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A Day At Edward Weston's Home


todd frederick

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I simply want to say that I spent a wonderful day at the beautiful

rustic home of Edward Weston on Wild Cat Hill near Carmel CA today.

The event was led by his grandson Kim Weston, and his wife Gina, who

live there. Although I learned much about simplifying my LF

technique, the experience of being in Edward's home, where he lived

and died, was emotionally awesome.

 

Kim Weston has many workshop offerings, and you might want to check

their web site: http://www.kimweston.com/

 

I found both Kim Weston and Gina to be up-beat, non-critical, and

this was one of the most wonderful of experiences of my life.

 

I am attaching a photograph I took today with my tiny digital of Kim

Weston printing one of his grandfather's negatives in Edward Weston's

original darkroom.

 

I have not been doing much LF photography for a year or so, but after

today I have increased enthusiasm.

 

I guess we sometimes need a good kick in the butt!<div>0084qK-17729584.JPG.0a1d49076898b77079ee3d55122ba997.JPG</div>

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One other tid-bit is that where I am standing in the darkroom (very small)to take the photo, right behind me, is a small covered window that can be opened if needed. In the next photo, in the upper left corner of the building from the outside, you can see this closed window. Edward Weston spent the last years of his life living and working in this building. His home is about 2 miles from Point Lobos, to which he walked daily to photograph, since he never drove a car. His home is very beautiful. I just want to sahre my experience.<div>0084qX-17729984.jpg.eb26937a0fc628cb0af6af01d744ac0e.jpg</div>
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Sam,

 

I have about a hundred photos I could show. The place is a photographer's paradise, if you're into old wood, little detail subjects and flowers. It is much more colorful now than it was in Edward's day.

 

Check out the website. There is a house behind the main house which is called Bodie House. This was Charis Wilson Weston's writing gallery and is available to the public to spend the night. Not much more than an up-scale motel!

 

Kim Weston built a studio in the garage and he does nearly 100% figure studies there with natural light (skylights) and 8x10 B/W film. See attached photo.

 

They offer a Platinum printing workshop, which fills fast. That I would like to take someday. I saw some 4x5 and 8x10 contacts from the platinum process which were gorgeous! No dark darkroom is involved. That's my kind of darkroom!

 

I'm attaching a couple more photos, but I don't want to take up too much space on the forum.<div>0084yX-17735784.jpg.f7a9ae41d6922e1656363ab869fc40b6.jpg</div>

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Todd, Thank you for sharing your experience, and the photos. I'm sure that for many particpants in this forum, myself included, Edward Weston and his work have been a tremendous influence and inspiration. As an East Coast resident, it is unlikely I'll have the oppurtunity to visit Wildcat Hill. Again, thank you.
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Nick,

 

As a West Coast resident, and not inclined to travel east at this time, I also doubt I'd be able to visit the George Eastman House museum, MOMA, and many of the other wonderful photographic attractions out your way. I'd love to visit Clyde Butcher's Big Cypress Gallery in Florida.

 

So, I guess this is one way we can bring experience to each other. It is my pleasure sharing some of these photos and happenings.

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PS: even though this was not a large format workshop, but more oriented to the Weston family history, Kim Weston did demonstrate the contact printing method of his grandfather, using Amidol, an 8x10 negative, using a tiny 7 watt bulb dangling from the ceiling, using a 3 minute egg timer for development timing, and using very simple, straight forward methods to make quality prints, as did his grandfather, with minimal manipulations. He also showed simple methods of LF negative development in trays, inspection methods, using premixed Pyro, and how he works in his studio with an 8x10 without an exposure meter. His approach is that consistency involves a simple, repeatable method with as few variables as possible. I learned more than I had anticipated. It stimulated me to think seriously about doing a bit more LF photography than I have been doing over the past few years.
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I want to add one more photo and some info on Edward's darkroom and method of printing.

 

The photo is a view of Edward Weston's darkroom toward the printing table. What impressed me most is the simplicity of it all.

 

Forgive the poor quality of the digital print. It was a bit dark and I did not want to use flash. It looks far more real in natural light. It was handheld with an Olympus C-5050 and Kim moved, which is ok.

 

In the lower left corner is the smallest of Edward's paper cutters. Out of the picture is a larger unit. Behind that was his most expensive piece of equipment: a dry mount press. They were often so poor, he and his son Brett frequently mounted prints using both sides of the mounting board, Edward's on one side and Brett's on the other.

 

Edward's regular practice was to develop a sheet of film and make only a few prints, and move on the something else. He never work with mass production. Original prints are very rare. Most that we see are reprinted by his son Cole and later his grandson, Kim.

 

On the wall over the paper cutter is a print made by Al Weber, of rocks and the ocean. There are many prints in the darkroom, mostly historical photos of Edward.

 

The darkroom is neat but not antiseptically clean. There are glass ring stains on the printing table. I was wondering about the history of how they got there and how old they are.

 

Behind Kim Weston is the printing table. The print frames are all original as are all the dodging wands. You can see the tiny 7 watt white bulb about 3 feet above the table (which you can buy in any hardware store with cord). Most exposures are 10+ seconds. The height of the light can be adjusted to keep the exposures at 10+ seconds. All prints are processed for 3 minutes using a egg hourglass timer, which sits right in front of a safelight. Edward's original printing light was much larger since the paper speeds at that time for paper was much slower.

 

The process was to make two tests and then the final print: test strip at 10, 15, 20, 25 seconds. Choose the best density and make full print. Check full print for areas needing burning and dodging. Again, these are all contact prints. Nothing was ever done with double developers, multiple fixing, no toning. The fixer is straight Hypo: not rapid fixer. This plan can be done with 4x5 easily. Edward used amidol developer. If you look at the first photo I posted, you will see one of the original bottles of his Amidol (with the yellow label). I'm not sure what Kim said he now uses. Amidol will turn your fingernails black.

 

Trivia idea:

 

Edward drilled tiny holes along the very far edge of his dark slides in different patterns, which would apprear in the negative. That way, if the holder had a light leak, he could immediately find the correct holder.

 

Edward paid his son Cole a penny for each light leak he could find in the darkroom. Everything was very simple. Modern amber safelights are now used in the old darkroom, however.

 

Edward's darkroom is about 5x8 feet with running water and long sink, with very little ventilation, gasp!. He kept a safelight under the developer tray, pointed up, to keep the tempperature constant!

 

If I think of any other intersting tid-bits, I'll pass them on.

 

i hope this is interesting to some of you. i am fascinated by the history of artists and photographer's lives.<div>0085EF-17746284.JPG.85b7cc661588a77d7c2c5627415b99c2.JPG</div>

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There is a video, "The Roots of California Photography- the Monterey Legecy" that includes an interview with Kim Weston at his house talking about his father. Ther are also interviews with Ansel Adams, Morley Baer, John Sexton, etc. that anyone who is intersted in this posting would like to view. It is available at http://www.ucsc-extension.edu/roots/
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Regarding Pyro:

 

Kim Weston mentioned that he buys it in liquid form, and I forgot the supplier. I will e-mail him to get that information. ABC Pyro in powder form is extremely toxic and is just too risky to mix. He does use bare hands to process the negs since he can not feel the film with rubber gloves. Skin contact with Pyro is also toxic and you must wash your hands thoroughly. I think I'll stick with HC110! I'll get the info on the source of the liquid Pyro.

 

 

 

I am attaching a photo of Kim Weston in his own darkroom. He is mixing the developer and the small bottle of Pyro is behind his hands.

 

I will then post a photo of Edward Weston's desk where his Daybooks were written.

 

I also asked about his original 8x10 camera. Edward's camera is at the Smythsonian (but it packed away). Kim is going to try to get it from them, on loan, for workshop purposes. Interesting history.

 

If you want to visit the house you can spend the night in their guest house. It cost $150 per night, which isn't much more than most hotels in Monterey and Carmel! What an experience that would be! Wild Cat Hill is not open to the public, but you can make arrangements.

 

There is only one cat at the home now. Edward had 38! The first thing I did on arrival was to walk over to the bathroom, kicked a cat dish that Gina Weston made, and broke it! Fortunately the break was neat and can be fixed, but I touched very little after that.

 

Ansel Adams' home is located near-by but is not open to the public. Kim thinks that one of his children lives there. Ansel's darkroom is still functional and I think it is used to print his Special Edition prints, but I stand corrected on that.<div>0085Wr-17752084.JPG.78fa5ecf42851a2b9f2a3546178dcf9a.JPG</div>

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Bill,

 

I'm trying to check out this liquid Pyro issue. I'll let you know. I do remember that he talked about the problem of inhaling the powder, and that the liquid version was safer. He also said that he used to use HC110 but the Pyro produces a longer tonal scale. He also mentioned where he buys it, but I forgot the name of the company. I'll let you know when he gets back to me.

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Bill,

 

I called Gina Weston about 10 minutes ago, and the liquid Pyro can be obtained from this company:

 

http://www.bostick-sullivan.com/

 

It is a bit different from the original ABC Pyro in powder form but retains many of the original characterstics. Check it out. she told me that Kim was printing right now using Edward's old ABC formula, so there are differences.

 

IMPORTANT:

 

In an answer above I gave exact directions to the Weston House. Gina asked me to request that the directions be deleted. They are not equipped to have unannounced visitors. It is their home, and the place of business for Kim (he can not take time for tours), and they request their privacy. Please contact them in advance if you want to spend the night in the guest house or to attend workshops. Please do NOT arrive unannounced. Thank you.

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Jon,

 

I do not know the answer to your question.

 

I spoke with Gina Weston today (Kim's wife) and she seemed deligheted (an LF forum member in Scotland clued them into this posting!!!)...after all...I am telling all of you that these are wonderful workshops, these are wonderful loving creative people, I gave you their web site address, and I am encouraging you to attend one or more of their workshops sometime in the future. We had people there from Idaho! You can spend the night at the Weston house.

 

Their workshop coordinator, Randy Efros, (see his photo below), says you can advance more on one weekend in a workshop with a mentor, than reading books for years. I agree. I learned more on that one Saturday than I learned over 20 years of trial and error on my own. I'm ready to go!

 

So, my digi photos help to promote the workshop idea and I see no reason why there would be any objection to my posting the photos. Nothing was negative or derogotary.

 

I would strongly encourage you to take one of their workshops or a workshop in your area.

 

Isn't it sad that so many of us nowdays get hung-up with the threat of law suits and copyright issues?! I don't worry about it any more!<div>0086Nz-17777884.JPG.aff234b6dfcb89943a6b6a3d8c5da6d2.JPG</div>

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<i>ABC Pyro in powder form is extremely toxic and is just too risky to mix. </i><p>

 

This is just not true. ABC or more exactly pyrogallol has a very small vapor pressure and it is not airborne as easily. Mixing ABC from scratch is not more dangerous than mixing D-76 which contains hydroquinone (a very close relation to pyrogallol). As a matter of fact hydroquinone in the right formulation will stain negatives just like pyrogallol or catechol. <p>

 

If you mix any developer which contains Hydroquinone, you are exposing yourself to the same level of danger as you do with pyrogallol. I dont know where this "extremely toxic" rumor got started, but unfortunatelly it seems to be propagated by the uninformed. If Kim Weston told you this, you can tell him on my behalf he is wrong. <p>

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