neurocat

Read the details Jennifer, this was completely deliberate. If it makes you mad, fine. Almost all of my pictures make at least one person mad. You have a problem with me like that spider in your last picture. Get over it! And didn't you just ask a bunch of critics to give you some breathing room? Why are you so hypocritical?

I like the quality and the expression. I'm glad I found this and your awesome portfolio! It's something to be a good model and good photographer.

The reference to blue hair is because I had to paint her hair blue

(temporarily!) so the paper negative would "see" it.

And the horse here becomes a merry-go-round horse. Very cool!

My stomach was churning after this ride. I knew I shouldn't look thru the lens while spinning, but I couldn't resist!

Thanks Balaji!

It's an old Speed Graphic, but they still make cameras like these. The lens is mounted on a square "lensboard" and locked into the camera. It's easy to replace the standard metal lensboard with a piece of black matt board which you can cut any size hole in and glue on whatever lens you want to use.

 

 

And here's what it looks like after I've taken the lens out of its holder and mounted it on the camera.

Here's one magnifying glass.

It's great that you caught this moment Jenna. I usually don't like cars in street photos, but here it ads to the comically troubled reality of this scene. Looking at this makes me LOVE my job right now and I'm going to work so hard tomorrow, I swear!

 

Since he's going to be there a while, I might do the framing exercise - shoot a whole role on him if he doesn't mind, from every angle and with every composition I can think of.

 

There's a guy who stands outside the Valvoline oil change place in my town wearing a sign that says "No Waiting". Except for him.

Hay, that's my back yard!

I use a 4x5 camera and mount a simple magnifying glass lens (I've tried a number of them and narrowed it down to a few favorites). The lens is so fast, I usually just use print paper negatives at about ASA 12. They are very contrasty. The lens blurs the image out from the center. The paper causes the grass and leaves to go nearly black. I usually use warm-tone paper and then soak in selenium for a reddish-brown look. I scan and invert the paper negatives in photoshop, then adjust the hue to get back the original brown tone. That's usually it. Sometimes I use chemical solarization or a chemical reversal process.

There is more detail in the negative (this one's a Polaroid n/p film) I just blasted it because the polaroid print came out that way and it looked cool. I like the light-bleed around the dress. I've been trying other versions though.

I love the angle especially because of the telephone pole. The textures, tones and depth of field are all well-chosen.

Thanks Natasha! I'll be watching for yours!

Thank you Natasha!

I would like to see this on Tom Waits' next album cover

I'm still on the fence. I center things on purpose when I want the subject to be in your face and when the background is bland, but here the background is interesting and I only centered because of technical limits.

 

In general I think the "rules" of composion are lost on you if you weren't born with them because that's not how you see. But they're worth a try sometimes :) There is a goldmine of good suggestions and technical help on this site!

Anyone who quotes Bob Dylan gets marked as interesting in my workspace.

I'm glad you liked the movie too. Guys have been asking me "Isn't that a chick-flick?". Now I have proof it isn't.

I love this! (Loved the movie too)

Shot on paper negative with my favorite magnifying glass lens in an

old Speed Graphic 4x5 camera

You picked out one of my favorites. Two great artists/poets and the best bar in Columbus.

 

Teresa

John,

 

Thanks, I never knew that. It's a little grungy there but it moves.

 

So what have you been doing with YOUR speed graphic?! Why all these spare parts?

I feel like an idiot for lamenting how I don't have horizontal movements with this camera!

 

On the other hand, my lens is almost as big as my lens board, so I won't get much shift that way. It's worth a try though - even a little bit would help.