World Wet Plate Collodion Day Book 2009

I'm happy to announce that the Wet Plate Collodion Day Book 2009 is ready to for prime time! You can order a copy, or two from Blurb:

The Wet Plate Collodion Day Book 2009

Please keep in mind that the preview of the book sucks (quality). That's the only reason I didn't release it sooner. Caron got her copy in the US and sent me some snaps - it looks great in print, so forget about the preview.

Please spread the word about the book. And ORDER one or two copies! This is a great project to support. We need to sell 250 – 300 copies!

Thanks to every one that participated! Great job! We did it!!

8”x10”, full color, perfect bound, 92 pages, 82 images, 51 artists/photographers – great work!

Photos by Caron Gonthier (thanks!)

The Cover shot!

Inside sample.

 

Inside sample.

 

Inside sample.

And the back of the book!

"Anonymous" 4"x10" Wet Plate Collodion Ambrotype

 Annonymous Ambrotype - 4" x 10" - Clear Glass Ambrotype - Viernheim, GermanyI made this image a couple of hours ago - it was overcast and cool. I used north light (for the mask/effect). It was a 20 second exposure with my Hermagis lens ~375mm - f/9.

This plate looks a lot better when you are holding it in your hand - believe me! It's hard to copy/scan plates, but especially difficult if they are on clear glass.

Here's a snap of my new camera, too:

 

New Wet Plate Collodion Camera & New Formats

I've got a new camera - an 8x10, Black Arts Camera - that Steve Silipigni built for me. The camera is new and I've chosen to work with some new formats, too.

For the duration of my project, and for the upcoming exhibition, I've decided that the square format and the landscape (4"x10") format will serve me better in what I want to do.  

My new setup includes: 4"x4", 4"x5", 5"x7", 6"x6", 6.5"x8.5", 8"x8", 8"x10" and 4"x10".

The history of the square format in photography begins in 1929 with the introduction of the first Rolleiflex. The Rollei’s designers, Francke and Heidecke, had been producing various rectangular format cameras since about 1920. Their decision to make the Rollei a square format camera rather than a rectangular one was based on considerations specific to the twin lens reflex (TLR) configuration, rather than aesthetics. The elegant waist level viewing system of the Rollei would have been miserable to use sideways when a horizontal picture was desired.

Around the middle of the 20th century, talented photographers such as Richard Avedon, Robert Doisneau, and Irving Penn used the Rolleiflex camera in their portraiture and editorial work—choosing the Rollei. Diane Arbus, one of my major influences, made her incredible portraits with a Mamiya TLR. In all cases the resulting negatives were square.

Today, I made a few images. I made some 4"x4" images and 6"x6" images. Here's the most successful image from today.

I'm looking forward to working with these new formats and this new camera! We'll see what happens!

 

 6" x 6" (15cm x 15cm) Black Glass Ambrotype

Imagine A New World 2009

The EU invited me to submit some work for the, “Imagine A New World 2009” photo competition. I think they saw my work/project here in Germany and thought that the theme fit (my assumption). Anyway, I submitted three photos/plates and one, “German Cleaning Woman #2” (this is a blonde Putzfrau with a cigarette) made it to the final cut.

Imagine a New World - In an effort to concentrate more on my personal work and less on teaching, the technical, etc., I’m going to pursue exhibitions, publications, and opportunities like this more and more. When it’s appropriate, of course. I feel that I’ve neglected my personal vision for what I really want to do in lieu of other’s desires to learn the Wet Plate Collodion process. I don’t think I’ll ever completely get away from the educational aspect but I’m going to focus more on my personal art and goals.

Normally, I think this stuff is cheesy and weird (photo competitions, etc.). However, this has a legitimate tone to it and if I do well, I’ll end up in Stockholm for the closing ceremonies and get a few Euros to help fund my project.

So, if you are interested in voting in the “People’s Choice Award” and you think I deserve six stars (how ironic), please take a minute to cast your vote. You have to register first, but it’s quick and easy. You can find my image on the third page.

GO HERE TO REGISTER or CLICK ON THE IMAGE!

Thanks! We’ll see what happens!

New York City September 29-30, 2009

It’s been a few years since I’ve been out walking around the city at two or three in the morning. Monday night we hit the Comedy Cellar and saw a few comedians. Dave Atell was very funny, he was the main gig. We seem to find ourselves out late here every night!

We were bumming around the lower east side and stopped in the Pink Pony for a Mocha and a Peanut Butter, Banana and Honey sandwich – it was wonderfully ironic.

We traveled to Midtown to Red Rocket Tattoo and I got inked. I choose Betty Rose at Red Rocket because she’s a Heeb, a woman and from Brooklyn. Those were important reasons for me. I wanted to start my piece here in New York City, and over the next year, or so, finish it in different places around the world (mostly Europe).

We saw, “HAIR” last night. We had front row seats at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre and the show was unreal. The cast messed with me a little bit - the performance was very “interactive”. There was full nudity and marijuana smoking (I’m not kidding) – some of the older audience members were visibly uncomfortable. I got a kick out of watching them, considering the storyline of HAIR.

Anything above 28th Street, for me, is somewhat undesirable. Times Square is a joke and disturbing to me. However, we couldn’t avoid the tourist trap today and went to the AMC Empire 25 theaters near Times Square. There were floor after floor of theaters (going up). We saw, “Inglorious Basterds” in theater 21. We really enjoyed the film. It’s a great, “what if” kind of flick.

We had dinner at Umbertos Clam House (my third time – always a winner), in the heart of Little Italy - it was super-delish! I was looking forward to taking Jeanne there (Summer had been there before). I won’t lie, we drank two bottles of fine Italian wine and consumed some unbelievably good seafood.

Tonight, we took a train to Battery Park and sat at the tip of Manhattan and stared at the Statue of Liberty. After we were finished staring at the Lady, we stopped in at the 55 Bar and listened to some live Jazz.

We’re back at the apartment now, and ready to do it again tomorrow!

The Pink Pony, Lower East Side - Ludlow Street, NYC.
Summer's Converse, Jean's shoe and these cool table bases that are in a lot of the cafes in clubs here in NYC.
The Pink Pony: Summer through the looking glass!
The Pink Pony Crew!
Quinn in excruating pain administered by Ms. Betty Rose at Red Rocket Tattoo in Midtown.

Greenwich Village (West) New York City

New York always fascinates me. The energy, the crowds; I have a "love-hate" relationship with it (mostly love). Every time I visit, I ask myself if I could live here. A lot of me says, “yes” and the rest rest of me says, “Not a chance.”

New York is "on” all of the time. It’s like an exasperating friend – the energy is palpable and exhausting. We were out until 3AM last night (Rocky Horror Picture Show). Coming back to the apartment on the train/subway, you could see the city that never sleeps in all of its glory. Do you want a Falafel at 3AM? A beer? A glass of wine? A movie? Do you want to see people dancing on the train? Playing music? What ever you want, you can get here at any time.

We’ve been hanging out with David, Caron and Issac the last few days here. It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve seen a lot; Sally Mann show, WTC chaos, Times Square, Katz’s Deli, etc. etc. My favorite has been this little neighborhood in the West Village. We have an apartment here and the flavor of the place is very nice. There’s this coffee house called “Jack’s Coffee” just 50 meters from our apartment – I love it. These are the things that interest me the most.

Jean and Quinn in Jack’s Coffee drinking Honey Macchiatos.  
Shade grown puppies!  

Jack's Coffee Shop

Honey Machiatto

Quinn and Caron - “Sally Mann, Sally Mann!”! 
 

Self Portrait: Collodion & DNA

I have a couple of really important goals that I want to accomplish in the next few months. One of them is to make work for my project, exhibition and book.

I thought I would get creative with my time and my commitments. We are leaving Thursday for ten days and wanted to post the October Video Podcast on Chemical Pictures before we left. I also had an image in mind that I've wanted to make for a few weeks. I thought, why not make a few plates, create an image for my project and cover the podcast, too? So that's what I did today.

These image are about numbers, labeling, skulls & sockets, history, evilness, genetics and otherness. I distressed plate #3 a little bit. I varnished it shortly after making this copy and it cleaned up quite a bit - I was a little disappointed about that but I still like the image. I look so different in each image, it trips me out a wee bit.

It took four plates to get two that I really like.

"Self Portrait #3 - Jewish DNA" - 8"x10" Alumitype - Viernheim, Germany 2009 
Self Portrait #1 With Y-DNA Sequence Backwards (written by hand)

Göteborg, Sweden Wet Plate Collodion Workshop

Thanks to everyone that attended the workshop: Aron, Manuel and Sara, Bosse and Alfia, and Anna and Markus. And a big thank you to Henning (www.timeunit.se). His kind heart and wonderful space made it all happen - he organized and provided space and shared his expertise on the process with the students.

I'll post more photos and tell you a story about these images later. I'm really tired and need to rest for a couple of days!

"Nordic Man" - 8.5" x 6.5" (Whole Plate) Black Glass Ambrotype September 6, 2009 Gotheburg, Sweden 
"Roger - From the Streets of Göteborg, Sweden" 4" x 5" Alumitype September 6, 2009

Göteborg, Sweden

Sweden is beautiful, laid back and the people are very friendly. It’s the land of the Goths – it seems progressive and liberal. Being next to the sea is a great feeling, too. We set up the studio today and are ready for a really great weekend of Wet Plate Collodion!

Quinn showing off 100 Kronor on the top of the ship this morning (4 September) floating into Göteborg, Sweden (he looks a little bit Goth, yes?). We sailed by Denmark in the night and arrived in Sweden at 9AM this morning. A 13 1/2 hour journey – a big beautiful ship and a wonderful night feeling the sea below us. 
Saling into to Göteborg and the sun coming through at about 0800 this morning.