Jes Lee

New film and photo walks

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Last week The Impossible Project sent out an email to all it’s Pioneer members (addicts from the beginning) with a special offer: buy some packs of their new silver shade (black and white) film at an awesome price, test it out, and post your pics for all to see. I squealed with delight, and then groaned, remembering how much my photo/art spending account was already in the red (this is what happens when you are working super hard on an non-traditional education program that doesn’t have the option of a student loan or grants). So I sent a little tweet back to the great Impossible people expressing excitement over their new product and that I wished I could order some, and determined that this time I would just watch from the sidelines and see my other Pioneer friends post their pictures, knowing someday I would be able to afford more film. Much to my surprise, a tweet saying “Merry Christmas” came back to me, along with a notification that two boxes of the new film were being sent my way, free of charge. Seriously?! I couldn’t believe how lucky I was! I looked at the statement on my computer with tears in my eyes. Not many companies would do something like this, even at the holidays. But here I was, going to get my chance at shooting this new film.

I promised to do a blog post about shooting with it – something I am hoping to get in the habit of doing a lot more often!

After a busy week of catching up on photo work, staring at the mound still waiting for me, I decided that Sunday was going to be my day for a photo walk. I started out loading new film in my Polaroid One Step (an autofocus point and shoot Sx-70 type camera) because I have an external flash for it. Since it was quite cold out (30 degrees) I thought trying out this film inside with a flash might be a better bet. Unfortunately, little did I know there is a short somewhere in that camera, which proceeded to drain the battery in the first pack of film. Thankfully, they sent me two packs (and thankfully I can still transfer the remaining shots from this first pack into the empty cartridge from the second pack and take some more photos later this week!). So, I loaded up my Sx-70 and headed out to Stillwater with my husband for a day of walking and photos. 

If this film is any indication of what is to come next out of their factories, then seriously, the future is bright for instant film addicts! I am amazed at the results I got with this film, even though I was outside shooting on a very cold day without a frog tongue for my camera, using only my hand to shield the image when it first came out. I used a cold clip (two little metal pieces taped together to make a photo holder) and stuck it inside my jacket with the developing shots inside it so they would stay warm. Even in those conditions, I still got wonderful, dreamy shots of our day out by the river with the most beautiful silver tones….

This crazy little table was in the window of an antique store we walked past. 

The saw mill

This little fence lines the river along the walking path. Just enough snow had melted to create a puddle and a perfect reflection of the fence.

These shots have a more dream-like quality to them due to the cold (you get the absolute best results from their film around 70 degrees) and the fact that I wasn’t using anything but my hand to shield them from the light as they were first being ejected from my camera due to the wind (it was blowing my light shield around too much). I really love the effect though! Plus, I am still so excited that even under those conditions, I still got pretty awesome photos! Past films wouldn’t have fared as well. Instant film has come a long way!!

Ice bubbles on the river

The lift bridge

I still have 5 shots left. I will post results as soon as I can get out to shoot them. I will definitely buy more of this film as soon as I can buy film again! Also, I’m hoping to try some emulsion lifts soon….perhaps for a new book project????

Way to go Impossible Project!! You are doing awesome!

Until next time, 
~Peace~

Catching my breath

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I have been doing a lot of catching up this week. There were many things that fell behind a bit with all of the art festival prep work, but I think I can now safely say I am almost caught up.
Yes, there is still one more art festival to prepare for (Saturday, December 17th at Calhoun Square, more details soon)

Yes, there are still two shows to have work done for (by the end of this month)

Yes, there are still many things to be finished

But, after a lot of hard work today and a lot of time spent at MCBA and in my studio, and a lot of hard work Monday and Tuesday processing photos, I am beginning to catch my breath and feel more in control.
I have not had any melt downs today. One day at a time.

Thankfully, I have a really cool husband who knows when I need to work in the evenings, and when he needs to pull me away from all computers and email and make me watch a movie (Howl’s Moving Castle) to make me relax, and re-focus.

There is more work to be done tomorrow, but I am looking forward to the weekend.

Until next time,
~Peace~

It is a new week

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Just like that, the big festival that worry and fret about for weeks is here, and then it is over….

At least that is how it seems to always work for me.

I spent much of this weekend with my dad at No Coast Craft-o-Rama at the Midtown Global Market, enjoying loads of people watching, chatting with friends who stopped by to say hi, eating great food from a couple of the restaurants there, and of course selling loads of pottery.

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It was a lot of fun to participate and be there! Now, I feel like I am left with a lot more questions about people buying artwork (specifically photography based work) and marketing, and feasibility, and supply costs, and a whole bunch of other things that I still haven’t come up with answers to, even after a gigantic Snowball Mocha on Sunday from the coffee shop down the road from us.

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I’ll figure out my answers to these questions someday. Today isn’t going to be the day though. Today will be filled with working and catching up on things that have slid under the rug for awhile. But the sun is out, and there are a few snowflakes floating past my window, and overall I think it is a pretty good day to sit by my window and get caught up on my to-do list.
Until next time,
~Peace~

Ready

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I think I am as ready as I will be for No Coast Craft-o-Rama. Set up starts exactly 12 hours from now. Here we go!

Memory of trees

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There are times when photos can take you down a strange rabbit hole of thoughts. Leading through music to video games* to books.

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(These images were taken with my Hasselblad 501c/m camera using the Polaroid back and expired Polaroid Sepia peel apart film)

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(This image was taken with my Hasselblad 501c/m camera using Kodak Ektar 100 C41 film.

All of these images were taken at the Tamarack Nature Center in White Bear Lake, MN. You can also see them on Flickr.

This wasn’t at all the blog post I had planned for tonight, but through all of my distracted thinking, this is what happened. Really, I think I am on to something here, potentially good. 

*For many who won’t get all of those connections – the title ‘Memory of trees’ randomly came to me when I was sizing these images for the web, and it reminded me of one of my favorite anime series ‘Haibane Renmei’, and the title of one of the songs in it’s soundtrack ‘Refrain of Memory’. Going down the rabbit hole of YouTube videos just a bit, I found out that the composer, Ko Otani, who also composed music for a video game called Shadow of the Colossus which looks to be gorgeously animated as well.

Until next time,

~Peace~

This little blog of mine…..

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I have a new plan for this little blog, as well as new plan for my website.

First: there is a new design coming for my website. Yes, the redesign has started, and you will notice a few things (specifically the background) look a lot different than they did a couple of months ago. But there is more work to be done both with the pages you see and what goes on behind the scenes. I’m hoping that all of these changes will be coming to you in less than a month…but I am relying on a pretty great webmaster to help me with these changes, and he needs some time.

Second, as of January 2012, I will be closing my online photo shops…Etsy and BigCartel temporarily. I am not sure how long this will last. The reality is, I sell 100% more at the art festivals and other places I display my artwork than I do online. I’m not complaining about that! I just can’t justify the fees of keeping an online shop open, when the shop itself is not covering any portion of those fees. So, I’ll be running little promotions through the month of December (follow me on Twitter if you are interested!) and then will be taking my shop offline in January. Hopefully, I will find a more affordable solution soon, and will be able to have an online shop again, but in the mean time, this is what needs to happen.

Third, I have never been a big one for New Year’s resolutions, but I do actually have a few for this year, and a few of them affect you, my dear readers! The plan is to implement them immediately, but I’m giving myself a little leeway, and saying they are resolutions for the new year.

Resolution #1: Try some different film developers! Seriously, in all of my years as a darkroom girl, I have used D-76 and Ilfosol 3. I know I’m missing out on many great developers! I just need to spend the money on them and try! So this year, I shall, and the results will be posted…

…which leads to….

Resolution #2: I will post more here! I’m going to try to post daily, but I realize there will be times when that doesn’t happen. But I’m going to try! There will be more personal posts, yes, but there will also be many more art posts in general….about things that come through my Twitter feed, things I hear from other artists, things I am applying for, things I am day-dreaming about, etc. 

Resolution #3: to do a 365 project. Really. I have tried at least 3 times now, and haven’t made it more than a few months. My friend Cate on the other hand has a knack for keeping them going. In fact, I think she has one that has been on going for 3 years now! I’m going to make it 1 year. This, I will start on December 22nd. (That date will be explained later for those of you who might not know it’s significance.) It will be a cell phone 365 – nothing against film at all. I just realize I need to relax my own rules and give myself a little easier start on this one. 

So, that’s it. Just me deciding to take charge of my site, be a little more vocal here, and get back to expiramenting. I think 2012 will be a great year….I think 2011 will end well too.

Until next time,

~Peace~

Yes, I am up late again….

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….but it has been a good day. A good weekend really. Friday was packed full and exhausting, but still a decent day. Saturday was full of teaching and working another art festival, but it was also full of conversations with a lot of amazing, fun people which always inspires me.

Today, I received an email from one of my photo class students…a class I admit I wasn’t exactly thrilled to teach this month. Tho student emailed to say thanks for the class and to show me two photos she took over the weekend…they were awesome! She was enjoying her camera and what she had learned to do with it, and I am thrilled for her, and grateful for her email, and humbled. This job and this class really isn’t so bad. Yes, it will have its difficulties, and the students I won’t always connect with, but it also has moments like this, and this is awesome. I hope there can be more like this.

After falling asleep on the couch three times on Saturday and finally going to bed early and then sleeping for 10 hours (!) I finally had a day of feeling better and much more like a functioning human being. I had a great, relaxing day with my husband cleaning out closets and doing a bit of shopping. Monday is a new day an a new week and will be filled with photo processing, friends, and a re-check appointment with my immunologist. We’ll see what new plans she has for me this time around.

Until next time,
~Peace~