Showing posts with label black and white photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label black and white photography. Show all posts

Friday, April 15, 2011

6x7 times the fun

I got myself a new weapon for self defense...


yeah I know... you can't tell from the photo how massive this baby is but believe me when I say this camera is taking you down like a ninja.

think about it for a second. The pentaprism says ASAHI on it.

Say it out loud... ASAHI

Did you picture a ninja when you heard it aloud? Yes, I thought so.

Maybe next time I will plant my mug behind it so you can see how humongous it is. The camera, not my mug :)

I've shot 2 rolls so far. I get 10 exposures per roll and the negatives are a thing of true beauty. big. like the camera.

I decided the first shot should be a really ugly photo of myself. It was a brilliant plan.

... till I saw the photo.


I was unprepared for the ugly I beheld. Ha. Not such a brilliant plan after all.

There are very few photos I bother to give a title to. This one I fondly refer to as 'Ugly Me'

I love hate it.

Hate it because I really do look like that sometimes. Love it because I really do look like that sometimes.

I was talking to my teacher about photographing ones self and he brought up an interesting point that I hadn't previously thought of. It was the notion that people have a perception of them self and a certain way they want to be presented. perhaps the problem I have photoing myself is that I see myself as 'me' too much and not just a subject to work with. And I know he's right because I feel very uncomfortable when I look at this photo of myself.

That is something I will surely struggle with forever. How can I not?

Would you like to see something a little prettier now?

yes, lets.


I love that face.

This next image came from my last assignment. I was using the nikon to meter for the Pentax. I don't quite trust the meter on the Pentax yet. I have this one on film as well :-)


This assignment was quite interesting. We chose a poem and tied our images to it. Perhaps I will share what came of it when I get it back.

Other things you should probably know...

Today I climbed my grapefruit tree. Got the ones off the top. YUM.

also, set the smoke alarm off. Which makes Lucys legs shake, like when she sees a big dog. Is she afraid of dogs? Well I am so that would make sense I guess.

nighty night.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

When the evening pulls the SUN down

I hate it when the old fella at costco charms me into buying 4 pounds of jelly bellys. And how? Did you know Ronald Reagan used to keep a dish full of these on his desk his entire presidency.

Oh man I'm such a sucker for old people. Seriously I heart them.

but then the real trouble comes when I break that seal and make it my personal quest to come up with new and exciting jelly belly recipes. all. night. long.

I do alot of testing.

I hate jelly beans btw.

HATE!!

It's a strong word... and that would be why I chose it.

Later I will tell you my favorite flavor, which is tutti frutti so if your only here for the super rad jelly belly convo you may now be excused ;)

but if you want to talk about film, come on in, stay for a while :)

I'm always surprised when people ask me about film because...

A. They talk about it like I'm crazy for going near it,

and B. They think I'm making movies!! haha! You guys make me laugh.

remember 35mm film? you'd load it into your camera and click the shutter button until you reach the magical 24 or even more magical 36 then it would rewind and you would drop it off at costco and see it in a few days, or an hour if you're super spendy?!?!?

yes,yes. I thought so.

Hello... My name is Jill, I shoot film.

for now.


When you look at the above photo do you see that her arms are stretched out long and dainty as if mimicking the long delicate tree branches? And/or are you thinking it looks like a bad hallmark card? If you were in my class for critique you just might.

And I'm ok with that for arts sake. But for my purposes (me being the mother of that adorable child) I kinda love it.


I saw a couple of film shooters at WPPI last week. Something they both seemed to keep mentioning is how film slows you down. It's true. I can attest to this fact.

And that is one of the things they like about film is that it does make you stop and think a little more.

For me it's been good and bad. You have no idea how many shots I missed because I metered it for the ump-teenth time just to be sure sure I got it right before I click that shutter. Oh yeah, I totally pulled out the ump-teenth card. Because that is exactly what I do. For real. come shoot with me, you will see.

With digital you can shoot like 90 miles a minute, a little glance to the lcd screen on the back tells you if you're in the neighborhood of where you want to be and if the expression stinks, it's cool you got 20 more JUST like it... minor variances only. You can move quick like and the person standing before you doesn't end up looking at you like you're an idiot when your still standing there ten minutes later getting your exposure and or timing right, because you're not still standing there ten minutes later!!!! And with sky's the limit cards you never have to worry about whether or not what you just captured matters. And what matters when it comes to photography anyway?

That is something I ask myself every bloody day.


Today while I waited for my prints to wash, I expressed to my teacher the disappointment I feel about not really having direction in my work. (honestly this is a true source of frustration for me, wanting to have images that mean something but coming up short)

and then he said something that made alot of sense. This is not a quote... don't not, I repeat, do not insert air quotes here :)

He said that I will come to learn that the most interesting photographs aren't really about photography at all. It's a person that has an interest or love for something and they use photography as their story telling medium.

He said it better. Next time I will record it. haha. just kidding,, that'd be weird.

It was a DUH moment for sure. Not that I didn't know that already but sometimes I get so wrapped up in getting my assignment done I forget what I'm shooting for which ultimately is myself. What I love. What I see and dream. My own interpretation of what is.

occasionally it happens to be a thicket of tree branches dipping it's tendrils into the glassy drink below.


{ this is the first time I've told anyone that the tree is dipping into water. It's not super obvious just by looking, but without that little element this photo would just be a bunch of sticks }

The good thing about slowing down is the contemplation that goes on. I still get plenty of stinky shots and to tell the truth I don't usually love what I get on film so far. I feel frustrated, like alot. But that is ok. I like it. If theres one thing I've come to know, it's that working through frustration pays dividends!

I've been here before. It's a good place.

now pass me a tutti frutti jelly belly would ya. I do also like the peach ones.

RECIPE:

vanilla bean + berry blue + cinnamon + island punch = vomit.

definitely not a keeper.