Portraits

 Each week in my portrait class that I'm currently teaching, I try and take a portrait of my students.  Try, being the optimal word here.  Sometimes I can, sometimes I can't.  Sometimes we don't have time or someone is absent.  Sometimes they refuse over the idea of an 8am portrait but sometimes they cheese-out in front of the camera.  More over than not, I find that they get more involved and interested as each new week emerges.  Last time I took simple portraits using my Fuji Instax.  We utilized the classroom white board and I asked them to define themselves in one word. 

This week the theme was "emulation" and together we all focused on Martin Schoeller's portraits.  We broke down his ideas and aesthetics behind the signature style and then recreated it in studio.  We discussed the importance behind posing and composition.  I had them think about Schoeller's interest in the eyes and why they were so piercing.  My students get very involved and I feel lucky that I can share these images here.

This week is midterms and I'm excited to see their projects and own work!

New

New, new, new.

That seems to be the running theme this week.

To begin with, I managed to get my darkroom set-up.  I blackened out the windows, screwed in the red lights, cleaned out old chemicals, dusted off my trays and hung my apron.  All last week I worked on running my exposure tests and getting a feel for my newly made exposure unit.  (All in all, I say quite a success!)

I worked with some images shot from a few weeks ago via my Stern Grove/Petzval excursion.  And of course, as such imagery does, they came out beautifully in Cyanotype.

Initially, I ran some of what I like to call, "shot in the dark" curves on my Cyanotypes.  This just means that I'm lazy.  I found a random curve that someone had suggested off of the internet and used it as a part of my first tests.  Only two more additional tests [with step wedges] I finally found a custom curve that suited my needs in tonal range. I'm pleased how far I was able to spread out the blacks and the only toning I ended up doing was a quick hydrogen peroxide bath for deeper, more saturated blues.  I also had some minor contact issues when exposing.  To begin with, I utilized a clear piece of plexiglass held down with some weights.  The contact was terrible and all my images were soft.  To fix this, I ended up buying a cheap frame from Walgreens (on sale!) for about $7.  Instant contact, sharp detail.

I started a new series, one that I'll now call Fragments.  I had the idea nearly six months ago but couldn't seem to find the motivation to shoot it until now.  It's funny how the art-making process works.  I still remember exactly why I had wanted to create this series too.  The main idea came from a random accident that occurred involving a side mirror and glass shattering onto the ground.  During that time I also was trying to find relief from the complexity of heavy duty thesis project.  This series is kind of my "stripped bare, back to the roots, as close to straight photography as I'm going to get" kind of project...which really doesn't say anything at all about the images.  But in terms of my shooting style, these do seem pretty far removed.

I'm excited to announce that this coming April, I'll be teaching a gum bichromate class at Rayko Photo Center.  If you've ever been curious or had the desire to know how to take digital images and create historical colored prints, then come join me Monday evenings starting April 21st-May 19th.  Reserve your spot soon, space is limited!

Finally, I'm honored to say that tomorrow is the opening reception for the Imagined Realities exhibit, curated by Shana and Robert ParkeHarrison.  The exhibit shows through the month of February until March 14th at PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont.  This is my second time showing at PhotoPlace and then third time that the Red Bag has exhibited across the country.  The ParkeHarrison's have always been a great inspiration to me as conceptual artists and image makers, so I'm thrilled that they would choose my image as a part of their 40 piece curated show.  If in Middlebury, please stop by!

Leather and wood organizer

A while back I had posted a teaser photo on Instagram.  Horray!  I had started a new project!  Typically when I do so, it usually takes me a few weeks to complete.

Not this time around!  I suppose I still have the "new year" attitude to just get stuff done.

So I found this lovely post on Design*Sponge and was instantly inspired to create my own wood and leather organizer.  In my project, I went a step further than their DIY.  I decided to add a few coats of clear glossy Polyurethane to my base board and then hang it on my wall.

Read below for my steps.  Click here for the original Design*Sponge post.

To begin with, the whole reason I even began this DIY was because I had most of the materials lying around my studio and house.  An extra random Ikea board?  Check.  Salvaged leather scraps?  Check.  Finish, miscellaneous tools and a hanging kit?  Check, check, and check.  I suppose that the only two things that I purchased were based off of wants rather than necessities.  ( I really liked the look of the brassy escutcheon pins and again, I wanted a glossy finish to my base board.  I have a few cans of semi-gloss in my garage and I knew that regular nails would work just as well.  But design aesthetics prevail and together, the pins and stain cost me around $10)

So again, materials you will need:

• Wood plank (Mine measured 7.25"x31")
• Leather
• Brass nails/Escutcheon pins
• Fine grit sandpaper (I used 220 grit)
• Clear Gloss Polyurethane (I used Clear gloss fast-drying Minwax Polyurethane)
• Cheap 2" brush
• Paper towels
• Heavy duty scissors/Utility Knife
• Ruler
• Hammer
• Drill

The first thing I did was to prep my materials.  I cut out the pockets from the leather and lightly sanded the wood for the finish.  I measured out three different sizes for my leather pockets:

• 6.25"x10"
• 6.25"x12"
• 6.25"x16"

The reason why I choose these measurements was just based off of the type of mail I tend to receive.  Postcards, legal letters, miscellaneous...  Once folded, each pocket could hold various types of mail based on their size.  I utilized some heavy duty fabric scissors to cut through the leather but if you don't own a pair, just use a handy utility knife on a cutting surface.

Next I added my clear, glossy poly finish to the base board.  Originally I thought I'd add about two coats of poly, I ended up adding four.  (The whole raw wood thing is nice.  But I don't like splinters and I often times end up with some kind of injury because of a raw edge.  I wanted the base board to look slick and smooth to the touch.)  This process took the longest since I had to wait in-between coats to add new layers.  I recommend the Minwax fast-drying polyurethane.  It cut the drying time in half and I was able to add two coats a day.

 After waiting between coats, make sure that you lightly sand when the poly is dry.  This ensures an even and dust free surface.  After sanding, wipe down the wood with a damp cloth.  Dry off the wood and you're ready to for another coat!

Finally, after the fourth coat of poly, I was satisfied enough to bring in the baseboard and finish the rest of the project.  Not pictured here, but again, I lightly sanded the wood and wiped it down one final time.  Here I marked out the placement of each pocket.

Once I had the placement of each pocket figured out, I marked where I wanted to nail in the pins.  I placed one pin in the middle of the back portion of the pocket and two on the outer corners securing it in place.

This last step was of my own preference.  I knew that I wanted to hang this on the wall in my kitchen.  You don't have to hand this piece but just leave it at that.  The Design*Sponge DIY shows their organizer leaning up again a wall or counter.

So in my case, I ended up pre-drilling some small holes for wiring and added some foam bumpers on the lower portion of the board.

And done!  It's that easy.  It probably only took me three and half days to complete this project and with a minimal amount of effort and materials.  I know that Thom and I will find great use of something so simple and I love the end result.

Stern Grove Shoot

Today has been so warm and lovely.  It is one of the few ironically sunny days here in the Sunset neighborhood.  So I finally got out of the house and walked over to Stern Grove with Thom.  Here are my test shots from the new Petzval lens.  I'm still learning everyday from this lens (i.e. focusing issues) and the results have been increasingly better each time.

My next step with this lens is to figure out how to shoot self-portraiture...

A new planter

Along with my amazing Petzval lens, my package also came with a nifty little camera called La Sardina.  (A wide-angle 35mm tin can camera)  I haven't had much time to play around with this new retro camera but I did end up up-cycling the wooden box it came in.  I've hoarded a bunch of little succulents throughout the year and I've guiltily placed them in the back room as a temporary home.  Thom had suggested to just get rid of them but I couldn't see throwing away such lovely little plants.  A few of them had come from the boutonnieres of all the men in our wedding.  Needless to say, they mean something every time I look at them.

So I drilled a hole in the bottom of the box, lined it with plastic and filled it with dirt.  I planted the succulents and gave it a good watering.  The box now sits proudly on my kitchen table and has become a lovely reminder of grand past memories.

As you can see in a few of these photos, I shot with my new lens.  It definitely takes a bit of practice.  The super shallow depth of field makes it hard to create perfect in focus subject matter but I've slowly been getting the hang of it.

More to come...

Petzval lens for DSLR

Nearly six months ago I pined.  I longed.  I wished.  I waited...

I had stumbled upon the latest kickstarter lens project that had actually held my attention and made it's way straight to my heart.  The Petzval lens redeveloped to fit a DSLR camera system.  The project rooted itself deep in the same vein of old technologies mixing with new.  An idea and belief that I practice within my own art.  This project heralded back to "what once was" and yet seemed so cavalier.  The old with the new.   I love it.

And so, Thom surprised and gifted me the Petzval as my graduation present from receiving my masters.  The only catch was that I'd have to wait for production to get underway...actually far away in Russia, until the estimated ship date of early spring 2014.

Two weeks ago a package came for me in the mail.  And I flew home back to New York at the exact same time.  So again, I pined.  I longed.  I wished.  I waited.  Well my friends, the wait is over.  And it was Christmas all over again.  I was so excited about receiving this package that I can't even create a proper blog post or even write a decent review on the highly anticipated newly revolutionized Petzval lens for digital systems.  Blame my jet lag if you will. 

I did manage to shoot off a few tests around my apartment before the sun dropped.  Those I'll share here if only to admire that beautiful, swirly, creamy Petzval-renowned depth of field.

Don't worry, only after unpacking, a good long shower, hot meal and some decent sleep, will I go out this weekend, shoot and dutifully report.

You can read more on the lens here.

New year, new post, new image

Why hello there...

It's been quite a while since I last blogged (Blogger says 4 months!) and I don't have much of a good excuse as to why I haven't been keeping up.  I suppose that life just happens outside of blogging...

Recently I went to go see David Hockney's exhibition at the de Young museum.  I was surprised to see Hockney's dedication to exploring a single subject continually, for a length of time.  Hockney specifically focused his attention on the famous "Sermon on the Mount" by Claude Lorrain.  The exhibition showcased his version of the painting in numerous variations and editions.  For such a common and well known idea, Hockney continued to explore and push the ideas of the painting, transforming it into something of his own.

Inspired by my recent gallery visit, I want to create a blend of the mundane and the extraordinary.  Specifically, I'm interested in the idea of ascension and transformation.  Where would it happen?  What is the reaction?  What do you leave behind?  I plan to continue this exploration and create a series of narratives based on this new idea.