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Entries in film (20)

Saturday
Mar202010

Experimenting

I don't know for how long I had been salivating over Polaroid images from fellow photographers and wondering what sorts of images I could shoot if only I had the guts to try it. But no, instead of playing and experimenting, I held back because I felt some sort of confinement within the type of photography I usually do: sharp, saturated, colorful. I did not want to get out of my style box so to speak.

Then just before my recent trip to Mexico, I had a moment of compulsion and ordered a refurbished SX70 and a few packs of TZ & 600 film from the Impossible Project shop. Gulp! A few hundreds of dollars later I was highly committed to at least try it out, even if I had to hide the results forever inside a trunk in the attic!

Little did I know that it would be so much fun! Not only did I gasp at each step of the analog process with child's delight, but I also fell in love with the results achieved by trying out the different types of film. For some of you old school photographers, this may be as trivial as rice and beans. But for a digital self taught girl like me, this experience was an exciting gourmet experience. And the results were fun to see, because despite the medium, I realized that my eyes still capture and frame things the same way, which was really reaffirming and heart warming for me.

This week, I encourage you to get out of your box. If you've been shooting with a zoom lens for too long, try a prime. If you have been shooting digital, try film. If you always do color, play with black and white. Let's challenge our brain and stretch those creative muscles!

What has been begging you to try new ways to experiment? If you have already been experimenting, show us what you've got, we'd love to see!

Sunday
Feb282010

the six questions featuring Jenny Vorwaller

As promised earlier this month, today I introduce you to another talented Jennifer. Jenny Vorwaller stole my heart the minute I came across her lovely blog True Nature where she shares insights and inspiration on photography, fashion, art, travel and motherhood. Not only is Jenny one of the kindest souls and most beautiful women I've seen, she is also a talented photographer, painter, jewelry designer and dedicated wife and mother. Her approach to life, creating and finding beauty wherever she is, is delightful and inspiring.

Jenny kindly accepted to answer all 8 questions of our Shutter Sisters interview. Here are her answers:

1. What's the story behind this photo?

My best friend from Buenos Aires was visiting me in Seattle, and we had been walking around Alki Beach that day. I remember walking by this adorable little girl and struck up a conversation with her mother. We were collectively admiring her shoes, her pull toy, her doll-like appearance. Before I knew it I was asking permission to take some Polaroids of Sally. She was really hard to resist and I just wanted to remember that moment.

2. What was it that lit your photography spark? Do you remember a particular camera, course, person, roll of film?

It's always been there... I think it's been with me so long that I don't remember one marked incidence or first camera. Tracing back to those first moments learning in the darkroom is sort of like remembering my first kiss. Sparks! And there was this one time when I was a kid... I remember taking pictures with a cheap disposable camera out the window of our family van while the van was moving, I was always aiming at everything. My brothers had fun with that. "Look Jenny! It's a field! Take a picture! Look Jenny! It's a cow, take a picture!" We were awesome. And the more I think of my childhood photography skills, the more I see I haven't changed all that much.

3. What's your photo philosophy? Does it reflect your life philosophy?

I'm all intuition: in my art, in my life.

4. Where do you look for inspiration?

Outside. Magazines. Music. Fashion. My boys.

5. What would you say is one of your "signature" editing tricks, themes or style? What do you think makes an image recognizable and uniquely yours?

I'm not sure how to define it - but looking through the viewfinder, I would recognize it if I saw it. My husband would say, "if it moves... (brief pause) or not." So true!

6. What aspect of your photography are you constantly working on, trying to improve?

Developing my film. It sits around for ages before I get those pictures printed out from the rolls. But it doesn't slow me down from shooting, and if we're being honest, I think I subconsciously let them pile up because then it's all a surprise once I see the photos and I love that! It's like opening a present that you always wanted but didn't suspect anyone would ever get for you.

7. If you could go anywhere in the world for an epic, weeklong photo excursion all by your luxuriously unhurried self - regardless of money, time or childcare issues - where would you go and why?

Morocco. Seychelles. Santa Fe! Right now I am so determined to go somewhere sunny that I'm looking at locales with sandy beaches and summery colors. We might even be booking a flight tonight: this is what Seattle February does to a girl. I have this dream of bringing an air stream trailer full of my beautiful friends (they are all so beautiful) and I would pack with us lots of bright colored, neon frocks and drive into the desert. I'm dying to see that contrast of the landscape against flowing dresses and scarves... It will be done!

8. Are there women out there that you consider your shutter sisters? Who, and why?

I'm so used to being the one in my circle with the camera that people usually rely on me to be taking all the pictures, which I secretly love. When there is an opportunity to meet up with friends who are obsessed with photography as I am, we have a blast! Taking pictures with my younger sister is always a pleasure - we can have gooey beauty facemasks on, I'll bring props into a photo booth with her, trade big hats on the beach... I love that feeling when you are at ease enough with a person to want to take hundreds of photos together and still want more.

Thank you Jenny!

You can see more of Jenny's beautiful work on her blog and Flickr pool.

Tuesday
Feb232010

These Things I Need to Know

Oh, how I love this man, Dr. Nix. My Photography 101 professor. I didn't intend to pursue photography as a career at the time, but was intrigued with it enough to take the class as an elective en route to my BFA. Dr. Nix taught me how to make a pinhole camera with balsa wood to emphasize the importance of learning to control light with the simplest of tools. He taught me how to develop film and make prints in the darkroom. But beyond all the technical stuff, he encouraged me. And hearing him say, "you've got a great eye" is (to this day) one of the best compliments I've ever received.

We reconnected a few years ago when I realized that he lived just 30 minutes from my door. Spending time with him in his home with his wife is such a gift for me. Last Friday, we talked about the start of his photography career as a photojournalist and the excitement of being called in the middle of the night to capture news in the making. "Have you ever seen an ole' 4x5?" he asked. I hadn't. And so my lesson began. Within minutes he returned to the sofa with a black box, pieced together his Crown Graphic 4x5 press camera (weighing in at a hefty 8 pounds), and demonstrated the very manual process of making images "on the fly" back in 1953. And giving a sweet glance in the direction of his beautiful wife, he even told me about the time he had to change his film under a sorority girl's lengthy skirt.

I'm grateful for this time with him. The wisdom of his life. He gives me a window into a past I'll never know. Share a portrait of wisdom with us today, or make it a point to seek it out.


Monday
Aug032009

Into the Unknown

When I first saw this photo of Jen Lee and her Diana camera, it was love at first sight.  A couple months later, I got my own for my birthday.  I quickly shot two rolls on 120 film, but had a hard time finding a place that would develop and scan slide film who was also open during hours when I wasn't tied to my desk at work.  The two rolls sat in a drawer, and the camera became just another pretty decoration.

Lucky for me, I met THE Jen Lee in the Shutter Suite last weekend at BlogHer, and when I told her how I had a Diana too and that I've been neglecting my already exposed film, she told me that I just HAD to get it developed.  And for some reason, hearing that from Jen gave me the impetus I needed to do just that.  Or maybe it was being transported in time perusing her Flickr stream and her beautiful new book.  Whatever it was, I'm excited about the possibilities now that I've actually seen what you can get from a little toy camera.

I still don't know quite what I'm doing, but that's half the thrill, knowing that I'm stepping into the unknown, that when I click the shutter, there is no instant gratification lighting up on a LCD screen.  No, I have to wait and hope for and imagine what images will appear after the whole roll has been shot and developed.  Seeing those photos for the first time, though, is like opening up an old scrapbook and being transported back to when the memories were created.

If you are a film enthusiast, please share with us an image that you were surprised or delighted by that was totally worth the wait.

Tuesday
Jun092009

Getting It "Just Right"

I just finished reading Everyone Is Beautiful by the lovely Katherine Center a few days ago.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and could relate to the main character on so many levels, but one pleasant surprise I got from the book was a peek inside the process of old-school film photography.  I'd say this coincided quite nicely with my recent foray into the world of plastic toy cameras.

And that got me thinking about the courage it takes to click the shutter on a film camera, lacking the instant feedback of an LCD screen.  I realized that with digital, I can look at a photo I'd just taken, and if it's approximately what I was going for, I just tell myself I'll "fix it" at home in Lightroom--crop it, change the angle, etc.

When I took the photo above, I decided to try to get it "just right" then and there.  Now, "just right" happens to be a pretty subjective matter when it comes to photography, and that's something we each have to decide for ourselves.  For this specific photo, I knew exactly how I wanted it framed and at what angle, and instead of taking one or two shots that were merely useable, I took the time to concentrate on what I wanted in that photo, and after several tries, I got the exact composition I was looking for. 

I believe there is a time to Just Shoot It, and I also love to Shoot From the Hip.  Now, however, especially since I'm going to be working with film some of the time, I would like to work on more mindful shutter clicking.  This will probably be difficult for a shutter-happy individual like myself.

How about you?  Do you have an image to share that you took special care to get "just right," meaning the way YOU wanted it to be?

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