Richard Small Photographs..A Fraction Of My Life

Another Rambling Commentary from The Peanut Gallery:

2012-01-24T13:04:00.005-05:00

OK, I will admit it, I shoot digital. I shoot lots of it too. I would rather shoot film 100% of the time but come on, lets face it, digital is easier and cheaper. This is where the basis for this diatribe rises from; the word "easier". The aspect I pick on today is what I have heard called by many photogs as “Barbie filters”. You must of seen them advertised in Shutterbug and mostly Rangefinder magazines. Take a shot of an attractive individual and ‘click’…they be all shiny and smooth, like Barbie and Ken. Blech. I know, I know..its what the client wants from those that shoot to get the big bucks and put food on the table. BUT, why not try and show people in their true beauty? I am fortunate, I do not make a living with my photography, (found out the hard way it takes all the fun out of it) so I am not at the mercy of a uber vain society. People are individuals thanks to the powers that be. I love showing people in such a way that little is needed to be asked. Where as when I see a Barbie-shot, I have to ask myself what the hell they really look like! Hope no one took offense...none intended, just my often ignored, over inflated ego type of rambling that most are used to. Peace out

iPod Touch Still Life with Hipstamatic

2012-01-12T17:24:00.001-05:00

Late Cosmos

2012-01-12T17:18:00.001-05:00

Annie

2012-01-12T10:43:00.002-05:00

I recently watched a great show on Ovation TV on Annie Leibovitz , a great documentary photographer that I have admired for years, Starting with Rolling Stone magazine living the rock star life herself to more recent personal work and fashion work for Vanity Fair. Her work stands out and demands attention. So, if you get a chance watch” Life Through a Lense” and enjoy two great hours!

Wet Winter Wonderland

2012-01-11T19:36:00.001-05:00

Love Grab Shots

2012-01-09T15:26:00.000-05:00

New Beginnings

2012-01-09T09:51:00.001-05:00

Time Goes By

2012-01-09T09:27:00.001-05:00

I have decided after much thought to remove myself from and position of “power” from the Hancock County Photo Club. This was at first a hard decision because I have been involved in keeping photo clubs afloat for almost 25 years here in Ellsworth. When I first started out with fellow photog Mary Ellen Martell in forming the most recent club, a past member of the Ellsworth Photographic Society which I started back in September of 1987 said to me, “WHY? Heading up a photo club is like herding cats, and you should know that?!” Well, he was right, but don’t get me wrong, they are all well-mannered and likeable cats. You see, keeping any group, especially one involving extremely creative individuals such as photogs are concerned, is a almost full time position.
Being at a stage in my life that is very active in a number of venues, I had to back down and believe that hopefully someone will step up to the plate and take over HCPC. I am looking forward to starting a few personal photography projects that have been put on the back burner for a couple of decades. I look forward to putting my work out in the public view soon with the results of these projects. I just plain look forward to being just a photographer….and meeting with my fellow OFs again on a regular basis!

Stop Taking Pictures and Start Producing Photographs

2011-10-04T14:08:00.002-05:00

Interesting meeting last night of the Hancock County Photography Club (HCPC). Small turnout but lots of interesting dialogue on what we wanted to see in the future for topics to be discussed, possible guest speakers and such. Normal club-fare. One area we mentioned was the basics of photography and how they pertain to today’s digital shooters who have little if none background in analog photography. I have stood on many soapboxes here in this blog about my feelings about at least learning what a f-stop is, what a shutter speed is and how they relate to each other in producing a image that is acceptable to you. Remember, first and foremost you are shooting for you…make yourself smile about an image and others will be infected as well. Back to the basics..digital allows someone to start off running the marathon without learning to walk first…great photos..or should I say pictures. There is a difference you know. Get to learn the very basics of this great artform and you will stop taking pictures and then start producing photographs..believe me, it works.

Sculpture and Photography? Just My Opinion.

2011-09-20T09:07:00.001-05:00

I attended a meeting of the Hancock County Photo Club last night. It was a unique meeting, a sculptor, John McMurry, spoke to us on the art itself and how to photograph it. Now you might ask, why have a sculptor speak at a photo club meeting? A number of reasons. First, McMurry was not only a ex teacher but a photography teacher who also sculpts from recycled materials. Second, I feel sorry for artists that are so etched in one genre and fail to see the importance of studying art as a whole. This was an great opportunity to evolve as artists. Third, this artist was invited to our club by a young member who has come out of his shell and wanted to share a friend with us whom this fellow member thinks a lot of, and after meeting and speaking with John I know why. I was taken aback by the lack of thought about the feelings of other fellow members especially seeing how this speaker came to be asked to speak. Let’s stay open-minded, we are all artists, whether photographers, painters, sculptors or written word….learn from each other, enjoy the moments that we get to share experiences. Thank you Jared for sharing.

Love This Time Of Year..Good Photography Weather!

2011-09-19T13:55:00.001-05:00

Another restart to the Hancock County Photography Club tonight. We will see where this ends up. I love a Photo club such as we have with HCPC…open, friendly learning/sharing experience. This past summer it kinda fell by the wayside. Everyone here in Maine sets their sights on better things to do than sit in a meeting atmosphere on a warm summer night, myself being one of them! But now with Fall quickly approaching and the sun setting waaayy before bedtime, good friends and photography seem not so bad. I have been shooting tons of digital with all good intentions of digging out the TLR and a couple of rolls of Tri-X. Not having a darkroom anymore I have used this as an excuse. But with a little help of the Google-Gods I see that there are alternatives…just got to dig deeper and see what I can do. First of all is tackle that nasty procrastination alligator and put him in a cage for awhile.

Where Does It End?

2011-09-19T13:31:00.000-05:00

Max

2011-09-19T13:24:00.002-05:00

Union River, Ellsworth, ME

2011-09-19T13:18:00.000-05:00

Mall Spirits

2011-09-13T13:13:00.001-05:00

He Watches Over Us.

2011-09-13T13:06:00.001-05:00

Alternatives

2011-09-13T13:04:00.001-05:00

Photography is about the image and what it says, the trip to that final image is the fun stuff. This shot was with an iPod touch with processing done, blog entry done with image uploaded using one item....cool.

Think Film While Shooting Digital

2011-09-05T15:43:00.002-05:00

The last time I posted here was in April of this year and made mention that Labor Day was right around the corner. Guess what, today IS Labor day. I have a summers worth of images to process now. I must sit back, take a deep breath and think like I am shooting film and be selective instead of just dumping the whole lot on some site which digital has made it very easy to do. Trust me, it makes you a better photog thinking film while shooting digital!

Blue Hill Fair..Summer Is Over

2011-09-05T15:40:00.001-05:00

SHOOT...for God's Sake Shoot..now...!

2011-04-08T13:40:00.002-05:00

Life breathes deep energy into a winter worn soul, grass sprouts up against the warm foundation of home, the snow piles die a blessed lingering death, holding on to the last vestiges of it’s miserable exsistance. “Die, you damn white trash” I mumble as I stroll the canine across the reviving lawn to enable him to crop dust the area. What the hell does this have to do with photography…get your ass out there and shoot images..that what it means..we have been hibernating for too long. Look at it this way, Labor Day is just around the corner…he, he..sadistic? I agree but its true!

Dead Economy

2011-04-08T13:27:00.000-05:00

Spring Storm

2011-04-08T13:25:00.000-05:00

Faux Holga Congo

2011-04-08T09:47:00.000-05:00

Cole's "Rule of Thirds"!

2011-02-14T10:36:00.002-05:00

COLE THOMPSON:

"A great image is comprised of 1/3 vision, 1/3 the shot and 1/3 processing
A great image begins and ends with your vision. Vision is a tough concept to describe, but I think each of us instinctively know how we want our image to look, and our job as an artist is to bring that image into compliance with our vision.
When we pursue an image with vision, then equipment and process becomes the servant and the creative process the master. It’s only then that great images can occur.
Vision is everything."

When you get a chance, check out Cole's great site!

http://www.colethompsonphotography.com/

Wintertime At The Ellsworth Library

2011-01-24T15:01:00.001-05:00

Its cold, windy and white...what better time to take Winter photos!

For Want of a Holga

2011-01-21T14:11:00.002-05:00

Having recently gone mostly digital,I have been missing the funkiness of my Holga with all its crappy quirks which I love so much. So with my trusty pont and shoot 10mp Olympus I headed out in the "storm of the week" and then did some post production hocus pocus in Picassa..getting closer, not quite but closer.

Fresh January Snow

2011-01-16T15:18:00.000-05:00

Snow In Maine..Go Figure

2011-01-12T13:34:00.000-05:00

Corner of Peter's Block

2011-01-12T10:38:00.000-05:00

Freshly Painted Plug!

2010-11-15T14:58:00.000-05:00

Main Street Ellsworth

2010-11-15T14:50:00.000-05:00

End of the apples 2.

2010-11-15T14:47:00.000-05:00

End of the apples.

2010-11-15T14:46:00.000-05:00

It was a dark and dreary night, when....

2010-10-18T13:57:00.001-05:00

It rained last night…well early evening. What’s this got to do with photography? Well, when someone becomes complacent and sits back and waits for the weather to become ‘right’, well you will end up S.O.L. a large percentage of the time…especially here in Maine. There’s that cliché saying; “If you don’t like the weather in Maine, just wait a minute”. Its very true and usually it ends up being a lot crappier! In other ramblin words…don’t wait, get out there and shoot. There are pictures to be made in that miserable weather, throw on that raincoat, grab that parker, slather on that sunscreen and bug juice. Get out there and create some kick-ass images! Well, I came back in after shooting during the rain…wet and grousing, wiping the equipment down. I downloaded the pictures…they all sucked big time! Oh well, if hadn’t gotten off my comfy chair encrusted backside I would not of even had anything at all to cull out……and would have been sound asleep in front of the flat panel god. Next time for sure!

Hancock County Photography Club...a start!

2010-10-05T12:03:00.002-05:00

Hmmmmm, well, Mary Ellen Martel and myself got yet another edition of a photo club off the ground last night. With all indicators we were estimating 10, possibly 12 attending. Which would be a good start in our book! Come 7 PM, the advertised starting time we had about 10 people there..and then, my cell phone started ringing with people looking for directions. Then there was a steady procession of headlight coming into the parking lot! 25 attendees! Nice, and all were there for the same reason. The love of the art of photography and a common goal of wanting to be a member of a friendly photography community. We had achieved what we set out to do. Everyone was smiling and the social ending of the meeting with photogs sharing their images and everyone getting to know one another was a super thing to witness. The next meeting is at the same location at 7PM on October the 18th (Monday). Hope to see you there. And bring a couple of images, one you are proud of and if you have one that is giving you fits…bring it and hopefully you will come away with an idea or answer!
One word explains last nights meeting.. Touchdown!!!!

Right Upside the Head..POW!

2010-09-27T13:20:00.002-05:00

Well it had to happen..I sat facing my two fellow OF’s (Old Farts), Burt and Earnie..no wait, not Earnie..Skip, that’s it…Skip. Skip called me late in the afternoon; he wanted to meet with Burt and I before the first meeting of the new Hancock County Photo Club. Something about hitting me ‘upside’ the head when not witnessed by Club members. Seems just because of my life long pattern of wishy-washy attitudes towards photography and also my equally, some might call unstable, outlook about photography clubs and that recently Skip reminded me that organizing photo clubs is like herding felines (Have I mentioned I like cats!?) that I should probably be instutionalized or at least medicated….heavily. Well, the OFs held a meeting at the local Deny’s and when all were present I leaned over the table and Skip wacked me upside the cranium. Burt, level headed as he is 95% of the time (percentage varies but he is actually quite stable!) kinda just looked at me and then looked at Skip with a large WTF grin. And also kinda shaking his head like “what am I doing sitting here with these two knuckleheads. Well a short explanation by OF Skip and all was well. I then advised that the past 45 years of my life I had focused (pun intended) on B&W analog photography and that by eliminating all the pressure of having two complete darkroom setups sitting there staring at me, I was now on a new adventure in life. I advised them that I was now on a mission to make Pete Turner’s color photos look like dull chalk pastel paintings. Oh the joys of deep saturated color. I am now seeing in color which for the past few decades has been put on the back burner. The only color I have dealt with in B&W photography has been the filters of red and yellow for film shooting and the muted gels of VC printing filters…blah! Anywho, Skip and Burt sat there staring at me like I had been out in Allen’s field foraging for those Psilocybin mushrooms that alter your outlook on life for the rest of whatever you have remaining. Skip turned to Burt and muttered, “He will be looking for darkroom equipment before long, trust me”, Burt nodded in agreement. I am on a mission folks, support my mission, if you have darkroom equipment for sale....DO NOT mention it to me..please. I am having a blast with digital..help me with my cold turkey withdrawal..show me those memory cards!

Hancock County Photography Club

2010-09-17T11:15:00.003-05:00

As the look on Max's face denotes; WHAT'S UP!?!?!?

Well, as Doug just said in an email response to me, “Have you always been a glutton for punishment or is this a new thing?”..yup I am and have been for quite some time, anothe fellow photog once told me organizing any club is like trying to herd cats..hey, I like cats so no problem!

What is all this garbage about…..well…..once again there will be a new Photography Club in the area! The “Hancock County Photography Club” will hold its first meeting on Monday October 4th at 7PM in the Dining Room of Meadow View Apartments located at 25 Tweedie Lane here in Ellsworth. With a great deal of help from Mary Ellen Martel we are once again off-n-running! Here is the scoop …..waaay back in September of 1988 I started a club out of lack of communications with like minded souls that love this great art form. It evolved into the Ellsworth Photographic Society and towards the end it became the Ellsworth Photo Club. It lasted almost 20 accumulated years but fell short of the anniversary. We feel now is the time to start fresh and to make sure that one thing is right up front, all individuals, no matter if they shoot film, digital, glass plate, tin types, even Holgas, and also ANY experience levels are more than welcome to attend!!
The common factor we all have is the love of images and what the say to us in their special language!
7PM Monday October 4th, we look forward to meeting up with you. Meadow View Dining Hall is 3/10 mile past the hospital on Union Street on the right, brown sign that says Meadow View in yellow lettering, large yellow building on the left, dining hall front and center! Further info email me at res@gwi.net or call me at 460-0093 brfore 9PM..I need my beauty sleep…….all I can get.

"Nasty Tele"

2010-09-15T14:35:00.000-05:00

Deserted

2010-08-18T14:08:00.001-05:00

Straight To Heaven

2010-08-18T14:06:00.000-05:00

Empty Series 2010

2010-08-18T14:04:00.000-05:00

Empty Series 2010

2010-08-18T10:21:00.000-05:00

Empty Series 2010

2010-08-18T10:20:00.000-05:00

Empty Series 2010

2010-08-18T10:19:00.000-05:00

Empty Project 2010

2010-08-18T10:18:00.000-05:00

Series of images shot around the Ellsworth area.
2010 was supposed to be a banner year for business growth in the Ellsworth area. Like the rest of the nation financial troubles plagued many. These images show some that have been vacant for a couple of years to some just recently vacated.

Dori's

2010-07-23T14:02:00.000-05:00

Roadside Wonders

2010-07-23T13:45:00.001-05:00

Backyard Beauties

2010-07-23T13:38:00.002-05:00

Its Hot Out There..Think Cool Thoughts!

2010-07-23T13:33:00.001-05:00

Ellsworth Public Library

The End, and Beginning

2010-07-23T13:25:00.002-05:00

Day before yesterday I went and did it…I packed up and sold every bit of darkroom equipment I had..all of it, I got nothing left. I will tell you I feel great. I have been procrastinating getting the darkroom back up and running, to the point I had purchased not one, but two complete darkroom set ups. A couple of Sundays ago I loaded a roll of 120 Tri X that I had shot into the developing tank and souped it…it was no fun what so ever. Then and there I decided that the end had arrived. Uncle Henry’s, Craig’s List and a number of other internet postings were made and within two days..SOLD! I helped the guy load it into his Mini Cooper (talk about a tight fit!) and off he drove. I am now, for the first time in 45 years completely without a darkroom. Sad? Nope, I am now entering a exciting new photographic venture..Color J Well…digital to be more exact. I am now the student and not the teacher I have been to quite a few in the past. Excited..yes!

Those were the days.....

2010-05-06T13:29:00.002-05:00

Tip For The Budding "Pro".

2010-04-27T13:45:00.001-05:00

Sometimes people get ensconced in an area and continue on thru life as is. I pity them, honestly I do. Take the great art of photography; some grab a camera, digital or analog, doesn’t matter, and with a mighty hi-ho they set that critter on auto-pilot and off they go..professional photographers now abound by the clam flat full. Now, I have seen some amazing photographs being produced BUT how many out there know what to do when their batteries crap the sheets? Well, for all you digital shooters out there…bye-bye. See, with an fairly secure background in electronics I can say that digital needs some of those nasty electrons bouncing all over the place like a one legged dog lover herding cats..wild vision now, ain’t it…I digress. So when that necessary voltage goes south and you stay north..pffffftt..dead. Now, you got the shooter with the Nikon Whiz-Bang 2000 that he/she mortgaged the ranch for and, yes, the batteries died, the mirror is locked up, certain parts of the photographers anatomy is clenching tighter than you thought possible. Probably if you were to try and open the back cover to try and retrieve the film in a darkroom a small dart filled with curare will come shooting out and render the photog…dead..just like the damn batteries. Now, you got the guy with the camera that shoots multiple modes and, gasp (At this time please picture look of amazement) will operate manual. You know the “mode”, right? It involves the human computer, your brain (which also operates with electricity, but when those batteries die hopefully someone nearby remembers that 911 is a handy number to call). Ok, manual mode; DIN numbers of the film (or ASA as known by us dinosaurs), f-stops and shutter speeds. Three important factors that even the digital shooters should have basic knowledge of with their factors in producing acceptable images. How they all correlate is important folks. When I started at 11 years old, my dad, who was an ex-commercial shooter from the Boston North (Portland) district of Maine, sat me down with pencil and paper time and time again, after drilling into me the Triad of important numbers, and worked me thru scenarios after tossing out lighting conditions and ASA numbers. I passed. You see, with a Yashica D TLR shooting 6X6 CM Verichrome Pan your lucky if you remembered to save the box the film came in and you carefully tore open in the correct sequence and WOW, there was a exposure chart, of course Dad thought this was cheating, so he tossed most of the boxes in the garbage as soon as I opened them….OK, OK, where is this fool going with this mess of rambling, I feel that anyone worth their weight of being able to call themselves a “pro” should at least know what their camera is doing for them and why its doing it! Don’t be afraid to ask someone about the basics, as the old saying goes, “Learn to walk before you learn to run”. Over the past 45 years of shooting I have seen to many ‘runners’ fall flat on their faces, and stay there I am afraid. I love the smell of fixer in the morning, and 28% acetic acid, cleans out most stuffed sinus passages really fast!

I digress..yet again...

2010-04-05T09:33:00.003-05:00

Recently I have been sitting back and taking stock of what’s happening in photography, locally and elsewhere. I enjoy frequenting a local eatery, 2-3 times a week, which has revolving art displays to enjoy. As of a few weeks ago they have had prints of photographs hanging done by a local shooter. Images of mostly coastal Maine. Composition wise..nice, other wise…personally, yikes talk about Photoshop-Overdose. Today it has become so evident when someone spends way too much time ‘tweaking’ an image. I know, I know, its another photographic “advancement” but crikeys mates, tone it down a bit! I have stood hours in darkrooms over the past 45 years dodging and burning scenes before sliding them into Dektol to bring them to life but its just too damn obvious when an image has been overdone analog or digital wise. Whenever I have done manipulation to a image, analog or digital, I make a disclosure of what was done and to what extent and if possible why. There is no way in hell some of today’s work could be taken as ‘wow that must have been a beautiful day’ shots, but I digress. My question to up and coming photographers is, like other artistic venues, why don’t they study the successful masters of the art and learn from these greats? Some of the great abstract painters have a grounding knowledge and ability of creating realist artwork. Why not learn what the camera is achieving when you diddle with that knob or dial? We have become overall a society of “I want it all and all of it now!”, we have no patience with true creative processing. We want our paints to dry so we can screw with them and hide them. We don’t wait for the beauty of oils to come thru in the drying and curing process like the masters did, we dig out the hair dryer and hit the warp speed button to bake the acrylics to a crispy crunch sheen. Hence the photoshop addiction. Just how many digital-diddlers can explain how depth of field is determined and then obtained? How do you calculate a new f-stop when shutter speeds have to be changed…with ASA 400 film? I admit, I shoot some digital and understand the draw, BUT…….aw heck I digress……yet again….

Reasons to stick with silver

2010-03-30T13:00:00.002-05:00

The following is gathered from:www.rogerandfrances.com

Very few arts ever die. There are still people making daguerreotypes, just as there are still gesso painters and sculptors in bronze.

A different look. Film images look different from digital, just as watercolours look different from oils. Choose whichever you prefer. We are in no doubt.

Better quality, cheaper. Depending on whom you believe, a 35mm transparency equates to anything from 12 to 30+ megapixels, with the smart money on 18-20 megapixels. Bigger formats deliver even more.

Proven archival keeping. There are constant stories of caches of old prints or glass plates turning up, often from a century or more ago.

No special equipment needed to examine negatives or prints. Compare this with digital images where you need a computer and a compatible reader and compatible software.

Easier to store, file and find. We find it a lot quicker (and more enjoyable) to check 500 slides in hanging files than we do to load a CD into a computer and view a few dozen images, then change CDs and view another few dozen, then...
No need for periodical 'back-ups'. A boon for those with better things to do with their lives than pander to the unsavoury needs of computers.

An enormous reservoir of first-class cameras. Are people going to junk their Leicas, Alpas and Gandolfis? Hardly.

Pleasure. It's enjoyable to take pictures with a first-class piece of engineering that is designed to last for decades, and then to make pictures that exercise your technical and aesthetic skills in the real world, instead of in front of a computer.
Tradition. Many of the greatest pictures ever made were taken with film cameras. The fact that there may have been no alternative at the time is somewhat beside the point: many want to follow in the footsteps of the great photographers of the past. 'Alternative' processes such as Argyrotypes hark back to point 2, above, but also deserve mention here.

Printer's Alley, Nashville

2010-03-25T14:00:00.003-05:00

Continuing on with the street-shooting theme, we came across this ‘establishment’ while strolling up Printer’s Alley in Nashville, lots of history in this area and LOTS of subject matter. If you are brave enough there is even more to see at night. The Nashville shots were with a Olympus pocket sized digital camera and converted to grayscale in Fotofiltre.

Street Photography

2010-03-25T13:45:00.001-05:00

Walking through streets with your camera is one of the great pleasures of being a photographer. Whether it’s your hometown or visiting another area, the possibilities are endless. Last October my wife and I spent a week in downtown Nashville. We have gone there 3 times to visit and always come away refreshed. Speaking for myself I find the opportunity to do some street shooting a great challenge. You hang on Broadway and visit the bars and I guarantee you will find some interesting subject matter!

Image Gazer Productions

2010-03-04T10:27:00.003-05:00

There is a new business opening here in Ellsworth, Image Gazer Productions. (They have a Facebook page, search them out and join their fanbase!) Image Gazer is the brainchild of one Robin Farrin. Robin is a long time local Photographer here in the area. She also has a penchant for dealing with the young artisans here in Hancock County. Image Gazer Productions is a combination of individuals using various visual media working ideas off each other. Last night we had a meeting there for a hopeful reformation of a long standing Photo Club here in Ellsworth. Lots of familiar faces showed up along with many new ones. The meeting itself was great, the sharing of experiences, ideas, and visions we all had about Photography. Integrated into the group was the aspect of videography and how it gels with still photography. Two young artists present showed what the area has to offer in the future reference their respective fields. Dylan Howard displayed stills from videos he had produced and Colin Lowry shared some analog B&W prints. Dylan’s stills were super, and after going online and viewing his videos I can only say “great work!” The stills did not do justice to the video productions, a great imaginative mind was behind all. On the other end of the spectrum, Colin shared some fiber based silver prints of an abandoned homestead he visited a number of times. For those of us still with our toes dug into the analog beachhead it was very inspiring. The prints showed craftsmanship one usually encounters when viewing work of photographers with decades of work behind them. Seeing the work of these two young artists ignited a spark in myself I have not felt in years and gives me hope that with ‘newbies” such as they in our area..we are in for a great future! In a nutshell, the meeting itself was super; the interaction with fellow artists afterward was, as the ad says; “priceless”.

You might be spending too much time in the darkroom if:

2010-01-13T15:15:00.002-05:00

1.Your wife asks you to move the print washer so she can take a bath.
2.You bang your glass on the dining table and twist it 90 degrees back and forth at dinner.
3.You walk by the 1-hour photo-lab at the mall and feel a twinge of desire.
4.While reading, your hand goes over your head to adjust the focus.
5. Your Wife has to retreive her measuring cups and spoons from your darkroom before cooking dinner.
6. You have more Rodinal aging in your celler than you do wine.
7. When you start inhaling stop bath to clear your sinuses
8. When you go outside, you wish for a pair of those huge, black sunglasses old people wear.
9. People start mistaking you for a goth or vampire because of your pale complexion and distaste for light.
10. You find yourself counting seconds while shaking a bottle of juice at lunch break.

Thanks to www.darkroomsource.net for the above!

Pola...droid?

2010-01-13T10:29:00.005-05:00

Want to have fun with those images you have digitalized? Go to www.poladroid.net and download their program. You will be able to drag and drop images from your storage spaces to an onscreen SX-70 type camera icon, and it will "spit out" a SX-70 type image! Dive back to the 70's with your images and have fun...yikes, talk about retro!
(Oh yea, this was taken in Tootsie's in Nashville, thats my wife Dotty in the front on the left alongside our daughter Kayla, back row is "Chris" and myself...I am the one with the shorter hair!)

Nonphotography?

2010-01-13T10:26:00.001-05:00

Well now, a rather interesting website showed up on my radar the other day..Nonphotography.com (http://www.nonphotography.com/) Maintained by a young lady that goes by the name of Nitsa, it shows a different insight into photography than most of us are used to taking. Take a peak when you get a chance and see what you think. Interesting.

Enroute To Winkaumpaugh

2009-11-23T18:22:00.001-05:00

Summer in Ellsworth and exploring brings you to endless opportunities throughout the area.

What do you see?

2009-11-20T13:54:00.002-05:00

The images are there folks, right there…see them right in front of you!? Don’t feel sorry if you don’t, most people just look at scenes, few actually SEE what is there. Shadows, patterns, colors, grayscale interpretations…stares and glares, tears and smiles. Next time you look at something, take the time and see what is there, you will become a better photographer..and person.

Woodbine Stone Sentinals

2009-11-20T13:46:00.000-05:00

Stone Sentinels, they stand guard over the graves of someone’s loved ones. Great subjects for those who respect where they reside.

The Full Circle

2009-10-26T14:08:00.003-05:00

I have come full circle. I am now the proud owner of a 45 year old Yashica D TLR..the first camera I ever owned that got me started down the rocky path of photography. As fellow O.F. Skip told me in a recent email..”enough of the digital hocus pocus”…of course with out digital this photo included would not of happened, but don’t tell Skip, he would be very disapointed.

Downeast Photography Group......Cyber that is! :-)

2009-08-07T13:40:00.002-05:00

Greetings all! Over the past 20 years here in Downeast Maine, especially here in the Ellsworth area, there has been a roller coaster ride of photography societies and clubs, Good intentions by all involved to provide an outlet for those of us who are hopelessly “hooked” on photography. The most recent one had a two meeting run before falling on hard times. Well, being one who hates to give up on causes I have started a Facebook “Group”; DOWNEAST PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP…catchy, huh!? Facebook: www.facebook.com
(If you join Facebook [great networking tool] go to the search box at the upper right hand side and enter Downeast Photography Group and go from there!)
Anyway, I have had a lot of calls and emails recently about what’s happening with a club and thought this might be a place to get the ball rolling…once again. Who knows what might happen soon! Keep in touch folks!res@gwi.net or smallphotos@myfairpoint.net

Is It A Sign!?

2009-06-09T07:53:00.002-05:00

Well, Burt, fellow OF, was very kind to give me a Kiev 6X6 SLR to use seeing that my C33 adventure did an abrupt face-plant. What a great beast that camera is..problem is that it does not focus at infinity. I posted on photo.net forum my dilemma and got a few suggestions from those that evidently know a lot more about the actual physical operations of such a critter. Well to make a long story short, I worked on the computer last night and produced a couple of kick ass B&W prints........hmmmmmm

Gotta Love It

2009-05-08T11:10:00.003-05:00

For anyone interested there appeared a great article on the http://www.photo.net/ website today (link below). Expounding the joys of film photography, I urge all to read it closely. There is hope for us dinosaurs yet! Film is showing a resurgence which is heartening for the analog shooters making the world a better place.

http://photo.net/learn/film/open-letter-to-film-users/

C 33..History..Gone...Kaput.....

2009-05-07T11:18:00.002-05:00

Well, the blasted C33 which I thought was going to revert me to my younger years of photography has in fact caused an over production of gray hairs. BUT due to the great nature of the gent I purchased it from months ago he agreed to give me a total refund! Now my saga continues in the quest of a bare bones analog camera..you know the ones, film and all that neat stuff! Hmmmmm...

Go Figure......

2009-04-23T08:01:00.003-05:00

Well, I have had a life full of ‘good intentions’; the most recent was investing a large sum of money to get back into film photography. Purchasing, what I thought was a nice 45-year-old Mamyia C 33 TLR camera and a large amount of updated darkroom equipment, i.e. chemicals, paper and film. Now, the TLR is giving me fits by not loading film properly. Looks like if I want to get my monie's worth out of my investments I have to dig out the trusty $20.00 Holga…go figure.

IMAGE:

"Dave G."

Taken with Holga using a Vivitar flash, Tri-X developed in HC-110, printed on Poly RC VC II paper.

The OF's

2009-01-30T12:26:00.004-05:00

Kinda looks for now like the new 'club' here in town went...fizzle. Possibly back in the spring..hope so. But there are three of us..the OFs (Old Farts of course) that meet on a somewhat irregular/regular basis at a local eatery. The discussions are vairied, but photography is always the basis of this experience. Personally I can say they have saved me from making some unwise descisions in reference to going to the darkside...digital. hehe Now, with a 45 year old Mamyia C33 TLR I re-enter the world of B&W fim photography. I figure its time to slow down my world and take my time and get back to using my brain for a change instead of some 2 billion giga byte, 20 gazillion mega pixel image producing monster. Oh, when it comes to color, the digital will be brought out, but for personal shooting of projects I have been thinking of...silver prints are the only way to go. Well, last night's 'meeting' went from Burt's frozen Tech Pan film and its ASA..to digital B&W..to grinding grains and making homemade breads..to.................well, it was a good meeting. Burt 'n' I 'n' Skip..three OFs changing the world, stand back folks it might not be a pretty site!

Down on the Union

2008-12-23T10:02:00.003-05:00

In years past I spent countless hours on the Union River here in Ellsworth chasing stripers and bluefish on the tides with my late father. Hours of trolling up and down the river gave one a chance to enjoy the beauty of the Union that was often overlooked in the 60’s and 70’s. It was a place to go and escape, a place to view scenes the founders of Ellsworth saw centuries ago. Photographic opportunities were everywhere and I always tried to take a camera with me. This landing area was always one of my favorites and putting ashore enabled me to take this shot. This was taken with an Olympus OM-1 35mm SLR with a Sigma 28mm wide-angle lens. Film was Tri-X that was developed in HC-110 and the print was made on Poly RC II variable contrast paper.

Only Tom!

2008-12-04T14:46:00.001-05:00

This photo was taken at Tom’s Tattoos on one of our many “family visits” for some artwork! The photo of these unique business card holders was altered in FotoFiltre to give a painterly effect. I did one of the same printed onto watercolor paper…sweeeet.

Tis the season.....

2008-12-04T14:41:00.002-05:00

.....for the early morning and late afternoon harsh lighting just waiting to be used for great effects!

Love the Infrared!

2008-12-04T14:28:00.002-05:00

This image dates when it was taken, if you look closely to the right, you will see the sign on the back of the building starting with J.J., JJ Newberry’s of course! The original ‘department’ store in Down East Maine! Taken with 35mm infrared film, using a red 25A filter, developed in
HC-110 liquid developer, and printed on Poly RCII VC paper.

Another Door Opens (Photo Ramblings)

2008-07-01T09:39:00.002-05:00

Boy, it’s been a whirlwind past year. Lots going on personally and it has given me much chance to look back at the past and most of all ponder the future. I have thought a great deal about how my past has impacted my present and how the future might be shaping up. Health wise it has been a roller coaster ride. This has been the impetus for deep thinking, and this thinking has given me a deeper realization on how much photography has impacted my life. With my late father being my mentor and him being the consummate practitioner of anything he becomes involved with….. I learned from the best as far as I am concerned.
I now face a future that going back to analog shooting will brighten, both being able to produce silver prints again and experiencing the joys that doing so brings me.
The future, I love it!

Union

2008-04-28T11:50:00.003-05:00

The great Union River. Center of commerce for years for the city of Ellsworth. Also one of the unknown great resources for photographers looking for nature shots. Over the years I have photographed ospreys fishing, eagles soaring, seals chasing bait fish and many other of Mother Natures "shows". This is a digital capture converted to B&W in Photofiltre.

The Peters Block

2007-03-14T11:24:00.000-05:00

The Peters Block in Ellsworth is one of the most impressive business blocks located in the city. When the original Graham Lake Dam broke in the early part of the twentieth century water pounded up against this block with little noticeable damage. It has survived the tests of time and still shines to this day.

I hold a special place in my heart for this block, my childhood afternoons were spent waiting for my mother to get off work in McNally's Restaurant which was located on the corner of State and Main. For a very short time in the early 1970's I had a photo studio located above what is now Pyramid Studios. My first real paying job in photography was as a shooter and darkroom tech for the local newspaper Tuesday Weekly which was a radical newspaper in it's time. The Tuesday Weekly was run out of one of the apartments located in the Peter's Block.

This image shows the 'working' side of the block down back by the Union River.

Shot digital, converted to B&W , printed out onto Arches 140lb watercolor paper and then hand colored with pastel...it speaks of the area for what it is.

Ellsworth History

Cool Desolation

2007-01-30T13:37:00.000-05:00

Night time in Ellsworth provides another world for the photographer to deal with!

Digital image converted to grayscale in PhotoFiltre program.

State Street Sentinel

2007-01-30T12:47:00.000-05:00

Summertime, State Street in Ellsworth and he is on duty as usual. Greeting all that pass with a gaze that only dogs can give.

Digital image converted to grayscale with PhotoFiltre program.

Tiger

2007-01-25T15:42:00.000-05:00

Pictures taken years ago. Some you remember..others not. Some people say that images of past may come back to haunt you. I say they remind you. Remind you of how times have changed and how you have. Times that were enjoyed and learned from.

Photo was taken with a Minolta SRT-101 35mm SLR with a 28mm wide angle lens, Tri-X film developed in D-76, printed on Polycontrast RC.

Lamoine Morning Fog

2007-01-25T15:01:00.000-05:00

A grab shot with a digital camera that surprises you with it's subtleness, taken at a moment when photography was not the purpose of the visit. It's part of the joys of being in love with the art for so long.

Bragdon's

2007-01-25T14:17:00.000-05:00

The empty, barren hallway makes one wonder what is around the corner.

Well its actually a second floor landing on the way to the third and top floor where my wife and I lived a couple of years after we were married. This is where I usually shifted the bags of groceries around getting a better grip before my final ascent!

Shot was taken with a 35mm Olympus OM-1 SLR using Tri-X film developed in HC-110 developer. Printed on Kodak Polycontrast II paper developed in Dektol 1:3.

Charlie's

2007-01-25T14:09:00.000-05:00

Its funny how you go by some place time and time again and you look at things but fail to 'see' them. Case in point is this structure that I pass by almost on a daily basis. I stopped for another reason, looked up and 'saw' this image for how it might end up, as it is above. Shooting with a digital camera I "processed" it with the PhotoFiltre program converting it to Black & White.

When I get a darkroom up and running I am going to shoot the same with fim and compare.

Starbawl Road

2007-01-25T12:32:00.000-05:00

One of the fantastic things about living in Eastern Maine is the abundance of subject matter for anyone serious about the art of photography. This image, shot on 35mm infared film with a Olympus OM-1 SLR using a 28mm f 2.8 lense, is one minute away from where I live in Ellsworth. In the other direction from my house, "downtown" is less than 1 minute away!

Film developed in Kodak HC-110 developer.

Orignal print is made on Kodak Polycontrast II paper developed in Dektol developer.

2007-01-25T10:32:00.000-05:00

"Card's Brook"

120 Tri-X shot with a Holga plastic toy camera.

This image shot, with a Holga, portrays the pond in Card's Brook path and the start of the pond's demise, being over run by cat 'o' nine tails. We lived next to the pond for years and it was open water up to the near forground where the leafless tree is to the right.

Fish, beaver, turtles and a family of mallards made their home there. It was a great place to vist which we did very often.

What little open water you see there is now gone. The bleak black and white image made with the unpredictable Holga is a fitting image to represent a habitat's death.

INTRO

2007-01-24T14:34:00.004-05:00

I guess the best intro is what I have posted at times before which is below. Guess it says it all.

Photographic Memories

The other day I was looking through a box of older photographs my mother gave me. Included was a bound packet of photographs that showed combat scenes from W.W.II, some of which my late father took, some older family photographs of my father, his brother and his mother. All of these were taken when they were of a young age.
I then opened a metal index card box which had my name and the brand of the camera which I started out using, printed on the outside of it.
When I opened it, the first thing I saw were photos of kittens that I had taken and were the first that I had published, which for a teenager was quite a thrill! Digging deeper I came across photos I had completely forgotten about in the past thirty-five years. Shots of my family and friends. Classmates engaged in school time pranks, motorcycles, cars, everything a teenage boy studied in the 60’s.
Behind an index card I came across some photos that looked even older than the ones of mine which were 30-plus years old. Once again cats, boats, scenic, shots taken from the bridge of a ship. Photos my dad had taken in his youth. I stopped and stared at them for what seemed forever. His photographs were much like mine.
Then I checked the back of the box for any others before I stashed my find away. Only one other that was face-down. Turning it over, I found myself looking into my father’s eyes. A photo I had taken in Bangor of him sitting on the hood of the family car, parked outside Dakin’s Sporting Goods where he had taken me to buy my first "real" camera.
I was about twelve at the time. I had been working odd jobs during the past couple of summers, saving all I could.
Starting another summer, my father saw that I had the potential to drive my mother batty by Labor Day if something wasn’t done,…. soon.
Dad "advised" me to withdraw my savings and accompany him to Bangor. When we arrived, he escorted me into Dakin’s Sporting Goods where they also had the area’s largest photographic department. I stood looking in awe at the wall of equipment that I had no idea what was used for!
I walked out of there with a new Yashica D, Twin Lens Reflex Camera! I didn’t have a clue as to how to even hold the thing!
That summer he taught me the "art" and science of photography. It was a rough summer. Dad being the meticulous person that he was, and I being an almost-teenager.......his methods worked.
Now, with 40-plus years of photography behind me, looking at his work alongside mine I see that we shared a vision in not only photography, but life. I have shot weddings and portraits had work printed in newspapers, magazines and have made private sales, but the photographs I have made of family and friends are the images that will always stay with me.
Again I looked at the photo of my dad before closing the box checking to see if the negative was still attached to the back of the index card. There it was. Now I know which photograph I will be printing the next time I am in the darkroom! Thanks Dad.

Since I first wrote this I have been at it a 'few' more years with a few more shots (film that is!) under my belt. Addictive, why yes it is.