Lesson Learned

Loaded 320 Tri-x today to try it in Diafine.  Overall great results - I like the contrast that it gives straight out of the soup.  Lesson for the day:  Make sure to not load the film crooked.  I don't know if it actually was in straight at first and somehow came crooked when I pulled the darkslide...  Additionally, that vignetting in the corner of frame 2 is because the hood of the Aero was outta wack and I didn't notice.  Never really had that happen before.  Anyway I lost some of the image, but this is really just a test.  More later when I shoot Tri-x again in good light - I think , again, Diafine is great for a hybrid process, especially with this film.  Over and out.

©Jason Snyder 2012
Placards in Lawrenceville

©Jason Snyder 2012
Doughboy Statue.  Future panoramic images I think from this spot.

Grand Canyon

I always envisioned printing work that I shot while visiting the Grand Canyon last year in a way much different than just pigment inkjet.  I didn't think it was very respectful of the Kolb brothers, who dragged their 8x10 view cameras in the canyon suspended from ropes tied around their waists, and canoed down the Colorado in an effort to document every last bit of this beautiful area on film.  I think I have come close to what I envisioned:

© 2012 Jason Snyder
Van Dyke Brown Print
"Looking down Bright Angel Trail" - 2011

Pigment Toned Van Dyke Brown

"Chapel of the Holy Dove"
Pigment Toned VDB.
© Jason Snyder 2012

Working a little bit on inkjet pigment toning of Van Dyke Brown prints.  A little unsure as to how I should alter the existing process, which when printing digital negatives has become a pretty predictable one for me.  I missed the registration on this one by a hair (didn't line them up all the way I think - I was close), and overall I like the coolness of the pigment toning in conjunction with the warm Van Dyke colors.

Working still on the One Shot project as well - cleared some negatives from P/N today, and will take the film holders to the lab tomorrow or Wednesday.  Once I have something to show, the category will be up on my website for you to see if you like.

© 2012 Jason Snyder

Solarized Fujifilm p/n

Despite my better efforts, I am 0/2 in trying to keep the negs from the one shot project from solarizing.  I may begin to scan at the studio before people leave so that I have a good representation of the print that I left them with.

I am working on this project I am calling the "One Shot" project.  Basically, I am meeting with people to shoot a portrait on 4x5 film, and giving them a positive from p/n Fujifilm before they leave.  The whole idea of the project is to slow the whole process down for me and the sitter, and to experience the relationship that develops between myself and the person I am photographing for what it should be.  Historically, before 'we' were taking more photographs in 2 minutes today than the whole of humanity did in all of the 1800's, the photograph was a privilege.  It was what brought people together.  That picture, which was made on large format film, may have been the only one that the subjects of the photograph ever had taken of themselves.  We should treat each photograph that we take with the kind of respect and tradition that the history of the art demands.

More of this, my thoughts, and the first 3 subjects of the project to come.

In the meantime - here is one of the solarized negatives:

Family

This weekend was a strong weekend for family time - we took advantage of the last of the flowering trees before the chilly weather and wind blew the petals away... Some spring cleaning of course as well.

Image © Jason Snyder 2012

Image © Jason Snyder 2012

Image © Jason Snyder 2012

Image © Jason Snyder 2012

Image © Jason Snyder 2012

Image © Jason Snyder 2012

Image © Jason Snyder 2012

Image © Jason Snyder 2012

Special Gifts for Spring Portrait Clients

All wrapped up from last weekend's sessions!

Special gifts for the first portrait clients of the season - Van Dyke Brown Prints (approx 8x5 on 7.5x11 paper) on Arches Platine Paper:

More Portraits

Almost ready to deliver last weekend's portraits, including a special gift from me to my clients - stay tuned for what it is - I don't want to ruin the surprise.

Don't forget to schedule your session - I am booking now for April.  Hope to meet you soon!

Spring Portraits

The first portraits from the park are being edited now - I don't think we could have been graced with better weather!  Who would have thought that we would have such color before April even arrives?  Here are a couple to share:

Stay tuned for announcements about the next mini sessions in the park - otherwise, if you just can't wait, email or call today to schedule yours!  

4x5 City Scenes

Have begun two new projects, including a 4x5 city scene project (sounds kinda boring when I put it that way).  Enamored with the city in which we live - the deep history, the beauty of the modernization of a historically very industrial city that finds a way to retain it's gritty feel - I decided to set out on a project that documents these qualities.  The 4x5 camera is the tool, and black and white film.  They will all be diptychs such as this one, and the frames will be kept as part of a natural way to present the images:

© Jason Snyder 2012

Soon there will a section on my website for these and others.  Waiting for some 4x5 Tri-x 320 to arrive next week.  Also, been processing the 4x5 bw using the taco method at home - probably not the most technically sound way to do it, but it gets me the results that I need.  Diafine is a great developer that gives consistent results for scanning.

Great weather has arrived for the first of the portrait special days - look for results from today's sessions later this weekend.

Thanks for checking in!

Food

Blueberries.
© Jason Snyder 2012

Springtime is around the corner

(L) 'El Timieo' or 'Timmy' picking up red peppers from a dock in the Strip District.
©Jason Snyder 2012

Strip District.
© Jason Snyder 2012

Spring

© Jason Snyder 2012

Prints in Platinum and Palladium

Over the past several weeks I've been experimenting with my new (homemade) UV printer.  It is basically a bank of UV light in the form of blacklight bulbs encased in a wooden box with a hinged lid.  This is the first successful Palladium print that has come from it.  For those who may be unfamiliar, this is a contact printing process whereby a paper (or other substrate) is sensitized and then the negative is placed over it and exposed to UV light.  This exposure allows the negative to allow varying amounts of light through, yielding a final positive print.  In this case the sensitizing agent is Ferric Oxalate mixed with Palladium and Platinum and Palladium (actually Potassium Chloroplatinite and Sodium Chloropalladite).  The photograph is deceivingly good, in the sense that the range really is not as nice as it seems.  In person the print has character and the relationships between the highlights and shadows are representative of the original negative density, but overall it is a little bit darker than this photograph leads on.  It measure 8"x10" on 10"x12" Arches Platine paper.  I'd say that I am close to working on the print that I want to deliver to the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts - I told myself that I would finally get to do that; I have owed them something for a couple of months now!

So onward to fine tuning the recipe and digital negative printing.  More to come on this later as I go...

Signs of Spring

©2012 Jason Snyder

©2012 Jason Snyder

©2012 Jason Snyder