Lumière

Stop looking for what they promised
you would find here-
That stone, whose color is not stone,
Reminds you of all you love in life—
and that all other stones are nothing.
That form, in breast or cloud or stem—
Saying what you can not about your desires.
And after which you despise all that is chipped and injured.
That light, whose clarity makes you believe in unseen worlds,
Or that where you stand is somehow different,
Comes always on the edge of darkness.
Exhilaration, too quickly fading
leaves you tired, wondering
what is love more than disappointment.
Stop looking. I know they promised you,
But it is no longer here. Just
be glad you have grown up and
acquired a taste for bitter things.

-Donn Jones, 2005

The view out our apartment window was always changing. To me, the weather had a big effect on how I percieved it day to day. This time, it placed itself in my mind’s memory with images of struggle, and perhaps Eastern Europe. The building he is exiting is a couple of centuries old; in front of him is a new office building and modern cars. As this image ages, the differences will be less jarring but for the moment, he trudges between two worlds.

Takkadom Market, Rabat. 2010

I have been involved in photography for 32 years and consider myself fortunate to have been around for at least the tail end of  the film century. I’ve had the privilege of using all kinds of equipment and emulsions. Digital has certainly brought a lot of possibilities (both good and bad) to the art of photography but certain experiences that were once integral to general photography are being quickly relegated to esoteric memories that emphasize one’s age. The palettes of Verichrome Pan, Agfapan 25 and other emulsions are lost and Photoshop is now the Alpa and Omega of photographic possibility. If it doesn’t fit on your DSLR or can’t be applied digitally it must not be necessary to artistic expression. One of the lost treasures of this age is the amazing optics of Zeiss, Goerz, Schneider, etc. Sure, you can still buy them –and this is the era of bad investments, so go ahead– but unless you’re committed to the whole anachronistic process, there’s no practical reason to.

However, years ago wandering through a camera swapmeet, I picked up a Goerz 24 inch Red Dot Artar in a barrel for $225. I had it mounted in a shutter and began learning it’s particular characteristics. This lens is single-coated and about 40 years old. This lens has amazing resolving power and a tonality distinct from any other lens I own. I’ve yet to experience this with my digital equipment…

This is a photo I took in Mauritania on 8×10 Ilford HP+ from a bluff overlooking the village. The negative was scanned at a modest 1200 dpi and if you’d like to see what the folks are doing at the far end of the village about a mile away….

… They are socializing in the shade….

…walking down the sandy street….

Mother & children, man feeding his donkey. And if you get bored, you can count the bricks.

Another wonderful aspect of this lens is it’s tendency to flair highlights. It’s perhaps more evident in the actual print but the way this lens renders highlights is beautiful. Almost as nice as the soft-light layer in Photoshop.

Another pull from the archives. Wandering behind an old church in New Zealand, I came across this grave. I’d been reading a lot of Edgar Allen Poe and various poets on love and death (must’ve been the age) and this seemed to fit.

Another faded Ektachrome from the ’80’s. I believe this was made with a Minolta x700 and Vivitar Series 1 70-210.)

I took this on my first trip outside North America. Perhaps not cutting edge photography, nevertheless the image still engages me 25 years later. A man and two wives. Why the distance between the one wife? Is he more proud of his gun than his child or does it just look that way to me? By his way of thinking is he half-dressed or half-naked? Questions young travelers don’t think to ask.

(Minolta x700 and Minolta 50/1.4)

The bowl in the womans hand contains chi-chi, a fermented drink made from roots that have been chewed, spat, and pressed. (I guess saliva helps get the fermenting process going). The end product tastes surprisingly like light-beer.