I just got a call from Gallery RFD in the art capital of Swainsboro, Georgia where I submitted some images for their portraiture show last week.

At least one picture of mine was accepted, this one...



They also wanted to let me know that it was chosen as...

Best in Show!

So that is pretty amazingly awesome. The juror is Brandon Fortune, curator of painting and sculpture at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, so she's (yes, she) somebody I like to get my work in front of. And it's very flattering that she picked mine as the best. And I get $150. I think that's the first time since high school that I've gotten any money for "art."

I have to figure out how to tell my sister-in-law because I'm afraid it's not a very flattering picture of her. But it's Art so that's okay, right? And I'll explain the art-critical concept of the Object. I'm sure she'll understand. :-D

Show opens sometime next month.

Labels: art, award, gallery, opening, portrait, show

It's the 21st century. Although I still don't have a rocket car, technology has brought us many very useful things. Such as film scanners. Except when they don't work.
This weekend I went home to south Georgia and shot my family with the 4x5. I got a couple that I'm very happy with, and some that I'll have to shoot again.
Today I had the chromes processed and was very excited to get them scanned and printed tonight. I went to the lab, got the imacon holders, got set up, and turned the computer on. The "bong!" that a Mac makes is a very pleasing sound. This one seemed to start out alright, then it got stuck halfway. I've had trouble with this machine before, so I restarted it. And again. And again. Then I unplugged it. And again. And again.
Then I talked to the operations manager. He said it'll start, it just takes a while. I started again and waited. And waited. And waited. After about 10 minutes of halfway starting, it jumped to the end. Then 20 more minutes.
And I gave up.
One hour. No prints, no scans... no computer even. Sigh.
The polaroids look great. I'm not sure my family will be totally enchanted with them, but I think the pictures sort of reflect their tolerance of my interest. They've been putting up with this for the last 20 years or so, they figure they can stand still for five more minutes.


As I shot the four of them, each said something along the lines of "that's an old camera" or "that's a fancy camera." I said that any camera is essentially a box with a hole in it. And while this particular box (Toyo 4x5 monorail) along with the polaroid and chrome film (all technology that's been around 50+ years) served me well, the computer was a total bust.
Maybe I'll go to pinhole and chemicals. That's a simplified process, and there's really only one thing that can screw up there. Me. I can deal with that.

Labels: 4 by 5, 45, aggravation, complaint, family, polaroid, portrait, technology

I am running with the every day project. Sometimes they are not so good, sometimes very interesting. This is 2" at f/4. You can see how the flash side of my face is sharp, but the side under constang tungsten light is slightly blurred. I think this is an interesting effect.


The tungsten light is a lamp with a mesh cowboy hat covering it. The light shines through the pattern of the hat, making the beams. I had to move further from the wall and point the flash 90 degrees with a rigged bounce card (old paper and rubber band) to get the shadow to soften up.

I am intrigued.

Labels: flash, me, mixed light, portrait, tungsten