Firefly Letters

i can't post a picture today, so thought i'd tell you about a really interesting photography project now on display at the Lightroom Gallery in Philadelphia, PA, through Oct. 27th.

for over a year, in what is described as "a light and chemical correspondence," friends and photographers Scott McMahon and Ahmed Salvador have been mailing pieces of unexposed film or paper to each other in damaged packages to see what develops, so to speak.

you can view the correspondence on their website Firefly Letters.  There is a brief description of the project and a gallery for the film, the packaging and the prints.  the images are wonderful, and i absolutely love the serendipity of the work.

Kathan Kamps

this weekend Kathan Kamps, on Lake Sacandaga, closes for the season.  some lucky folks are right now enjoying a beautiful fall weekend before the cabins are put to bed for the winter. 

wish i was there. 

here's an image from my recent vacation on the lake.

Lake Sacandaga, 2012, gelatin silver contact print from paper negative

A Summer Day in October

Still (12), 2010

it is far too beautiful a day to be inside in front of a computer.  off to feel the sun on my face... and to take some pictures.

Egads!

i made it into the darkroom yesterday.  it took me awhile to get my groove on, but after an hour printing my work it began to feel right and natural once again.  i didn't wind up with anything i really loved, but i was happy and content.

this morning, when i went down to check if my prints were dry, i discovered the BRAND NEW box of 250 sheets of Ilford fiber paper ($256.50 + S&H) i had JUST OPENED was not what i had ordered.  the box was labelled correctly ~ Ilford Semi-Matte ~ but the paper inside was glossy, which i DO NOT WANT for my images.  and B&H, where i purchased the paper, is closed for the NEXT WEEK for Succoth.

OK, i'll stop with the capital and bold letters now.  this means i can't print my work, and that makes Patricia a very unhappy girl.  looks like i'll be forced to catch up on my contact sheets after all, which i print on RC.  so, maybe in the long run, this packaging mistake was a good thing.  but it doesn't feel that way right now.

Stairway to Heaven (2), 2011

Dancing in the Dark

today, at long last, i have a few hours to return to the darkroom.  events have conspired to keep me in the light for the past several months and i am craving a quick fix of fixer.

the cold water from my faucet is still not quite cool enough to start developing the 50+ rolls, and the 40+ sheets of 4x5 film i've accumulated over the summer.  just a few more crisp autumn nights and the cold water should finally drop below the 68 degree mark.  can't wait! 

the anticipation of what treasures, or trash await me in that undeveloped film is one of the great joys of analog photography.  it's like Christmas Eve all year long.  i could never give it up for the instant gratification of digital photography.

in the meantime, i'll have to scratch my darkroom itch by printing some older negatives.  i also have many, many, many contact sheets to develop, but i'm trying to ignore them.

will productive Patricia, or creative Patricia win out today?  either way, i'll be dancing in the dark with a big smile in my heart.

Ella, 2008

Going Big

this morning i took a couple images to master digital photographer and printer, Jim Roselli of Xact Studios in Hillsborough, NJ, to find out how they would look big... for me.  i normally print (in the darkroom) quite small ~ a 5"x7" image looks huge to me.  But this spring, my girls, the incredible les Femmes Photales, will be exhibiting at the newly renovated Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit, and the director and curator, Frank Juliano, would like to see big prints (16"x20") on the walls for the gala reopening.  i do not, let me repeat, do not, have to produce bigger work for this show ~ there is plenty of room for my small stuff ~ but i've always been curious about how my work would look large, so i've decided to find out.

here's one of the images i took to Jim...

Homestead Sunflowers (5), 2012

i'll let you know how it turns out...

Cleaning House... Really

i'm busy cleaning for house guests.  epic dislike... for the cleaning part, not the guests part.  this means i only have a second to put down my dust mop and post a quick image and quote.  bathrooms await...

Abandoned (9), 2010

"... if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you're allowed to do whatever you like." ~ Neil Gaiman, in reference to writing, but it certainly applies to photography as well!