Jes

Another with images and words.

Sometimes it takes awhile for the words to find their images.

I think of her all the time when I’m not plugged in.

I wonder what she would think

if she were here right now.

She’d probably scoff at these people

their attachments to objects

to things just because you can touch them.

They don’t realize the limitations they have in Real World.

They don’t know how, over there, you can not only have the object

but you can also create it,

make every bit exactly how you want it

look, feel, smell, sound, taste,

and then, when it is perfect

you can make it last forever

or however long you like.

It will always be there.

Not like here.

In Real World, people are always losing

things, objects, each other.

In Real World it was barely a building.

Scarcely more than a pile of rubble

most of the walls and ceiling gone

making way for the next thing.

Someone here saved it though

uploading an image of the partial building

and brought it here

coding in windows where there once was brick

skylights where there was only ceiling.

Creating a place to exist and dream and watch.

I wasn’t originally planning on blogging on the weekends.

But, I took a few photos today that I wanted to post.

Sometimes you just need a day to take some pictures and it seems to put everything back into proportion.

A couple of the best from today:

Bonfires are one of my favorite parts of summer and fall!

A portrait of us sitting on the deck. <3

~Peace~

I will always remember the double exposure assignment from one of my first photography classes in college. The challenge was to make as many double exposures in as many ways as you could. I always enjoyed the ‘in-camera’ double exposures. The challenge was you didn’t see the final image until after you developed it. There was no way of knowing before. Not everyone works out. In fact many don’t visually work at all. But each one has something to it that makes you stop and look for awhile.

I think sometimes when you are working on a big project, one of the best things you can do to give yourself a boost is to go back to something you tried early on.

In an effort to continue collecting images to use in this project, I went back to early techniques.

These are all ‘in-camera’ double exposures. In a way it is truly the ‘analog’ way of what I do with my layered images in Photoshop.

Taken with a Hasselblad 501c/m using a Polaroid back.

Taken with a Holga.

Taken with a Holga.

Polaroid.

~Peace~

Today’s post is just images. Somedays, that is all you have. Images that you are drawn to, though you don’t know exactly why.

I take a camera with me all the time. This is one of the reasons. You never know when you are going to see something that draws you in.

~Peace~

Day 1 update.

I’ve made it this far!

I have two images today. One that was taken today, one that I took on our trip to Japan. Both will somehow fit into the final images of this project. For now, this is how they exist:

I took this photo during our Japan trip. This is in downtown Osaka, not very far from our hotel. It always amazed me how often you would see the old and the new mixed together there. Just walking down the street in downtown, you would see an old building (usually a house or a temple) right in the middle of very modern sky scrapers. This is what I see coming together in my project. Showing the mix of old and new, analog and digital together. I’m not saying that one is better than the other. I’m not sure yet exactly what I am saying about them. Just that they are. Technical stuff: this image was taken with my Mamiya C330, probably with Ilford film, most likely Ilford Pan F 50. That’s one of my favorite types of black and white film!

This image I took today from our deck as the rain was finally stopping and the sun was coming out. Of course you lose a lot of detail in the sky area when you point your camera right at the sun, but it captured the feeling I was looking for. In another the image ‘Industrialized‘ that will be included somewhere in this project, I included a dialog by a character who was talking about how if he/she (I haven’t decided yet, don’t know if I will) moved completely into the Digital World and away from Real World that she would miss the clouds and the sun and trees and grass. Taking this image made me think of that character. I think it might be a she. She loves clouds.  Technical stuff: taken with my Hasselblad 501c/m using a Polaroid back loaded with Blue pack film from PolaPremium.

That is it for today.

~Peace~

Jes

Documenting the act of creating art can sometimes be as important as the finished work. Sometimes the effects of the documentation are visible, showing pieces the viewer wouldn’t normally see and adding another layer of meaning. Other times, I think, the documentation is just simply part of the background. The story of the journey leading up to the finished project. 

So why am I rambling about this today?

I just finished reading a book by Wafaa Bilal about his project ‘Domestic Tensions‘ that took place in Chicago in 2007. The book and project are very amazing and made me think about quite a few things as I was reading it. 

One thing he did during his project was keep a video blog on YouTube documenting the progress, his feelings, etc.

In the past, I have not documented the creation of any of my projects very much. In fact, I often hide everything to do with them until the very end. I don’t think I am wrong in doing that, but I do think the project I am working on now needs a different approach. 

My goal in this is to document the continuation of this project here in this blog. Everyday, Monday through Friday, I will be posting another piece of the puzzle. It may be an image, it may be a few lines (I do need to add text to this project), it may be links to things that have inspired me that day, who knows. Most posts will be short, but my goal is that they will be there. Please feel free to comment and critique. 

If you would like to know a little background on the project:

The working title is Digital Dreams of Life. Previous images I have created that fit with this theme are in this gallery and many other images that I think will fit in there but I’m still questioning are here. The artist statement about the work is here. The show will be up at Bloomington Art Center in September, 2010. It will be in the Atrium gallery which is gorgeous, well lit, and huge! 

I’m hoping that by posting all of these bits, it will help me to stay on track with the work I have ahead of me for this project, and give some of you a little insight into the art journey I’m on right now. I hope it isn’t boring for you!

Stay tuned!

~Peace~

I’m not in synch with my digital camera today.

I’m much more of a film girl today.

There is nothing wrong with either. Each has it’s place.

Today I need film.

With all of it’s feelings, and imperfections, and dreams.

I have been a film addict, and have recently become a polaroid addict.

My digital camera is great, but I’m not addicted to it today. I don’t know if I ever truly will be. It is a wonderful tool at it’s time.

It just isn’t what I’m looking for today.

Flowers

Taken this morning, with my Hasselblad 501c/m with a Polaroid back using Sepia 100 pack film.

Star Lights

Taken this morning, on my deck, with my Hasselblad 501c/m with a Polaroid back using Sepia 100 pack film.

Soon to be Past

Taken two weeks ago. This is the part of the large trucking company right off of County Road C and 35W that is going to be torn down soon. I’m trying to track the progress of this city project. Soon I will have a link to where you can see the images from that. Taken with my Hasselblad 501c/m with a Polaroid back using Fuji Black and White 100 pack film.

J sent me a link to this webcomic this morning. It really makes sense to me right now. I won’t fit into a mold. That’s ok. I’ll be here. With the imperfections and the dreams.

~Peace~

Sometimes working with images leads you down many different paths in your mind. Today I was led to 3 images. All quite different, and all previously unseen.

Last night we watched the movie Lost in Translation. It is a beautiful movie, and of course got me to thinking about our trip to Japan and a few of the things I miss. I came across this image today while I was working. It seemed so appropriate today, and made me smile remembering the walk that led us to discover this fountain.

Our summer here has seemed quite short, with many cooler days, and not many thunderstorms. It seems as if there has been a shortage of bonfires as well, though the upcoming fall I’m sure will still provide a time to make up for that.

It has seemed like a peaceful summer though, and perhaps a little less busy that others. Maybe because I feel like I am watching it more, and paying attention a little bit differently. Slowing down more and taking more photos.

I sat for awhile thinking about these images, trying to figure out what they had in common, and why I felt so strongly about putting  them in the same blog entry. Of course, it took me awhile to realize the obvious, that they were all taken at night. I enjoy the night time in summer. I’m glad it isn’t over yet!

~Peace~

Lately I have been working hard, finishing up projects for others. That is not at all a bad thing! All of the projects I have taken on this summer have been wonderfully fun! It makes me so happy that this is what I chose to do with my life!

Portraits of Sam!

Senior portraits of JJ.

That doesn’t at all mean that I haven’t been working on artwork still, and thinking more about my project.

I’ve gone back to the stage of collecting images. New inspirations. New material.

This past weekend my husband and I went to a friend’s wedding. It was about a 2 1/2 hour ride away from our home. The wedding ended early evening, so we took the time to take the long way home, exploring many parks and driving along the small highways. It was a wonderful chance to take pictures of places I don’t often have a chance to. Most of the film is still waiting to be developed, but I did take many Polaroid images that you can see here.

After seeing this video on You Tube I started thinking again about how much I love watching marine life. Not many people know this, but when I was very little, I wanted to be a dolphin trainer when I grew up! Not that I have really grown up yet, but I have gone from dreaming of being a marine biologist to photographing marine life when I can. That said, I’m adding to my inspiration list of things to see this summer the MN Zoo Discovery Bay, and the Underater World Aquarium at MOA (no, I haven’t been there yet!). Perhaps we will even have a chance to make a trek up north this summer and see the Duluth Aquarium. Plans for this winter: going snorkeling with underwater cameras with my friends in Hawaii!!! Also, possibly stopping at the Waikiki Aquarium if we get a chance!

Who knows what might come from all of this! Stay tuned!

~Peace~