RoadKill

RoadKill.  Hasselblad / slide film

Patterns

Theres something really mesmerizing about the patterns in the woods this time of year.  So much going on there.  Those grasses above?  If I knew what kind they were I'd love to have them in my garden.  Below:  Searching for golf balls in the stream.

New Portrait Packages for 2012

Announcing a new portrait concept for 2012!

One of the most rewarding and graciously received things that I did last year was to photograph a family of four children several times during the year, and then create a book to preserve the memories of the year.  I photographed the children 4 times, and after having done so I had a really nice chronological collection of images that captured their emotion, growth, and connection.  The keepsake book was small and photo driven (in fact there weren't any words in it at all).

For the 2012 year, I will be offering this concept in the form of Portraits In The Park.  Basically, for one price, all you have to do is show up for the four sessions during the course of the year, and by the end you have not only a collection of digital images to share, but also a book that you can hold in your hands, share with friends and family, and look at for years to come.

The first of these four sessions for 2012 is scheduled for March 17th at Squaw Valley Park (in Fox Chapel).  There will only be 5 portrait slots available beginning at 12:00 pm.  Each slot is for 45 minutes of shooting, with 15 minutes in between.  The approach will be casual with all natural light.  Each session will yield 8-10 photos, which will be given to you on a disc for you to share. 

The cost for the year's worth of sessions (that's 4 all together), the discs of watermarked images to go along with them, and a wonderful hardbound book of your year's worth of photos is $550.  The cost for the individual session in the park is $125, which includes the watermarked photos on a disc.

Private sessions are also available at any time - on location or in my Pittsburgh studio.  Additional prints, including the option to purchase fine art giclee and platinuim/palladium contact prints, can be purchased separately.  Also, the option to purchase non-watermaked images is available.  Please refer to my pricing information, which can be found here for more details.

Contact me by email at jason@jcsphotographs.com to sign up today before the slots are gone!

Weddings

Looking forward to another year of weddings.  If you or someone you know is still in need of a 2012 booking, or would like to plan for 2013 please get in touch!

 

Cool Squares

Also - had to mention the cool first meetup of photographers at my studio a couple of weeks ago, where we did some quick sharing of ideas about lighting.  Will meet every month for a new topic.  We shot the 4x5, which is of course always fun to do.  Here are our mugshots:

Clockwise from top L:  Abie (Boxwood Phoography), Lauren, myself, and Kelly (Iris).

Oh - and one more thing.  A repost of a video that is absolutely mesmerizing:  Watch till the end...

Cool mistakes

Sometimes the mistakes/accidents/oversights are actually pretty intriguing...

Frozen shutter.  3 1/4 x 4 1/4 Graflex view camera.

Printing Van Dyke Browns

Coffee...

Got the recipe for the Van Dykes - ready to run 10, mat and prepare for sale - some at the PCA, and some privately.  Next week...

These are two contact prints on Arches watercolor paper of a 4x5 negative.  I shot the film yesterday, processed it at home (far more economical that at the darkroom) using the taco method (as opposed to trays).  Worked very nicely, and so long as I am careful I can avoid scratches.  Ilford Delta 100 rated at 100 shot with a Speed Graphic and Aero Ektar.  Processed in d76 1+1 for 12 minutes with a 10 minute fix - a good combination provided the original neg is pretty contrasty to begin with.

Definitely need to use the contrasting solution for the Van Dykes in the first rinse - and double coat the paper.  You can even see the difference in the two hanging here - the one on the right had 10 drops of contrasting solution - the left one none.  Additionally, they both were in the UV printer that I built (more on that sometime soon) for 8 minutes.

Also, I think Liquitex matte varnish to finish the prints is a good and viable option - I like the textured nature it provides, and since these prints are not very dynamic (low range) it is likely what I will do.  Additionally I wonder if it will add to the longevity of the prints and avoid fading.