooting with a camera like the Canon 5D Mark 2? A camera that shoots both video and still photos? I recently came across a product from a company called Datavideo. The CLK-100 Dual Color Chromakey Light System is Chromakey light system that does not require the user to light a background. Basically the background is made from a highly reflective material that produces a nearly perfect green or blue key when illuminated by the the included LED ring light. Since the LED Ring Light mounts on the front of the lens the background is always perfectly illuminated corner to corner; edge to edge; regardless of the orientation of the camera to the background.

The bottom line is that you focus on lighting your talent, and not fighting with trying to totally evenly light your Chromakey background. When I saw this, I knew I had to try it. I wanted to shoot both video and stills and to see how easy it would be to drop the key in both. So, I did what I always do, I got on the horn with Datavideo and got them to send me a kit to evaluate. I should tell you right now that I have done plenty of masking with still images in Photoshop. I have however, never tried keying out a background with video. But since the 5D MK2 came out, I’ve been wanting to try lots of new things. Anyhoo, the kit arrived promptly from Datavideo and was very easy to set up. It comes complete with a 10 ‘ X 8′ background, the Ring Light, adapter rings and a power supply that is both AC/DC (Nice!). It will fit lenses up to 82mm in diameter.

Its scary how easy this is to use. The only caveat for me was the size of my apt. It was very small so I found myself setting up the background and lights in one room and shooting from another. I found that it’s good to keep your subject about 3 feet from the background, and about 9 feet or so for the subject to camera distance. The first thing I wanted to do was a still shoot with continuous lighting. Lowel was kind enough to let me borrow a set of Rifa Light 88′s, and a Rifa Light 66. I also obtained a Fabric Grid for one of the 88′s, and the 66. Fabric Grids are great on soft boxes as they give you directional soft light, and minimize spill. for this shoot I used 1 Rifa 88 with the Fabric Grid. Set it up camera right 45 degrees from and over Angelia. I used the Rifa 66 with a Fabric Grid as a backlight, I boomed it over Angelia using a C-stand with a Grip Arm. When doing Chromakey, having a backlight works nicely in most situations to eliminate spill from and give your subject separation from the background. I bounced the other Rifa 88 off the wall camera left and used it as a weak fill. Once I had Angelia seated I used the Live View function on the 5D MK2 and the Z-focus on the Zacuto Indie rig to focus while I gave Angelia direction. It is nice to work this way, just a quick glance to LCD display while using the Zwhip to quiclky adjust the focus , and actually be completely involved with what is going on in front of the lens. I was really impressed at the settings I could use with these lights. These days you can easily shoot at and around ISO 400 with no appreciable degradation in image quality. After a few shots I had the one I wanted and, set about importing it into DPP and then Photoshop. 

 

Canon 5D MK2, 135mm F2L, ISO 500, F2.8, 1/250 sec, Zacuto DSLR Indie, Lowel 88, Datavideo CLK-100 Dual Color Chromakey System

For elimination of backgrounds I use an application from OnOne Software called Mask Pro 4. It is extremely easy to use and does an amazing job if extracting your subject – hair and all from even poorly lit backgrounds. I figured this would be a cinch.

 

Mask Pro 4 Photoshop Plugin

 

Isolating the subject from background.

This is a really simple technique in OnOne software. Simply select the colors you want to omit, and the colors you want to keep. After you simply use the brush tool on the edge of your subject. After, you drop the background.

 

Green background is easily eliminated, leaving subject intact.

Once I eliminated the background I brought the image back into Photoshop and selected a background to put Angelia on.

 

Composited image processed with OneOne Mask Pro4 and Photoshop CS3.

Not bad for 20 minutes!

Adventures in Green Screen with the Canon 5D Mark 2 Part 2. The Video Shoot.

Angelia and I where trying to think of a clever project to test out the Datavideo CLK-100 rig with the Video function on the Canon 5D MK2. We decided to have some friends over to my flat in Brooklyn for a Motion Portrait Party. The project was to be an Ipod style music video. But we also let out hair down and had a little fun. Our good friend Matt Hill was kind enough to take some really amazing images of the nights frivolity. Again, The combination of the Zacuto Rig, Lowel Lights, and the Datavideo System made for a very easy set up, shoot, and easy post production.

My Lighting for this was pretty simple. I used Lowel Rifa 88 with Fabric Grid and the main light at camera left. I used a Lowel Rifa 66 with Fabric Grid behind the subjects as a backlight. I positioned this light slightly camera left, behind, and above the heads of the subjects. I used the Primatte tool in Apple Motion to eliminate the background. I also used Motion to create the background graphics. After I had run all the clips through Motion, I used Final Cut Pro to assemble and edit the footage. Below is a look at keying one of the outtakes in Motion.

Apple Motion

After making a few adjustments with the various tools for keying, you can achieve very reasonable results

Here is the video.

christian

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He are a couple other fun outtakes.

matt_mike

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stas_sho_tina

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As I said before, I was only able to use the video function of the 5D MK2 at 640 X 480 resolution. 1080p is a little much for my single processor G5 (don’t laugh) to handle. But still, the quality is pretty amazing. Also, I am not a video person per say. I have used Final Cut Pro a handful of times, and this is the first time I’ve done Chromakey with video. All in all I’m very happy with the results. I’m still in awe of how easy this whole process was. I did a very simple lighting set up for my subjects, and didn’t have to worry about lighting a Chromakey background precisely. Once I captured the footage it was a breeze to load into my computer and import into the various applications I had to use. You know, it was just plain fun. I can only imagine how things would be with a faster computer, updated software, and more time to really spend with it. Here is the end result of the nights endeavors. A music video in the tradition of the Ipod commercials we know and love. Enjoy!

ipod_movie_final_final_640x480

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Coney Island Horizon

As Michael and I ventured through Coney Island all I thought about were the memories this place provided for so many generations of locals and tourists. Coney represented a past that so many were trying to recapture every spring and summer. In just the short amount of time I have experienced Coney, many changes have occurred.  Buildings are now being knocked down, construction vehicles, materials and fences surround the perimeters. On this particular trip to Coney Island I brought the Horizon, a 35mm toy panoramic camera.  This is my first time experimenting with the panoramic format and my very first roll from the Horizon.  The first trick to this camera is loading the film in right.  The next tip, is to keep your hands out from the sides as the lens sweeps around and the third tip is to be gentle while rewinding or you may snap the film in half. Once you get over these hurdles, the camera reveals some amazing surprises.  Don’t you worry, I have more images coming from the Horizon.  The next roll will be color.  Hopefully, I will have something great images to share.  I hope you enjoy these few images. 

Degeneration Project

Deconstructing Coney Series

For those of you who don’t know, I spend most of my weekends (and sunny days that I have off from work), selling my photography at Union Square in Manhattan. Union Square is a major hub for the subway (the NRQW, 4,5,6, and L train) and is also the site of a rather large park which hosts a Farmers Market 4 days a week, as well as a Christmas Market from the last week of November – December 24. That being said thousands of people pass through everyday; myself and a large cadre of artists set up tables and proudly display our work, hoping a passerby will stop and leave with a one of a kind work of art. It’s a funny way to make a living really, relying almost entirely on the impulse sale to pay rent.

A lot of what I sell are original Image Transfers. Similar to Polaroid Transfers, but without all the caustic nasty chemicals. Each time I make a transfer the image comes out different. Each time it is unique, and one of a kind. So what if I happen to make a transfer, and really really like it? If I sell it, well then it’s gone.. I could scan it, and make prints of the scan to sell.. I have far to many images in my inventory as it is. And since I’m a voracious shooter, I’m constantly adding new images to the rotation. Still it was a notion that I found intriguing.

Hence the purpose of this post. I think it is high time we had some audience participation on this blog. I have decided to do a little experiment. Below you will see a poll, these are my top selling images. Of these you will pick your favorite. The three top lucky images will be put to the Degeneration test.

What I intend to do is to make transfers of the three lucky images. After they are all dried and set I will scan them. When the first transfered images sell, I will make transfers from the scans of those images, instead of the original image files. You see where I’m going with this? It’s the whole copy of a copy of a copy thing. I will keep repeating this process until the images degrade to the point of being unrecognizable, or they stop selling (probably the later). I will post images of each generation so we can all see how the transfers change over time. I’m really curious to see how long it takes, and at what point people will stop buying. Or as each image gets more abstract an unrecognizable, will that spur sales of those images?? We will see. The first step is to vote on which images will be our lucky contestants. Polls close April 22nd. Giddy up!

Sunken Garden Muse 2001

Exhibitions that are a must see!

Don’t wait! Hurry now to the George Eastman house in Rochester to see the current exhibitions! I recommend the Orchard Park series by Andy Lock, which ends April 26, 2009. So only one more weekend to visit. When I walked into the dark room uncertainty of what was to be experienced settled in. I looked around the gallery to see these green painterly and illuminative images depicting a room with a very particular window. At times the window was shown in its entirety, other times it was the light from the window shining onto the walls. Some images had lone objects such as a chair or mattress. A sense of abandonment seems present, but the light shines so brightly giving a sense of warmth even though the forensic green conflicts. The process in which these images are produced tap into memory, making one wonder perhaps about the memories within the spaces photographed. This show is one of the best shows I have seen in a long time, so I really do recommend.

Also the TruthBeauty: Pictorialism and the Photograph as Art, 1845-1945 exhibit at the Eastman House is quite phenomenal. The autochrome images were my favorite within the show! I wish I could do this process! Who would have known a potato could make color photographs.

The next exhibit I recommend is the Walker Evans and the Picture Postcard at the Metropolitan Museum. This show is running until May 25th. Apparently Walker Evans collected over 9,000 postcards starting from his childhood continuing for more than 60 years. This exhibit was highly informational giving interesting facts about postcard history, but also insight on another way for us to interpret Walker Evans photographs. What he seemed to like about the postcards was this simplicity in the ordinary, which is demonstrated within his own pieces. Walker Evans was quirky classifying his postcards into Summer, Hotels, American Architecture, Automobiles, Outdoor pleasures, State capitols and well the list goes on. Since I live in NYC one fact I learned was that in 1905 The Saturday Evening Post had stated that over 250,000 postcards were mailed from Coney Island! Who would have known!

This Friday April 24, 2009 I will be checking out Isaac Stackell, a friend, Alternate Visions show at SMP Digital Graphics Gallery 135 West 20th Street NYC. The show ends April 30, 2009.

No Digital Vacation Photos

Spring Awakening

Windy Flower

Gateway to spring

Edgar Allan Poe

Chimney Bluff

Chimney Bluff

Chimney Bluff

Nick Tahou Garbage Plate

Lobster Feast

Dinosaur BBQ