My coldest winter

Yashica Mat 124G
Fujichrome Velvia 100

The common and the sublime

Here are a few prints I made for a series project themed "The common and the sublime." I chose to focus on tension created by the space between objects.

Its been great to spend time working on photography traditionally. It helps keep me grounded and more decisive with my images. Technically, they aren't the best, but its been about four years since I was last in a darkroom and I'm picking it up again pretty quickly.

All shot with a Yashica Mat 124G on 100 speed Kodak Tmax.

Telluride, Colorado

Square images were shot with a Yashica Mat 124G and 35mm with a Canon A-1.

Everything Matters

Inspired by a quote from the novel Everything Matters! by Ron Currie Jr.

The main character describes a memory immediately post-utero; he is near death, having been strangled by the umbilical cord:

“Your expression— eyes closed but not clenched, face perfectly relaxed, tiny mouth agape— is one of perfect neutrality. This is the expression you should wear all your life, no matter how long or brief it is, so that no one, not even you, will ever know whether you are in ecstasy or anguish.”

 

I related immensely to these words, and wanted to replicate the feeling in the tangled and chaotic intertwining of branches. It is uncertain whether one should feel at rest viewing at this image or not.

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Telluride, Colorado with only my Yashica Mat 124G and a sketchbook.

I'm leaving mark II at home, as the film gods have been speaking to me lately:

• screen on laptop blacks out
• bulky digital camera almost falls to it's death from a p.o.s. tripod
• nana's generous donation of expired 120 film
• and what speaks of the west more than medium format film?

This will be a wholesome and renewing experience for me and I'm excited to reconnect and focus my attention on one medium. Goodbye phone, goodbye laptop, goodbye blogger and tumblr and facebook. Hello majestic mountains, great tunes, negative degree weather, and some well deserved peace.

Oh yeah, and Merry Christmas.

Richmond's glorious magenta night sky

CONTACTS!

I just got a new prescription (for the first time in 4 years) for contacts (for the first time ever) and I swear I have never seen the world the way I see it today. I’m realizing so many patterns and textures everywhere and it is so refreshing. This shrunken aperture in my eyes will definitely influence my photos..

PUMPED!

Evergreen Cemetery

Evergreen Cemetery

A friend introduced me to a new sweet photo spot. It's an old slave cemetery that unfortunately hasn't received funding from the city to maintain it, so it is in horrible condition. Hundreds of eerie weathered gravestones blanketed by kudzu in the shade of the overgrowth of trees. Next visit will be at night!