Printing, Photographing, Happy Mother's Day!

I received my shipment from Freestyle:  the Awagami papers of bamboo which I ordered two different types (thin white and a cream color).  They do provide you with three 8x10 sheets to practice on.  One of them didn't have the test sheets, so I called Freestyle and they said they would ship them the next day!  I love Freestyle's customer service.  I have not tried them yet for several reasons.  I also purchased a box of 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of Museo Silver Rag made by www.museofineart.com   And I must say THAT WAS THE BIG SURPRISE OF THE DAY for me!!

My photographer friend from NYC, Dave Beckerman, had written about this paper on his website several years ago.  I remembered it and also wanted to try that one out too.  It is an archival fine art inkjet paper, 100% cotton, gloss finish, and is 300 gsm, which makes it a heavier paper.  The results are extremely similar to a print from the darkroom - and maybe even better! ; )  I thought I was just going to try 'one' for the evening the other night.  I made about eight prints of some of my images of Bodie Ghost Town.  It is truly amazing.  This paper makes everything else look like crap!  My eyes have been opened up to a whole new world.  But dang this stuff is expensive!  I paid $40 for a box of 25- 8 1/2 x 11.  For me to buy the 13x19 size of 25 sheets, it will be $100!  But then I'm thinking it would be worth it.  The strange thing to me is that Freestyle gave it a 'B' rating.  In my book I would give it an A+.

The last two days I've been at High Hand Gallery taking photos of the bra entries for the Artful Bra Show.  I will be uploading photos soon, re-sizing, printing them on bid sheets for each entry and I need to have this done early next week.  Monday I am teaching a one-on-one class on photo transfers.

In the meantime, I'd like to wish all the mothers out there a wonderful and Happy Mother's Day!  And for those of us who no longer have our mothers around any longer - relive the memories, over and over!

Black and White on Metallic Paper

I ordered my paper products and other supplies from Freestyle Photographic Supplies on Friday.  They should be arriving either today or tomorrow!  I've been thinking about which images I'll try first on the bamboo papers:  trees!  Some of the ones from Point Lobos would be great as they are in a misty setting.

I worked at High Hand Gallery on Thursday and Saturday, and then spent Sunday cutting mats and framing three new pieces that I had to deliver yesterday by 5:00!  I got there around 3:00 p.m.  Whew!  And while I was there removing some of my pieces, some folks were looking at my photography.  I spoke with them and explained some of the processes and the papers.  The guy already had one print in is hand, and they ended up buying it!!  Nice!  Last month was one of my best months at High Hand.

In regards to the Art Deco Show at the Blue Line, the results will be announced on this Friday.  My next outing will be the Arts in the Park in Auburn on May 18th, which means loading up the panels and table and framed images.  It's just a one day gig - I don't think I could do a two-day one!  Then of course, the Artful Bra Show on the 25th.  I will be going in on Wednesday and Thursday to photograph the entries and start working on the bid sheets, etc.  May's a busy month to say the least!    

Today is kind of a down day - no running around to do, so I'll be printing the black and white images out that I took last week for the 30th Jubilee project so I can give them to my artist friend who will incorporate them into her painting for that show.  I need to come up with one more image for the KVIE Art Auction.  That deadline is May 19th.

Here is one of the images I took into High Hand Gallery.  It's called Trinaczia (which I couldn't find a translation for, so I'm thinking it was a family name).  It is the front of a restaurant in Taormina, Sicily in black and white (digital) and printed on metallic paper.

Starry Night in Black and White

It's been a busy week and it's only Wednesday!  Sunday I was in the darkroom, or was that Monday.  Made some progress.  I think I just got myself overly worked up and started second guessing myself - again!  I made about 10 prints, 8x10's, and had no problems.  I decreased the magenta in the Beseler enlarger back to 45 as Ilford paper recommends and the images came out good.  I'm being more selective in which ones I  develop.  In the beginning they all looked so good, and I suppose they are to me, but I want images that will make a statement or hopefully have an impact on somebody!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I didn't make the cut for that International Photography Show in Redding.  Here's the link of who did win.  I was amazed to say the least.  Young people have such great, original and novel ideas.  I think it's wonderful!  http://nval.org/Photography_Show.html

Over the weekend I also got to thinking I should make a bra for the High Hand Gallery's 5th Annual Artful Bra Show which is coming up on May 25th.  I started cutting daisies out of some of my old glossy black and white images that I have tossed in a drawer.  Boy, did that make my hand hurt and I only got one daisy cut!  So I called up my girlfriend who makes cards and also does scrap booking and asked if I could borrow her punches.  That made it so much easier.  Only took about a half hour to cut up what I wanted and then proceeded to put together a bra made with black, white, and various shades of gray in-between.  Pasting them was pretty tricky.  I had two different glues before I got them to stick.  Then I added some rhinestones.  I think I like it a lot!  I'm calling it "Starry Night in Black and White!"

 This morning I went out around 8:30 into Auburn to photograph some of the historical buildings in town.  I am collaborating with another local artist who is also my friend.  She had this great idea for us to enter the "Celebrating Auburn's Past" Call to Artists by the Auburn Arts Commission.  When we get to the finished art piece, I will definitely share it here on my blog.  It was kind of exciting to know the names of these places and learn a little more about my town.  I had a list of about 40 historical places/buildings, and I managed to photography a little over than half.  And, I got my exercise in for the day!

Arista II Photograde RC Metallic Lustre Inkjet paper

Been working on images I took for a landscape photo shoot.  Took exactly two hundred images, don't know what I will be ending up with.  But it's a job.  It was a little breezy that night, so several have had to be eliminated.  But I think there will be several my client can use - I hope he will be pleased with them.  I guess I need to be pleased first of all, and then see what he thinks.  Spent several hours last night going thru them and eliminating the unacceptable ones.  Will spend more time today, hopefully wrapping up that little project.

Next I need to get busy and order some supplies.  I think I've mentioned I've been printing out digital prints in the meantime.  I'll have to do some framing soon to take new ones to the gallery in another week.

Good news on the artistic photographic papers!  Received my Freestyle 'Creative Imaging Supplies' catalog and found that the Washi inkjet papers from Japan are available in packets of 10 sheets (13x19") for under $35!!  Sweet!  I'm anxious to try those new papers - it makes printing more fun!  

Here's one of the images I took with my Smart phone, which I can't believe some of the images come out so great.  This was a display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium of many types of plastics found in the ocean.  It looked like art to me!  I printed it on Metallic Luster inkjet paper.

Metallic Prints

Here's an update on some of the photography shows I've been working on.  I did not get juried in for the NVAL International Show up in Redding, CA.   I did enter in a timely manner the Art Deco Reimagined at the Blue Line.  I should be hearing from that one any day as to whether or not one of my entries was accepted.  The deadline for the California State Fair is coming up and I still haven't decided what to do there.  We will be busy with other adventures during the time of the fair, so don't know if I'll actually enter after all.  The KVIE Art Auction deadline is coming up in another month and I definitely want to enter that one.  I'd like to do a darkroom print - I'll just have to see if I can come up with one incredible print! ; )

Today it's back to working the High Hand Gallery and it should be a pretty busy day.  Over the last week I have been printing out new prints from my stash of European photos.  The majority of them I have done on metallic paper.  I'm finding that the 'luster' metallic seems to show off the metallic characteristics more than the 'glossy' metallic.  I never would have thought that - but there it is.  You don't think you can really tell from this scanned image, but here's one on the luster metallic paper:

Placer Arts 30th Jubilee

We returned this mid-week from a short trip to Carmel.  The drives up and back were good, no problems.  The skies were pretty clear but it also got the wind as the rest of the California did too.  Whaddya gonna do?!  Didn't really take any photos that were gallery-worthy, but that's okay.  I need to go out on my own soon to get that done.

As soon as we got back I had several things to take care of in the art world.  I had entered two images into Placer Arts 30th Jubilee and one of them was accepted!  I also attended the award ceremony prior to the actual ArtWalk last night.  My entry didn't receive any awards, however, I did get juried in!  That's an award in itself.  I did take notice of two other photographers who were juried in also.  The one photograph that won in the photography category was a black and white print on metallic paper.  The other one I noticed was a print on rice paper, which I thought was better than the metallic print.  I have rice paper on my list to buy, but I must say it is very expensive and you only get 20 sheets at that for under $400!!  That's another subject for another post!

Earlier in the day I sent to Marketplace of Auburn for its grand opening and ribbon cutting at noon.  Several chamber members were present and of course then had the ribbon cutting ceremony.   That gallery already has 30 artists!  Good for Cynthia, the owner!   

Here's an image from Carmel.  These kids were having a great time out in the wind with their shovels, digging a major hole!

Ansel Adam's Book 3 - THE PRINT

I'm researching, reading, and re-thinking my whole darkroom development process.  I'm reading Ansel Adam's Book 3 - The Print - again.  Actually, I'm reading it after reading another photographer's information on black and white archival print processing.  I don't know if I'm re-learning or re-thinking the process, but I'm open to 'testing' the waters of developing in the darkroom so long as it gets me to making a great gelatin silver print!  That's all I care about, so why not investigate and try a slightly different approach.  I'm thinking there are several ways to do this whole process.  Sure there's basics, but each and every person who develops in the darkroom has their own way of doing things.  My first step is to dilute the Dektol 1:3 v. 1:2 as it states on the package.  Apparently the results are the same - maybe better.  That will be my first experiment!

In regards to print archiving, I've not done this step ever, which is to use a selenium toner to create an archival print.  I'm not an expert, but by doing this it looks like three more steps are added to the process!  Yikes!  I'm searching for a process that will give me true blacks and white whites.  There is also a product out there that basically helps bleach?? for a truer white.  Again, I'm still learning.  As far as the 'yellow' I've been referring to, that seems to be a standard result and maybe that's the 'warm tone' I'm reading about that is often referred to.  Who knows?  Only my persistence will give me the answers I'm looking for!

Here's one that I've printed out at least five times.  It is one of the last frames of Croatia.  I'm going to try it one more time in the Dektol dilution of 1:3 and see what that does.