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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~

For those of you who have been around me for awhile, you know that I don’t necessarily like having people in my photographs. I don’t know why, it is just a thing.

Slowly, very very slowly, that has been changing. I have been doing more portrait work in the form of sweet little kid photos, and assissting my friends with weddings. The workshop I took with Wing Young Huie helped me see that people can add a new dimesion to a piece. When John and I were in Japan, it was pretty difficult to take photographs without people in them. Things are changing.

Over the weekend I created a few more compilation pieces, all including a Polaroid image somewhere in the compilation.

One I feel is truly a portrait piece. It is the first one I have created that felt like a portrait. With a few tweaks, I’m pretty sure this one will make it into my show at Bloomington in September, 2010.

Currently untitled. Contains two Polaroids, and one Black and White film image.

Here are a few others I have been working with. Most of these will be framed and up for sale at Dabble very soon!

Currently untitled. Contains one Polaroid and two Black and White film images.

Currently untitled. Contains two Black and White film images and one Polaroid image.

Title: City Music Contains one Polaroid image and two Black and White film images.

More to come soon!

~Peace~

New mediums can do a lot for your creativity. They give you new ideas, new ways of looking at things, new thoughts.

For my Birthday I received from my parents and my sweet hubby a Polaroid back for my beloved Hasselblad camera and a stash of Polaroid film from PolaPremium. It has been so much fun to play with!

Anyway, this is the first image I created for my Digital Dreams of Life series that contains one of my Polaroid images. I’m not positive that it is finished, but it is a start, and it is exciting for me.

So far untitled. Contains 4 images. 3 black and white images and one color Polaroid image. All taken with my Hasselblad 501c.

There are times when your head is clear enough that you can look back and see what people have worked so hard to teach you over the years, and realize that maybe you have learned a thing or two…

1. Don’t give up on an art medium just because it hasn’t been easy the last few time you tried it.

2. Don’t give up.

3. Be patient

4. It doesn’t matter how tidy your workspace is, as long as the immediate space you need is accessable.

5. Sometimes you need a break from what you are trying to create to just create something you aren’t trying to.

Things I have learned from my mom:

1. Try it.

2. You are loved even when you don’t feel like you are.

3. Don’t listen to others.

4. Do it.

 

Thanks. I needed all of that!

~Peace~

Today was definitely a working day.

One of those days where you get caught up on quite a few things and actually surprise yourself at how much you have gotten done.

I love those kind of days!

It seems right now I’m working on my portrait photography skills. It’s a good thing to practice! After taking pregnancy photos of my friend last weekend (they had a baby boy today!), and photos of my friend’s sweet two year old daughter today, I’m getting the hang of it again. I always feel like I’m a little rusty after a winter of not assisting with wedding photo shoots and other photo sessions. There will be plenty of other opportunities to practice in the upcoming weeks too!

Yameena and Abuzar’s hands.

Amelia at her 1st Birthday party.

I also managed to work on a bit of artwork today as well. I have been working on artwork for my project over the past few weeks, but I haven’t liked anything enough to post it. That is a big part of the process. You create something, then you edit it, and often let it sit for awhile before you begin to like what you have done. Today, I finally created something that I kind-of like. I’m not sure that it is finished yet, but I like it enough to post it.

Tomorrow: more film to develop and more pictures to take. Until then, relaxing.

Cheers!

It is Monday.

The first day in what I hope will be a productive creative week.

Goals for today:

1. Finish this blog post (check!)

2. Narrow down photos from my two photo shoots yesterday (edit 2:27pm: Check!)

3. Finish scanning in new negatives and Polaroids (edit 5:07pm: Check on the Polaroid scans! I kind-of underestimated just how many negatives I had to scan in…)

4. New artwork (edit 5:07pm: I’m not sure I like it, but I did work on a new artwork piece today, so check!)

 

Last week was full, but really helped renew my spirits in the creativity department.

It started by 3 full days with Wing Young Huie in a Split Rock Arts workshop. The focus was on documentary photography, having the courage to ask people if you can photograph them, and capturing an area in images. Many of the students shot digital, while a couple of us (myself included) decided to stick with film. It has been a long time since I was plunked down at a location, told to photograph for a couple of hours, then sent home to develop and scan that film and have something prepared to show in critique the next day and start all over. I didn’t go the route of talking to everyone on the street and asking to take their photograph, (portraits still really aren’t my thing) I did get into exploring an area of the city and allowing people to be in my photographs. I was totally exhausted by the end, but it was exhilerating not only to realize that I can still do that and be that intensive about my work, but also to go back to the idea of picking a place and photographing it. That is something that is easier to do when you are on vacation and allow yourself days in a smaller area and lots of film, but it is harder to convince yourself to do when you are only a few miles away from home. I did get some great images from the workshop, and I’ll post them very very soon.

Thursday was my Birthday! My mom took the day off of work, I took the day off from volunteering at Banfill, and we had a great time hanging out. First stop after breakfast was to the Walker Art Center to see The Quick and the Dead exhibit. I really recommend going to see it! It is a mind boggling, different sort of exhibit. (There is a certain installation piece there that I really would like installed in our next house) Next we stopped at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts which is always good. Then, on to hot stone massages at The Refinery and off to dinner with my hubby and my dad. It was a great way to wind down after the intenstive photo workshop, and after a long weekend, I’m feeling ready to work again.

Hey World! Here I come!