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January 2005

1/30/05 9:17am- - - Paw #5. If you've seen more of my work on my website, you may have noticed several photos of people in windows. Why? Im not exactly sure, it just sort of happens. Well, maybe I sort of know but dont want to reveal it here. Thanks for checking in again.

1/28/04 6:58pm - - - I havent been able to write in my journal much this week, or maybe Ive just been a little burnt out on computers since Ive been working so much on Staceys website and learning about getting the search engines the pick her up more. I still have more to do on it, but Im taking a break for a little while. She's actually meeting with a potential client at this moment and has several possible bookings waiting to make their decision. The waiting is the toughest part. At this point she's already almost doubled her bookings from last season and even has 4 weddings booked for this October.

Anyway, here is one more photo I took in the fog the other day. I havent done much in the way of shooting this week, but Im determined to keep my Photo a week going this Sunday, so maybe the one roll Ive shot will have something.

---Also, I entered a photo for Photo Friday this week. The category is youth, which I dont have many photos of, but submitted this one. I think it qualifies.

1/24/05 11:22pm- - -Today is my birthday!! 38 and still going strong.

1/23/05 11:05 am - - - PAW #4 for 2005. This is a photo of the RI capital building, something Ive been trying to get an interesting photo of, but it too often seems to come out looking like your typical tourist photo. This is one that Im actually happy with.

1/21/05 6pm - - - Its been pretty hectic this week as Ive been on working Staceys website a lot trying to increase the traffic she's getting. I dont really know what the hell Im doing, but we'll see what happens. She's been doing well with the bookings for this coming year. The good thing about the web is that there are so many resources to learn about these things.

Here's a few shots from last week when I went out and shot this overpass. Im actually thinking about putting a few images back on ArtByUs.com since Ive got a few photos lately that I like. Dont know if they'll sell there, but I think I saw that someone bought a print there recently. For a while it didnt really seem too promising. I may just put up a page on my site to sell a few favorites. Ive said that one before.

Hope these look OK. My monitor is still weird. We really need a new computer one of these days.

1/17/04 10:50pm - - - Here's one more photo from the other day when the fog rolled into town. This last set of prints really curled up on me when they dried. It could have been the fact that I used some older paper when my newer stash ran out. Either way, they are currently being flattened in a big stack of books. Sometimes they can curl so much its a struggle just to get them in the book!

1/16/05 9:51pm - - - Paw # 3 of 2005. Tonight I had one of those printing sessions where it restores your faith in the work your trying to do. Sometimes you go into the darkroom and just dont come out with much, but tonight was different. Here's another image I made the other day when the fog rolled in.. This was shot around 1pm in the afternoon. Ive got more prints drying that I shot this day. I think this week's photo of the week is one of my personal favorites that Ive ever done, I just wish the image on the web did justice to the print. The photo that follows is an image I normally wouldnt be able to make, as I took it during the afternoon on a weekday on my vacation week. Usually when Im wandering around this area on the weekends there arent any cars in these parking lots. See PAW # 2 2005

Here's one more image from tonight's printing session, unrelated to the fog.

By the way all these images were shot with my Yashica Electro GSN, still the best camera and lens I've bought yet.

1/15/04 3:15pm - - - Ok, so we now have OS 10.3.7 installed and I downloaded software for Staceys new online proofing service. Of course now we need to learn how to use it. One thing at a time I guess. But now Im taking a break from all that to process some film and get ready to do some printing. My vacation is quickly coming to a close which is highly upsetting, what can you do. Maybe I wont go to sleep tonight so I can get in a few more hours of not working. Good luck with that one.

1/14/05 7:50am - - - Were getting ready to hit the gym. Im typing this without glasses, so excuse any errors. Yesterday a major fog hit the city all day- did some shooting. We went to a meetinf to learn how to bring more traffic to websites, mainly for Stacey. I learned I have more work to do on her website. Quite a bit of work actually. Things liek fixing keywords in the code, adding a site map page, not wirting so much text in photoshop, but more in dreamweaver, changinf the title bars on each page. etc., etc, etc. I learned a lot, but Ive got work to do. Also, we ordered OS 10.3 and it should arrive today. We need to upgrade so Stacey can implement online proofing for her clients. Yup, more work for me! Its really windy outside right now. I dont mind the work, its kinda interesting to me, but its a lot. Have I said that already? Ive got some good negatives from this week, so tomm. morning Im in the darkroom. Stacey is headed to NYC for the weekend.

1/12/05 10:35pm - - - Ive spent the whole day fighting with my computer today, so I didnt get to do much photography wise. Nothing, actually. No wait, I did cut up my negatives into strips of six and put them into plastic sleeves.

Here's an image that goes way back. Dont even know if I still can find the negative. I used to play with cropping a lot more than I do now. Kinda wish I had the negative so I could print it full frame to see the difference. Then again my negatives are so unorganized I just may have it in there somewhere. Maybe I'll take a look through.

1/11/05

5:39pm - - - Just found this forum at photobanter.com that seems pretty helpful.

5:05pm - - - OK, false alarm. No damage done. It was dark enough over the sink so that the film wasnt affected. Not a good feeling though! Especially since I think Ive got some stuff here worth printng. Even made my way to the downtown bus terminal and did some people stuff.

4:55pm - - Crap! I forgot what I was doing and started opening the top to my developing tank to pour out the developer. What was I thinking? I have no clue! Stay tuned, Im in the fix as we speak. We'll see how much damage I did. Crap!!

3:40pm - - Something that amazes me about my website is this:

I know they're small, but you get the idea. I've had visitors today from each of these countries. Can you match names to flags?

In no particular order.: Russia, Spain, Norway, England, US, France, Australia, Hungary, Hong Kong

Also, just got back from shooting. I took a long walk all around the city. Finally got to shoot the underpass Ive been wanting to shoot for a while now. Actually shot it from many differant vantage points as its pretty huge. As I was shooting I was keeping an eye out for cops, as I had to make my way around a couple fenced areas to get to where I wanted to go. Although there werent any no trespassing signs anywhere, so I wasnt too concerned.

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11:40am - - - This is from around the Boston area sometime in the 90's. I should probably pay more attention to my work and make notes about when and where images were made. When I was just beginning photography I took a notebook with me and wrote down these things, as well as fstops, shutter speeds, etc. At some point I also need to go through all my work of the last year or so and organize it somehow so I can start trying to get my images out there in the "real world" as well as here. I know Ive said this many times, but maybe it'll sink in at some point! Ok, so my plan was to shoot today, so why am I sitting here typing away? Its way too easy to get sucked into this computer stuff and before you know it another day of not shooting is gone. So off I go, I'll probably walk around my neighborhood today and maybe Federal Hill. I love being on vacation!!!!

1/10/05 11:17pm - - - PAW #2. A day late, but its here. Bought some TriX today and tomorrow will be a full day of shooting and printing.

1/9/05 10pm - - - Here's a photo I made several years ago. I keep looking at it trying to decide if I like it, one day its yes the next day Im not sure. I figure I dont always need to post perfect images in my journal. Its supposed to be a process that sometimes works and sometimes doesnt. So I think I can show the stuff that comes in between the keepers. Sometimes the hardest thing for me is to decide is which images are the best.

11:25am - - - Having just watched a DVD documentary on Steiglitz I went searching for more stuff about him and came across this website. It profiles 7 photographers and their images including, Stieglitz, Berenice Abbott and others. I enjoy reading and learning about other photographers and finding out how they feel about what they do.

1/8/05 5:25pm - - - Finally, just finished putting up the new weddings page on Staceys website. Now I need to walk away from this computer for a little while. Check back in for PAW #2 tomm or Monday. Im on vacation from work next week so I'll be shooting a lot. Oh yeah, if your getting married any time soon, Stacey will travel.

1/6/05 8:35pm - - - I came across a new website today. New for me at least. Its all about Omega enlargers, which I use. I bought my Omega CII when I lived in Boston for about $65. The owner of the site Harry Taylor has a help forum to which I submitted a question because the bellows on mine has got an issue with light leaks. Not terrible, but bad enough that Id like to fix it. Harry told me that the CII dates back to before WWII and the bellows isnt available to buy anywhere, but he gave me the name of a company that might be able to reproduce one, Western Bellows. Also, he tells me not to lose the screws that hold the bellows in place as those are no longer available. Now that's old school! Is it time for an upgrade with the enlarger? Probably, but cant afford it right now so I'll see what I can do with the CII. Maybe I can somehow fix the light leaks Im finding. I read somewhere that if you mix black die with Elmers glue that this works. We'll see. To be continued...but check out Classic Enlargers. He sells the enlargers also and the B22 is around $250 with a 50mm lens. Not too bad actually.hmmm...

1/4/056pm - - -

Here's one more from a recent night out shooting. This is an alley downtown that I seem to end up at quite often. I had a feeling this would come out very contrasty as the light in the alley was the only light source around at this time of night. I think I like the result I achieved here though. In the darkroom I tried a technique called flashing. What you do is before exposing the print under the enlarger you put the paper in the easel(at least thats how I did it) and then very very quickly flip the overhead light on and off. This, of course fogs the paper, but only just enough where it adds a little bit of density to the whitest white areas. Then I exposed the print as I normally would and voila, a little more detail shows up behind the tree. I did one more with a little longer flash, but it added a little too much fogging to the print. Its trial and error really until achieving the effect you like. Plus I wanted the alley to stay really bright to sillouette(how do you spell that?) the tree trunk. Here's a look at another image I took a while back. Its was earlier in the day and from the other end of the alley. Today was another day with more traffic to my site than usual. I was getting a little concerned there for a while, but its really picking up. I hope it doesnt take too long for these images to load on your computer. Could you let me know if they do take too long? I'll try to fix it on my end. Thanks.

 

1/4/057:30am - - - So for some reason yesterday I had a big jump in traffic to my website. Not sure why, but Im not complaining, and they actually did some roaming around while here. Hopefully its a trend and not a fluke, its cool to know people are seeing my work. Ive recently added a new link or two and listed my site with a couple blog directories which has definately helped. On another note, Im almost finished with Staceys new set of weddings for her website, probably go online with them by Friday the latest, phew!!!!

1/3/05 8am - - - Here's another contender for this week's photo of the week. At first I wasnt too sure about this one, but its growing on me. The focus is a little off, as it was held held at night. It was fairly bright so its not camera movement.I think its a combination of the flare from the light in the back and the fact that I simply missed my focal point a little(man in window). I think I remember being kinda nervous shooting this as he was staring right at me. Its the backroom of a bar and there was a door right next to where he's standing. I snapped a few frames and split, even though he probably couldnt see me out there. I still like it though its a little soft, kinda adds to the whole mood I think. Also. I need to work on the scanning, escpecially these darker images. I have found that my scanner works better when I scan my black and white prints in color mode and then change it back to grayscale in photoshop.

1/2/04

10:23pm - - - Paw #1 for 2005!

So here's another image I liked, but its from the roll of film that I baked in the wash. First is the whole image, and on the web you cant really see the reticulation, so I cropped a small section to show you.

Beautiful, huh? I gotta watch that water temp a little closer next time! What happened was that the water got too hot and basically melted the emulsion, then when I realized it I turned the temp down too much and the emulsion, well, kinda made this lovely pattern. Its the extremes in temp that causes it. Frustrating yes, but kinda cool if you think about it!

5:50pm - - - Just crawled out of the darkroom. A couple things, first I screwed up one roll of film with reticulation. For you digital people who arent familiar with this, I'll post a sample of this photo to show you. You can actually recreate it with photoshop, but its not as much fun as melting a roll of film. One of the hazards of renting and apt and having to wash film in a sink is the fluctuation water temp. Well, it must have REALLY fluctuated at one point. Im usually good about watching it, but this time.... Luckily there wasnt anything too earth shattering on the roll, so whatever. Another thing is I think I should buy more RC paper. It seems a waste to do a lot of printing on Fiber unless its for a sale or a show.- A waste of money AND time. Its just that Ive gotten to like the look of the fiber paper so much, but it would make sense. If I print something I really want as part of my actuall portfolio, I can then print it on fiber, but for experimental stuff it should be RC. That said, I now have to wash my fiber prints for an hour and let them dry. So if you check back later, I'll post a few new things, including PAW #1 2005!

1/1/05

9pm - - - 5 rolls of film drying as we speak. One problem though, apparently my Yashica Lynx 5000 has sprung a light leak somewhere. I have a feeling its coming through the back door of the camera as, when I looked at it, it doesnt seem to close as tightly as it should. Luckily there are printable frames on the few rolls I used this camera for. These cameras may be inexpensive and interesting to use but they are also SO FRUSTRATING at times. The light meter seems to be pretty dead on so if I can fix this light leak it'll be fine. On a better note I tested out the Lynx 14 that I recently aquired and the negs look great. Anyway Im looking forward to getting back in the darkrrom tomorrow, finally. Ok, back to my website work for Stacey.

2:10pm - I just bought myself a gift, something I dont get to do all that often. Its a DVD documentary of Alfred Stieglitz. Here's a little information about him. It should arrive in a few days. Now to develop some film and then tomorrow I get to print all day.