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MAY 05

5/31 - Robbie, if you read this, I tried emailing you back but it keeps coming back to me as undeliverable. I'll try again. Im glad youre back online!!

One of my images might be on a new page at the ArtInRuins website. If you scroll through my gallery 4 its one of the photos I took in front of Splinters Bar downtown, not sure which one it'll be yet. The bar is moving to make room for a remodeling and expansion of AS220.

Also, did some shooting this weekend with the Lynx 14. The results were pretty nice. I wasnt sure about this camera at first, but its growing on me. The meter is off a bit, but I just bracketed a little and it was fine. I just got so used to not needing to bracket with the Electro GSN I got spoiled-the GSN's film advance keeps getting jammed so Im not using it anymore. I have managed to sell off some old cameras and stuff I dont need anymore on Ebay recently, so at least I got something back for them. Not sure how soon I'll be able to get the Bessa, but at least my Lynx 14 is working fine right now. -knock on wood! If I could only find something really really small and really really expensive to sell on Ebay........

5/29 - The neg scanner is packed and ready to ship to Nikon for servicing. I spoke to a tech on the phone and its just not gonna happen. We've only had the thing since February!!! Digital sucks.

On a brighter note, I just found out there is going to be a Lee Friedlander show at the MoMA In NYC running through August- 500 hundred of his photos will be on display.

I wake up today to find the neg scanner doesnt want to work for some reason. Its not being seen by the software or in our computer's profiler. I dont know why, it was working just fine the other day. Is this a sign to get my butt into the "real" darkroom finally? Maybe, but I need this scanner working!!! Stacey just shot a wedding yesterday and were gonna have to scan a ton of negs to put online for her client. Any ideas why its not showing up now? Help.......

 

 

5/28 - Im trying to put together some sort of for sale page for my website. Its in the beginning stages and has just a small selection of some of my favorites. Prints for sale I'll be adding more images and refining the page as I go along.

5/27 - An email I received today.

Dear Paul,
 
I spent what I would call the best years of my life living right over the border of Rhode Island, in Westport Massachusetts. While I laid my head down in MA each night, the vast majority of my time was spent throughout Rhode Island. My memories include sunrises in Sakonnet, dinner in Tiverton, drives along 138 through the farms of Kingston, drive-in movies in Smithfield, and, of course, picking friends up in the Providence train station to enjoy movies at the Cable Car, great Italian dinners, and the WaterFire festivals.
 
About two years ago, I moved to New York to get my masters degree in education. However, my heart and soul stayed behind in RI. A few hours ago, I was writing up my portfolio assignment, and I was thinking "wouldn't it be nice if I could just go walk around Newport when I was done?". So I popped over to my old friend Google and entered "Photoblogs"+"Providence" looking for some "digital memories". I ended up on your site, and what a treasure it is.
 
Your photographs of Providence brought up a flood of memories. I kept clicking through and saying "oh, yeah....I remember Smith Hill....oh...I know where that is....". It really got me in the old memory bank in my mind. More than the collection of Providence photographs, it was also wonderful to find a photographer who still shoots in traditional black and white film. I, too, still use a Canonet rangefinder (along with an Elan 7e) with good ol' HP5 film. However, I don't have a darkroom and little money (being a grad students) at my disposal, so I am relegated to processing my film in my bathroom, and dropping the negatives off at a photo-shop to make me a contact sheet. Yes, I know I could make the switch to digital. I have a digital Elph (there is no fun in point and shoot) and have rented a few digital SLR's. However, I think something is lost in the craft when using digital format rather than film, and I am left rather unsatisfied with digital.
 
I think all artists like to know that their work has inspired others. So, I have decided to risk not graduating, to get off my butt, and shoot a roll of film this afternoon, and to head back up to Providence to shoot away a Saturday afternoon soon. Thanks for the inspiration, Paul.
 
D.R.

5/26

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5/24 - Here's a few from the neighborhood. I applaud the work being done to bring back the downtown area , but Smith Hill remains the same.

 

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5/22 - Here's PAW #21.

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5/21 -

 

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5/19 - I started a new job this week so Ive been too busy to do much here. Im planning a nice relaxing day of darkroom work on Sunday so I'll have some new work to show. Im still struggling with the ease of the negative scanner vs the darkroom but I miss my darkrrom and am looking forward to hiding out there for several hours. One more day and my first week at the new job is in the books, phew. I think I'll print some of the images Ive posted here via neg scanner recently and do a comparison.

5/15 - Im getting kinda frustrated with my cameras. They all seem to have problems that are beyond my repair abilities. Usable yes but not without frustration. Light leaks, sticky shutters, etc. I really enjoy using the Yashicas when they are functioning well, but....They have surprisingly sharp lenses and are easy to use. Anyway, Im going to try and buy a Voigtlander Bessa R with a 35mm 2.5 lens. Cameraquest sells this combo for $425. Dont have the cash at the moment, but Im working on it-donations accepted or feel free to buy a print or two.Anyway, Ive been selling off some of my camera collection on ebay to make money towards the Bessa R. On Ebay people will buy cameras that have problems, maybe they have the ability to fix them, but they sell. I state right in the auction what the issues are with each camera so buyers know the problems right up front. I kinda dont like to see these cameras leave, but if they arent usable to me why have em sitting around if I can get some money towards a new camera. So I'll keep trying to sell cameras here and there and see if I can hit the $425 mark. I may even sell off my Yashica lynx 14e, though thats one Id like to keep, since I could sell it for a pretty decent price. We'll see, Im gonna hold off on that one if I can.

 

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5/14- PAW #20 is from last October when the Sox won the World Series. At the time I think I was too involved in the celebrating to go through these, so here's a series of images travelling to, and at the parade route. This is a series of 5 photos from that day.

5/9 - Ok, so I have a confession. Ive given in to the film scanner a little. Here's a recent negative scan. I was curious to see what I could do with a scan and photoshop. I guess people call it the "digital darkroom". Its so easy and quick to do it. A little sharpen, a little dodge, play with the levels a little and voila. Done. I dont like it. Do I like the results? Yes, but it just doesnt feel right for me somehow to make images this way. It feels lazy and it feels like a shortcut. OK, so Ive got an image on my computer screen but no print to hold and look at. I could try to make a print off my printer maybe, but it wouldnt curl and drive me crazy trying to get it flat. What fun is that? Gotta start scheduling more darkroom time!

 

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5/8 - PAW #19 . If you look closely in this one you can see my reflection on the left.

5/5 - Off to DC to see the Kertesz show and sight see for a couple days. Also, I got my Yashica GT in time to take it with me. It seems to be functioning just fine so hopefully next week I'll have some DC photos to post.

5/4 - The new Yashica GT has arrived, just need to get it from the post office somehow today. I just found this website the other day. He posts a new photo every day. If you like grain, you'll love these.

5/1 - Paw # 18. I made the photo larger than I normally do, so it may take a little longer to load.

Week 18 alternate photo :