APUG - Blogs http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/ APUG.ORG is an international on-line community, completely devoted to traditional (non-digital) photographic processes. en Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:10:13 GMT vBulletin 5 http://www.apug.org/forums/images/apug4/misc/rss.jpg APUG - Blogs http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/ The American Squalor http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/keithwms/418-american-squalor.html Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:35:31 GMT Apologies for another somewhat off-topic blog post; this is on the subject of the modern American scholar and is reposted (with slight edits) from a... Apologies for another somewhat off-topic blog post; this is on the subject of the modern American scholar and is reposted (with slight edits) from a newspaper article published here. The brief summary is that I advocate experiential, experimental learning, to buttress the American higher education against the online culture of download and parrot...

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The American Squalor
By making technology secondary, students and teachers can render the experience of higher education more worthwhile

BY KEITH A. WILLIAMS, GUEST VIEWPOINT on January 31, 2012

The college students of today face a number of exigent concerns:

How will I pay for my education? Will I be accepted to graduate school or a professional program? Will I find employment?

Most students and parents are acutely aware of the recent increases in college tuition, resulting primarily from state budget shortfalls which have been passed on to state-funded colleges after the collapse of the housing bubble in 2008. Now, with student loans approaching the $1 trillion level and a wave of student loan defaults ahead, there is concern that the tuition bubble could lead to yet another financial crisis among students and their families.

Ironically, these financial concerns come at a time when the cost of basic knowledge is lower than ever before. The Internet now provides almost limitless access to information and is completely revolutionizing education — in many ways supplanting the traditional roles of the library and even the textbook. Professors can now routinely call upon web-based materials such as Shakespeare’s theater and Newton’s “Principia” — translated into most languages. It is difficult to find a subject that is not freshly catalogued by Google, while YouTube provides thousands of lectures on diverse topics.

The open-source generation aims to use Internet resources to make higher learning virtually free to all. This is a well-principled, egalitarian ambition, but what then becomes of our colleges and the rising expense they pass on to students and their families? At what point will students be unwilling or unable to go far into debt to attend an institution that sources most of its course material from the Internet?

I believe that this is a critical time for students and faculty to question what brought them to a University. I believe that it is time for Universities to step forward responsibly and refocus on those educational experiences that cannot be downloaded from the Internet. It is time to define and reassert the core values of American higher education.

~~~

Students may wonder what they can do now to enhance the value of their college degree. If the first answer is to earn good grades, then I am sorry to report that grade inflation in the United States has created a problem of indistinguishable transcripts. In fact, this problem is so severe that some reasonably argue that we abandon letter grades altogether, in favor of a pass/fail system. I suppose this scheme might work, if it included a third grade option designed to reward high performance — e.g. “pass with distinction.” The larger issue, however, as we faculty assess our students’ performance, is not the number of bins and labels that we use. The larger issue is how faculty and students can work together to make the education worth more than the paper credential.

Many students seem to believe that declaring multiple majors will increase the return on investment. This strategy is especially common in those areas where high school advanced placement courses are available, permitting students to enter college with enough credits to allow them to devote their time to more advanced coursework. The strategy does indeed gain many students entry into smaller, upper-level courses, but all too often this is at the expense of a thorough introduction during that first year when simply adjusting to the rigors of college is enough of a challenge.

Faculty may wonder what they can do, as individuals, to increase the worth of their students’ experiences. Is not good teaching and mentorship enough? The answer is no, and the Internet has changed the role of the instructor so rapidly that many simply may not realize that they must expend far more effort teaching students to think critically about the information at their fingertips.

~~~

Many approaches are possible; my conviction is that ernest new thesis initiatives, if enthusiastically joined by students and faculty alike, could be very successful in setting apart the worth of the University education. The aim of a thesis is not merely to demonstrate ability to gather information, but also to establish a higher creative challenge. A thesis is a creative synthesis of the ingredients of coursework, research and perhaps internship or community interaction.

The main issue that I see with current research/thesis strategies is that the results can come far too late in a four-year education to affect applications to professional programs or graduate schools. Students typically prepare applications in their third year or even their second. This implies that even if a student undertakes groundbreaking research to cure cancer after completing the requisite coursework, the medical school admissions committee probably would not have a record of that experience when they consider that student’s application.

My suggestion is that undergraduate research experiences be encouraged far earlier than is currently the norm: Students should begin their hands-on work in their second year, at the very latest. I can report, from my own experience, that beginning undergraduate research in the first year is very helpful and tends to motivate faster progress through the introductory curriculum.

~~~

In closing, it is interesting to consider the relevant wisdom of Ralph Waldo Emerson, delivered in a speech titled “The American Scholar” one and three-quarter centuries ago. The context of his oration was the perception that American scholars were merely parroting the earlier efforts of Europeans rather than asserting their own distinct contributions. In “The American Scholar,” Emerson speaks of a “great mischief” that arises when recorded experience in the form of books is revered more than new experience itself. Then, “instead of Man Thinking, we have the bookworm.” With the slightest amendment, Emerson’s thoughts may be directly adapted to the current context: “[The Internet is] the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst.” (In the square brackets, Emerson referred instead to “books.”) Arguing to de-emphasize the value of books themselves, Emerson pressed his case that colleges exist “to teach elements … not to drill, but to create.” He also predicted that if this deeper role is forgotten, “American colleges will recede in their public importance, whilst they grow richer every year.”

I hope that the modern American scholar, and American faculty too, will reflect upon Emerson’s admonitions. A visit to Google today is ultimately worth no more than a visit to the great libraries in Emerson’s time. Students must not allow colleges simply to collect fees for nothing more than parchment; faculty must not allow students simply to download their degrees. We must act now to redefine the worth of the American education — with unique learning experiences that set the students, as well as their University, apart. ]]> keithwms http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/keithwms/418-american-squalor.html Digital Tattoos http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/keithwms/417-digital-tattoos.html Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:24:20 GMT The traditional tattoo underworld is about to enter the 21st Century: Digitat, a startup company based in New Jersey, is introducing a revolutionary... The traditional tattoo underworld is about to enter the 21st Century: Digitat, a startup company based in New Jersey, is introducing a revolutionary new device that promises high resolution, pixel-perfect tattoos without the inconvenience of spending time in a tattoo parlor. This amazing new device also spares the customer embarrassment of baring a body part in front of a tattoo artist.

In a small enclosure resembling an old-fashioned photo-booth, customers can select any of one thousand pre-loaded classic tattoo images. For example, the familiar Rolling Stone "tongue" tattoo is now available in the form of a 1 megapixel tattoo on any part of the body where it will fit:

Click image for larger version Name: tongue-bitmap.jpg Views: 48 Size: 28.6 KB ID: 45151

For a slightly higher price, customers can request 2, 3, or even 4 megapixel versions.

The founder and CEO of Digitat, Guido Johnson, is excited about the success of the company's first booth recently installed on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. Holding a device resembling both an electric shaver and a meat tenderizer in his hand, Mr. Johnson said "Yo people was like no way dude and I was like yeah just put your credit card in the slot and let the machine make you hot." Mr. Johnson pressed a button on the device and an impressive array of a thousand or more micro-needles appeared, each primed to deliver ink to whatever body part the device is pressed against. "It don't hurt too bad, it don't bleed. All done in like a minute and you can put the Digitat anywhere you like.."

Anywhere? we asked.

"Well almost anywhere, I mean, like, we have a disclaimer in the booth that advises people not to like put the Digitat on their like tongue and shit but like nipples and asses are cool."

The Digitat booth offers reliable performance, time after time as long as power is not interrupted to the device or the computer doesn't crash. You can have a truly unique tattoo created right on your own skin, selected from a vast library of one thousand professionally designed tattoos. And the issue of privacy is important to customers, says Mr. Johnson. "Yo who wants to like pull down their pants and have like a skank poking them down there and stuff. Digitat gets rid of all that." Wielding the device in his hand, Mr. Johnson exclaimed, "like you can get a Digitat anywhere it can fit" and then demonstrated that the device does indeed fit in some surprising places.

Mr. Johnson believes that the success of his Digitat booth on the boardwalk in Atlantic City proves that future of tattoos is no longer in shady, sleezy, skanky parlors on the wrong side of town. He envisions upscale high-resolution Digitat booths in Lowe's, Walmart, McDonald's and other locations where tattooed people are known to congregate.

When will color Digitat machines reach the market? "Yo we are like asking Epson to let us use their inks to like make all kinds of nice colors," says Mr. Johnson, "and they are like maybe." Imagine that! Archival, gallery-quality colored digital tattoos on any part of the body you like, in just a few painful seconds in a Digitat booth. ]]> keithwms http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/keithwms/417-digital-tattoos.html The Art of War or Forum Discussion http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/keithwms/414-art-war-forum-discussion.html Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:02:29 GMT Few things annoy me as much as unsubstantiated argumentation. But one of those things is the predictable recurrence of an old argument, along with... Few things annoy me as much as unsubstantiated argumentation. But one of those things is the predictable recurrence of an old argument, along with the vitriol that it stirs.

Most recently, the tormented subject has been the future of Kodak. There is a case in which unknown facts could easily turn all arguments around, and then the forum combatants will find that they've lost friends over... nothing. And without the nuance of eye-to-eye discussion, a roomful of otherwise affable analogue photographers becomes a classic example of divide et impera.

My advice to all is to appreciate the good associations they have here on APUG, while they exist. As long as people are clear about what is fact and what is conjecture, there is truly nothing to sever good relations. For other cases where this is impossible, the ignore button may be deployed.

Some feel compelled to state and restate the same thing ad nauseum, as if others haven't read it or considered it already. But a good argument need only be stated once and clearly; that will suffice. Intelligent people will never let a good idea fall aside for very long. Only poor and unclear arguments need to be delivered many times and loudly.

So... let us say our piece and consider it said. If someone else doesn't heed the argument because their acrylic ball renders the future differently from our crystal then... waaah. Life goes on.

In the case of Kodak, there are many large game changers that are unknowns. Filing for Chapter 11 is the very first tiny step towards clarity, and it is only the first chapter in a volume that could span many years more. It'd not surprise me one iota to learn that Kodak has a billion dollar settlement in their favor for some key piece of sensor technology, or that Perez pushed all revenue losses into a category he believed already to be doomed so that he could buy time with his printer project, or that Fuji has already made an ektar-like product a few years ago and decided not to introduce it, or that Castro has actually been dead for a half year etc. ]]> keithwms http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/keithwms/414-art-war-forum-discussion.html <![CDATA[B&W Reversal Film Processor - The design and construction...]]> http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/oxleyroad/412-b-w-reversal-film-processor-design-construction.html Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:58:27 GMT I have a few moments to myself at work presently so thought now is the time for me to post about my desire or is it need for a B&W reversal processor. I was not sure where to post his in the forums (Darkroom Equipment, Camera Building...) So here is the Blog.

Why build from scratch. Well,

1. I am processing far too much B&W reversal in 35 and 16mm to keep going with the LOMO tank - 800 to 1200 ft annually. It was a bugger to learn to load but not bad now I have the hang of it, but I still have to cut my 100ft lengths in the middle to fit onto the two spools. My drying has been far from ideal - hang the wet film on the clothes line looped around abit, and when dry carefully clean with film cleaner as I am spooling back onto the daylight reel.

2. Sending off for processing was my original plan, but the only B&W 16mm processor closed down their operations in 2009, so I then sent my film off to Canada for processing but it came back quite fogged on both occasions. I suspect x-rays from the respective mail centres of Australia and Canada because of the way the banding occurs on the film. Why canada, the lab I found was comparable in cost when including the postage with what I was paying here in Australia.

3. My films are just family home movies, and novelties that I shoot and edit for community groups that I work with using my collection of cameras. As such I am wanting to manage my costs as best I can. I do not want to go out and purchase a machine capable of processing several hundreds/thousands of feet an hour as I have neither the space nor the power requirements for such a machine.


My first thoughts were that I get my hands on a couple of old Kodak Prostar microfilm processors and join them together. This proved to be too hard here in Australia as no one was still using them, and the people I spoke to at Kodak here in Australia confirmed the last of hte prostar machines that Kodak knew of were made reduntant around 2005/6. There are some of these and similar units for sale second hand in the US but the purchase and shipping cost rules thems out.

Now I have run several rolls of B&W film throught the LOMO, I have to find an easier method for me, and that is a roller transport processor where I can send a roll at a time through dry to dry, daylight spool to a takeup spool. I have decided on a having 10 baths, 5 of them are chemical baths sitting in a counter flowing water bath which is both the wash between chemical baths and the temperature control. The water bath will be a large PVC tank which will support the smaller chemical PVC tanks in a line. There will be racks of rollers (minimal numbers, material not selected and rollers not designed as yet) that will transport the film through the different baths before exiting the last bath and travelling through a dryer. The hot air was to be supplied by either a hairdrier or a small floor fan heater.

Now is the time for me to start documenting my progress. I hope I can get it to completion, but who knows what life might bring up that changes my focus on this idea. As I draw up the designs and incorporate any suggestions that might be an advantage I will port them here. ]]> Oxleyroad http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/oxleyroad/412-b-w-reversal-film-processor-design-construction.html The End is Near; Buy Film or Order Champagne http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/keithwms/409-end-near-buy-film-order-champagne.html Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:32:24 GMT I am not in the habit of cutting and pasting items from forum posts into this little blog, but the flurry of opinion and argumentation makes it... I am not in the habit of cutting and pasting items from forum posts into this little blog, but the flurry of opinion and argumentation makes it almost impossible to make a point that rises above the din. So I'll record my thoughts here in slightly expanded form.

~~~

At issue is the demise of Eastman Kodak, that 120 year old American company founded by George Eastman himself in 1892. Kodak brought us so many wonderful "Kodak moments" that it's hard to imagine America without them. This snippet from another beautifully cinematic episode of Mad Men quite nicely sums up what Kodak was all about:



For some, it's quite an unpleasant shock to go from this plausible boardroom presentation... to today's market reality (click to expand thumbnail):

Click image for larger version Name: EK_5yr.jpg Views: 78 Size: 75.4 KB ID: 44066

Clearly, there isn't much encouraging news from EK, and some see their demise as inevitable... and also a harbinger for the film market as whole.

It's time to set the nostalgia aside and ask what individual film photographers and studios should do, as we filmies go through yet another Chicken Little moment. What do we know for sure, versus what is being speculated? And how do we prepare ourselves?

First, it is apparent that Ilford is poised to capture most of Kodak's black & white market share; Fuji will likely capture the remnant colour market share and lure TMax enthusiasts with Acros. Ilford and Fuji will probably eke out more pure profit per unit sold than Kodak ever could. There are many reasons for this. One reason is Kodak's diversion of film-related resources to other sectors... a much maligned ballyhoo strategy which was arguably necessary, albeit improperly executed. Also, much of Kodak's manufacturing capacity already sits mothballed. It seems that little was done, at the precipice of the downturn, to ensure that the EK could scale back and maintain production -outsourcing as necessary- as the market contracted. But much of that capacity has already been picked up by other companies; if this weren't the case, then current prices would be much higher. Moreover, there has been a sense that many of us film shooters have been holding vigil while the company euthanatizes its film sector- a sense that has already driven many of us, somewhat bitterly, to their competitors.

So a big part of the good news, if there is any, is that the transition to companies like Ilford and Fuji is well underway, and both have better long-term position to defend and perhaps even expand their market. Regarding demand, this is of course worrisome in some film sectors (cine, e6) but quite solid in others (b&w). And as I have mentioned many times before, there is precedence of companies becoming far more profitable as the number of competitors declines. Yes, we don't like to compare rolls of film to cigarettes, but there you go, the business model is before you. Pursuing adjacent sectors and cannibalizing your competitors is how you do it. And those strategies can be very successful.

What does all this mean for the individual photographer? Years ago, when I heard that Polaroid was going under, I bought up a good amount of 8x10 polaroid. When deciding whether to invest in that, my motivating thought was: how much will the last polaroid print be worth? And the correct answer was, of course, priceless. Regardless of whether that last image is a cat's ass or the Queen of England. So, with no experience using 8x10 instant film, I bought... and then sold it a few months later at 3x+ profit, when I saw that the worth of the individual sheets exceeded the price I could set on my own 8x10 polaroid output. I don't like cats and I doubt the Queen would have me over, so why not let someone else shoot the frames. Last I heard, someone at a fancy studio in New York did profit quite handsomely from the 8x10 polaroid packs that I sold.

The moral of the story is that there is plenty of profit (financial and artistic) in reach of those confident enough of the long-term worth of their output to see beyond the ups and downs of individual companies. We who aim to record valuable images must recite, as a mantra, that the value of the images created by historic processes will actually increase in the coming years. The analogy to the aforementioned companies is clear. As less people produce high-quality, archival silver and Pt/Pd prints, the value of the output from remaining few will increase.

To put it another way: as long as the traditional process is completed to archival (=collectible) specifications, the image composition is solid, and the final image affirms the special capabilities of the medium, then the traditional print will be far more valuable than a comparable inkjet facsimile. That is, unless somebody really famous personalizes the inkjet- a rare exception!

It is my opinion that there is no better time to assert the long-term worth of traditional / alt process-derived imagery. We must make the best use of what is available, invest appropriately... and shoot, shoot, shoot... and print.

I do realize that some of you may not have sufficiently deep pockets and clear artistic visions, to profit from a longer-term investment in film. If so, then my best advice is to dress up like Don Draper and purchase some champagne... and lift your glass in honor of the brilliant people behind all the wonderful scientific and artistic accomplishments recorded by film for more than a century. ]]> keithwms http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/keithwms/409-end-near-buy-film-order-champagne.html Timed http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/keithwms/408-timed.html Sun, 08 Jan 2012 02:35:34 GMT Time is an inference Pressing on to our ends: Morbid clicks and beeps upon each increment- faster in the traffic. Even in this cold blur of... Time is an inference
Pressing on to our ends:
Morbid clicks and beeps
upon each increment-
faster in the traffic.
Even in this cold blur
of numb inconsequence,
We saw each other-
Through the lens; then
with a shutter's wink,
the counting ceased:
And you have become
my enduring treasure. ]]> keithwms http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/keithwms/408-timed.html the polaroid press ( copal ) shutter http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/406-polaroid-press-copal-shutter.html Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:48:47 GMT when i bought my speed graphic it came with he camera. there was a 127 tominon on it and the lens and shutter performed perfectly. over the years... when i bought my speed graphic it came with he camera. there was a 127 tominon on it
and the lens and shutter performed perfectly. over the years the shutter began to stick
and at one point the end of my shutter release got jammed inside the mechanism.
i am no shutter repair person, but i am foolish sometimes.
i have been known to take things apart not having any idea how to put them back together.
travel clocks ended up a pike of springs and gears, roller blind shutters somehow got put back correctly and even timed right.

i googled copal press shutter, hoping i would find something, and found nothing ... so i got my micro screw drivers out
and reading glasses and removed the front element, unscrewed the tiny almost invisible screw, removed the
thing that held the cover/plate on the shutter, and somehow removed the end of my release from the shutter.
i closed everything back up again and used the shutter for another couple of years.

a few days ago i had hoped to use it to photograph the side of a large building, the 127 was wide enough, and long enough
that it would have been the perfect match for my subject. i put the lens on the camera, and screwed in the release i had used
for the other lenses i was working with, and the shutter stopped working.
it opened and closed maybe once, and then remained open.

i got home and didn't bother with the lens or shutter for a few days, and last night on new year's eve i took the front
plate off and poked around as any foolhardy person would do. i put a little bit of lighter fluid on "stuff" .. i figured out
what piece was not moving back and put it "back" i moved things, i ran the shutter, and it kind of worked again ...
i closed it up and installed a release and it was stuck open again, oh well.

i left it over night someplace warm, and now, 18 hours later i decided to put the front element back in the lens. i was ok with
using it stuck open, as long as i could use the aperture i could use the lens on my speed graphic with the focal plane shutter, it would be fine ...

i put the element back on, and realized the shutter had closed ...
i put a shutter release in and it seemed to sort of work, it fired when i
release the shutter, instead of the way i remembered it always working ...
i searched around for another release and found one with a shorter throw, screwed it in ...
first into the focus-release ... it opened completely, and closed completely ...
then into the shutter ... i cycled through all the speeds, and it worked PERFECTLY ...

i will be keeping this short throw release with that lens for now on ... and label it " for 127 tominon ONLY "

i also noticed the world didn't end yet, so i will take both these events as good omens ... and look forward to a great 2012 - ]]> jnanian http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/406-polaroid-press-copal-shutter.html We need more *real* Jobs http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/keithwms/404-we-need-more-real-jobs.html Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:06:36 GMT Count me among those who've just about had it with all the recent Steve Jobs adulation.

So that I don't get hundreds of flames in my inbox from those who adore Apple products, I'll preface my comments with a few disclaimers. My first "real" computer (after the Commodore 64), was an adorable little Apple. And I worked hard to buy the next version, and the next. In college, I sold Apples- quite successfully, I might add. For all my image editing, I love my Apple. I wish every operating system were as intuitive and stable. So I am certainly not anti-Apple, and I thank Steve Jobs for the very high standards that he brought to the industry.

All that said, this shortsighted admiration of Steve Jobs needs to stop; the world needs to hear a bit more from cranky oldtimers like me who lived through the transition from papers to DVDs and saw how it affected American society. From my perspective, we've become a culture of disposable, replaceable, nondurable, self-obsoleting electronics and software. And far too often, we buy for want , not for need. And we even dispose of our new gadgets irresponsibly as well.

To top it off, so many of these objects we adore are made overseas, often in truly wretched circumstances, in places mostly invisible to the American media, with no labour standards and wages that an American kid with a lemonade stand wouldn't tolerate. Apart from a few Jobs and Gates and Bezoses, does anyone really profit from our consumer culture?

Recently, I read The Great Stagnation by Tyler Cowen- I recommend it highly. In this provocative little book, we learn that the iPod has "created less than 14,000 jobs in the U.S." It's instructive to contemplate how many units have been sold in the U.S., versus how many jobs were created abroad. Surely I am not the only one who finds Steve Jobs surname just a bit ironic. And come to think of it, my college job selling Apple computers wasn't exactly well paid, considering how many units I moved.

As an educator, I worry a lot about how the next generation will find inspiration to create and to find employment. Some of my students will be lucky and find some highly paid, virtual occupation as a manager at a desk, like I did. But what if they want to use their hands to do something other than type at a keyboard? What if they want to build something great? Will they need to go overseas? We probably won't have any manufacturing capacity to build the flying saucers, even if one of our ingenious kids designs one.

Above all else, I cannot tolerate the hyperbole with which Steve Jobs is compared to other great American industry and technology entrepreneurs. There have been been far too many headlines prcolaiming that mr. jobs was the greatest this or that. Look, Steve Jobs is up against Ford and Edison and Eastman and Bell and Land... and many, many more. Between them, those inventors created tens of millions of jobs, and not just within one generation.

Recently, while flying at night over the U.S. and surveying the glowing cities and mile after mile of highway full of cars and trucks, I realized just how transformative Ford and Edison's contributions were. Yes, those two men may very well have marketed their products for personal profit, but the implications for the country and the world were enormous. Chances are that you and I have employment today because of them.

There is a real problem with modern American gadget culture. We seem to have forgotten the difference between need versus want; between durable versus disposable; between innovation versus fashion; between
plastic and metal. And between genius versus merely clever.

Perhaps it's too early for me sound this alarm: historians will count the real contributions of Steve Jobs and his contemporaries, many decades from now after all the hype has tamped down. But my real fear is that the historians will point to this generation and all its virtual consumption, and find only impermanence, convenience, and greed. ]]> keithwms http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/keithwms/404-we-need-more-real-jobs.html Hie thee hence, 2011! http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/theflyingcamera/403-hie-thee-hence-2011.html Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:05:56 GMT Despite the title of this blog post, 2011 was not THAT bad of a year, although it could have been a hell of a lot better. Kicking things off, I was... Despite the title of this blog post, 2011 was not THAT bad of a year, although it could have been a hell of a lot better. Kicking things off, I was still in temporary employment limbo, waiting for my current employer to bring me on board officially. Then, in March (just about the same time my employer picked me up as a permanent employee) I split from my partner of 3 1/2 years, and it was an ugly split. I'm still paying the lawyer's bill until January. Yeah, it was THAT ugly that I had to get a lawyer, even though we weren't even married! On the upside, I'm now a free and happier person, and my house feels like my home again, instead of a place I went to sleep and endure the emotional acid vented by my ex.

The summer passed relatively uneventfully, until the police found a dead person in front of my house. THAT was a bit of a to-do. Then in mid-October, everyone in my studio building was informed that the building owner was tearing the place down in January and we had to get out before then. And just as I was planning to start moving stuff out of the studio, my appendix burst, putting me in the hospital and then home recovery for almost ten days. The upside to the appendectomy was that a: my recovery has been remarkably smooth and uneventful, b: although it was an inconvenient time to happen, it could have been a lot worse, and c: I had a great support network of friends and family who really came through.

All the frol-de-rol that has transpired this year has given me a new perspective on life and the things I value. I've grown a lot closer to my parents, who helped me through the separation and the surgery recovery. I had to sell some camera gear I wasn't using to pay the legal bills, and frankly, I think in some ways it was the best thing for me - it's helped me focus my interest and think seriously about what I want to do photographically, and distill down what I have until I only have the stuff I need to accomplish my goals.

I don't regret 2011, but it will NOT be remembered as one of my 10 best years either. ]]> TheFlyingCamera http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/theflyingcamera/403-hie-thee-hence-2011.html Another year in the life draws to a close . . . (short but sweet) http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/christopher-walrath/402-another-year-life-draws-close-short-but-sweet.html Thu, 22 Dec 2011 01:57:47 GMT Wow. Alot has happened in the last few months. And life has just been a'zippin' by at a murderous rate. Where to begin . . .

Well, we'll pick up where we left off. The Rickett's Glen trip. Yeah, been that long. Well, had a wonderful time with Lee and Susan and everyone. Friday morning, I was not going to go. I was having a bad Remembering-Faith time. And I did not want to go anywhere. Let alone with a camera. So, my brother calls me and his weekend has freed up and he invites himself along. I got a king bed so there's room so, what the heck. ROAD TRIP!!!!!

On the way down the mountain on Saturday 15OCT, the shutter on the Wista had been acting up and I thought I could get it going, 'knew the tricks'. Well, the tricks stopped working. I still had the Zeiss (old Contina RF). About 16 frames in, the camera refused to wind on. Well, I had a couple of good photographs. So, I just walked down the hill from then on. With fantastic company. More than nine weeks later and the sound of the rushing water still lingers in my ears. The color on top was ablaze and absolutely breath-taking. Lee could not have chosen a better weekend if he was told that this was the one to choose. At the hotel, Ron and I spent two late evenings playing backgammon in the lobby. Ate well and drove hard. And didn't hurt nearly as much as I anticipated.

So, just where does this leave me? Well, I still have Faith's EOS630 and a few rolls of TMax TMY-2. I have all of the darkroom stuff. But I sold all of the rest of my cameras. And I'll tell you why. I had all of this gear I had invested in and it was not being used. It made me feel guilty, not using it. I placed so much pressure on myself to go out and use it. I just had no desire to do so anymore. And once I finally made the decision to part with it a burden lifted from me. I do not regret it at all. I honestly wish I had done so sooner. And no, Lee, you did not precipitate the decision. It had been coming for a long time. If someone made a reasonable offer for the darkroom gear, I think I would loose it as well. And the heavenly weekend that was spent mostly without camera solidified my desire to get out from behind any sort of lens and LIVE LIFE. I think I do the memory of Faith a great service in living life. So . . .

Here it is Christmas-time. The kids are all hooked up. The house is clean and Christmas dinner will be here this year. (Tacos! Go easy!) And I am getting no photography gear whatsoever. As a matter of fact, I have a new hobby. I have begun to shoot but not with a camera. And I love the focus (funny the parallels between shooting with a camera and shooting a gun) required to do so successfully. And I am pursuing this pasttime with a fervor that has been absent in my photography for a long time, though few if any of you might have suspected.

As for APUG, I will still be around, though not nearly as frequently as before. I will still support it financially as best I can. Becasue this is an invaluable tool, one I have used and one I beleive should be made available for a long time to come.

Merry Christmas, all of my little APUG peeps. (And the big ones too.)

Chris ]]> Christopher Walrath http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/christopher-walrath/402-another-year-life-draws-close-short-but-sweet.html print sales $$ donated to FOOD BANK http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/398-print-sales-donated-food-bank.html Sat, 26 Nov 2011 11:20:26 GMT over the last few years i have sold prints either on ebay or through my storefront on imagekind ...
the proceeds went to either dr's without borders in haiti or the japan society to help in in the aftermaths
of the earthquakes. this time around, i am donating proceeds to ever print sale ( 50% ) to
my local food bank. i usually to to our local pantry and donate bulk food that i buy extra,
but instead, i am going to donate $$$.

i am not selling through ebay anymore, the overhead is too high, but i am still selling through imagekind.
feel free to browse my storefront there. i know they aren't hand printed by me,
but they are affordable, and printed in a large variety of sizes using their own archival methods,
and i have heard great reports from the people who have bought them in the past.

there is most likely a % off code / coupon email me and ask, they change all the time

thanks in advance ! ]]> jnanian http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/398-print-sales-donated-food-bank.html entropic technique http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/393-entropic-technique.html Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:11:52 GMT the current thread technique vs. from the gut got me thinking .. while i know i am not without any technique at all, i know my camera/s, i know... the current thread technique vs. from the gut got me thinking ..
while i know i am not without any technique at all,
i know my camera/s, i know how my film works, i know how my developer
renders a negative or positive print ... but i don't stop and think about every thing i do.
in the end i don't care what happens ...
and i let entropy do its thing.
many years ago i bought a cyclone 3 falling plate camera.
its a primitive 4x5 box camera that has 8 septums that were originally made
to hold dry plates. i have cardboard inserts in the septums and i am shooting paper negatives.
the camera has 2 milk glass viewers that don't work, so most of the time
i have no idea what i am photographing. i guess the exposure and moveon.

its kind of fun not having a care in the world, but i know it isn't for everyone ...
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]]> jnanian http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/393-entropic-technique.html a few days ago ... http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/390-few-days-ago.html Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:19:15 GMT the rain came down hard
i saw cats and dogs running away

the streets were filled with rivers
the dogs and cats floated away

the sun's out today
the sky checkered with scalloped clouds
soggy grass
streaked cement
cold fall morning ]]> jnanian http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/390-few-days-ago.html dead developer http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/385-dead-developer.html Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:38:34 GMT nothing stinks more than processing 6 rolls of 120 film at once using developer that worked not too long ago only to realize it was nearly dead ...... nothing stinks more than processing 6 rolls of 120 film at once
using developer that worked not too long ago
only to realize it was nearly dead ...
after the film was fixed and washed ]]> jnanian http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/385-dead-developer.html 7x11 http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/383-7x11.html Thu, 28 Jul 2011 22:07:49 GMT yesterday i cut and made a 7x11 camera. i have to tape the paper inside and see how it works. its been many months since i made a nice big box yesterday i cut and made a 7x11 camera.
i have to tape the paper inside and see how it works.
its been many months since i made a nice big box ]]> jnanian http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/383-7x11.html completely lost it http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/378-completely-lost.html Sat, 21 May 2011 00:37:20 GMT well, i did my best to rework my little 4x5 cyanotype instead of the yellows and greens, i used reds and purples and oranges so it looked more... well,
i did my best to rework my little 4x5 cyanotype
instead of the yellows and greens, i used reds and purples and oranges
so it looked more like what i posted earlier here in my blog. i would have posted it into my gallery
but since i tweaked the levels more than " to look like the print " and the contrast boosted so
the image looked completely different i couldn't do the gallery thing ...

well, i added layer to layer to layer mixing my pastel crayons ...
and paints ... and when i scanned it i just adjusted the levels so it looked not so blindingly contrasty and
overly saturated as my scanner likes to make things ...

i don't think i am going to wash off the colors this time around,, the paper is getting weak
so it is beginning to rip ...
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]]> jnanian http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/378-completely-lost.html cyanotypes http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/377-cyanotypes.html Fri, 20 May 2011 14:59:37 GMT the other day i realized that sometimes
i can't do things i wish i could do ...
i think i am going to learn how to use thick waxy paints
instead of the crayons i have ... the crayons and water colors, while they are
fun, they don't add any relief to the image.

i love the flatness sometimes of cyanotypes, but when i boost the contrast/levels
it gives these images a new life ... something i don't know if i want to learn how to do by hand ...

i can't post this image into the gallery because i think it is too manipulated ..
the final scan doesn't match the print, so here i put it ...


thanks !
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]]> jnanian http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/377-cyanotypes.html cyanotypes http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/373-cyanotypes.html Sat, 07 May 2011 23:18:24 GMT these days i have been keeping busy with making cyanotypes and bleaching + reworking them with watercolors and crayons. these days i have been keeping busy with making cyanotypes
and bleaching + reworking them with watercolors and crayons. ]]> jnanian http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/373-cyanotypes.html long exposures, paper negatives, hand made cameras http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/372-long-exposures-paper-negatives-hand-made-cameras.html Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:46:26 GMT i havent used my home made 4x5 camera since i made it last fall. so yesterday i took it out for a spin and again today ... i have posted a few... i havent used my home made 4x5 camera since i made it last fall.
so yesterday i took it out for a spin
and again today ...

i have posted a few images in my gallery, but the one i posted today is 1/2 the image
unfortunately i can't make chemical prints with it, so i had to flip it and mirror it in PS
its a pretty common practice with an enlarger and i am confident if i had a way to
chemically reproduce this image i wouldn't have trouble ...

the first one is from last night ..
i parked the car and stuck it on the dashboard for a good 40mins.
20 of those mins i was in the car with it :)
the one today was a good 3 hour exposure ...
the paper was fogged when i took it from the film holder it fell out of
and i stuck it in my home made camera for a while ...

both these will be in my imagekind gallery soon, if you ever have the desire ...
i am still donating 100% of the proceeds to disaster relief in japan.
thanks to some of the kind people here, and some unknowns in cyberspace
i will have about 200$, maybe more, to donate, so a HUGE THANKS!
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]]> jnanian http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/jnanian/372-long-exposures-paper-negatives-hand-made-cameras.html More studio updates http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/theflyingcamera/370-more-studio-updates.html Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:37:01 GMT Ok- the storage locker is now assembled, and the studio is being maintained to a reasonable semblance of cleanliness (a bit challenging when your... Ok- the storage locker is now assembled, and the studio is being maintained to a reasonable semblance of cleanliness (a bit challenging when your studiomates are a pair of hippies and a painter/3-d installation artist). It looks way more professional now, and I think the other guys will in the long term appreciate the improvement when they can raise their billable rate for the space, even though they were grumbling about not needing the storage locker (if you saw the place before, you'd understand why - they had gear and junk furniture just piled up randomly on one side of the studio, looking like part of the Lower 9th Ward post-Katrina). The remaining step is to actually get some models in and start taking pictures! ]]> TheFlyingCamera http://www.apug.org/forums/blogs/theflyingcamera/370-more-studio-updates.html