Ilia's Camera

With the advent of digital, sharing photos has evolved from flipping through proof prints and looking at contact sheets to online galleries, web sites, emails, and simply reviewing the back of the camera and easily deleted.   Going back to the archives of images captured on film is an interesting voyage; the beginnings of image series show up that are now captured digitally and series that existed only on their own…hidden in the emulsion and silver which I rarely use today.

I am beginning these weekly posts of images captured on film with an image of photographer Ilia Varcev loading his camera.  Going forward, images posted will be scans of prints or negatives.  This is an an effort to add to the digitally captured images that these series have evolved into.  These are similar trains of thought, begun by investigating with color, black and white, whatever was at hand and now grown with the ease and speed of multiple types of digital capture.  In one series, an image may have been captured by medium format, 35 mm, a sony point and shoot or a Canon 5D.

Enjoy.  All images will link to flickr which will host more images.

From the Series Art & Artists

Another book down… this one only took 5 months.  It is a book of images from the boys’ fishing trip to Costa Rica and am pretty impressed, again, with Blurb and the outcome of the book.

Since all of the images were taken with small digital cameras by the guys, it was a test of editing and then layout…really, how many fish pictures can you cram into a book? But then, they did catch thousands of pounds.

Take a look, the link is at the left, hope you enjoy.  Also check out the Wedding Book.  Next up…who knows?

Cover of Costa Rica Book

Three Bars

..in with the New Year. I began this blog earlier in the year to share archives of photos that had been sitting on my hard drive.  I was able to accomplish about 1% of that goal (not a bad start!). I got a little sidetracked as I delved into book publishing (see previous few posts) and keeping our companies’ blog up to date (www.aboveitall.wordpress.com).  So as we head into 2009, I need to reinvigorate or reevaluate my initial goal of creating an archive of personal work.  The plan will be to bring new work as it is created, reveal past work as it goes through my updated workflow and continue to share accomplishments in the commercial world.

It may be difficult to keep this blog as a pure archive as this year holds new challenges and commitments including the desire to continue producing photography books and our company’s upcoming show at the Nashville Airport (coming June 2009).  As our company’s role in the construction market continues to grow, we also face challenges as the construction market has seen a slow down with speculation and hope being the biggest motivator and topic of discussion.

One goal within the realm of our commercial work is to attract more assignments with creative goals and clients. Whether this is within the construction industry or with new clients in creative industries, we are committed to the same mission – high quality custom photography. To attract the opportunities, we have also been very involved this year in establishing an online presence to present our talents.  This includes (but is not limited to) updating our web site, maintianing the blog, getting the stock site more under control, driving traffic to the bookstore and continuing to develop our email and direct marketing.  So, not a lot of time to reminisce on old photos!

I will leave with one new posting, some photos I took today (first of the new year!) while Rodger and I were visiting a renovation project by Global Outreach Development.  It’s an old Middle School in Hermitage where this world-wide and world-helping organization plans to have their “home base”.  They are still in demo phase so the school has many interesting juxtapositions, along with wonderful light and construction imagery.

Cheers to all and Best Wishes in 2009!

Wendy

Building an Icon.

A photographic retrospective on the construction and design of Nashville’s newest landmark.  The photographers of Aerial Innovations of Tennessee spent close to two years documenting and creating images of construction, trades, design and events surrounding the 22 Story Icon.  Now these images are available in a large format professionally published book.

Visit our bookstore to preview and purchase.

I’ve been involved in numerous photography and arts groups from college with its student groups to professional organizations and informal gatherings. I always get so much out of coordinating with other visual artists; painters, sculptures, media and digital artists. I have a slight jealousy of the “additive arts”; being able to create something from nothing like a blank canvas or a piece of clay. Photography, a “subtractive art”, can be more simple than other creative arts, point and shoot, take something that exists like a landscape or a small flower and simply showing it as you see it. To learn how other visual artists perform and perfect their craft is stunning.

Of course, I feel most at ease discussing photography. It is my passion and I can be well versed at times. To further segregate these groups, there is a better sense of self and acknowledgment for me when it is simply women photographers. I have had many wonderful discussions with men about photography, one on one and in groups, and always feel a part of any co-ed discussion. There can be, at times, a self-imposed historic notion to prove yourself, that judgment is being passed and any slip up can demote your ranking.

In a women’s group, talk will circle around many points of topics, including, perhaps, how we are insufficient in certain realms. Some of us are not always up to speed on the latest technology, and others teach the latest technology but are using it to create a feminine perspective, challenging themselves visually instead of technically. The final product is the part at which we judge, not the means of getting there. Whether or not we are technically inclined is not the point. It goes beyond the point to the image.

At our most recent gathering, we sat around viewing historic photos of family wondering how they were made, what film, was it a contact print, how can the details be so striking…but we never lost the point of where the image was taking us, what it meant to have access to a piece of the past and wondering what our future will become..technically speaking. Changes in technology notwithstanding, we know it will all came back to the image.

Some links of interest to this post, two groups that I have been involved with and admired in the not so distant past:

Women in Focus

Sistagraphy

Can you believe we have some of the greatest works of American Art right here in Nashville? Always a surprising and misunderstood city, but don’t worry, most people here don’t know either.

Aaron Douglas at the Frist

This February, the works of Aaron Douglas are on display at Nashville’s Frist Center for the Arts. His large powerful murals are telling again that familiar and tireless story, encouraging us and reminding us that the way is up! Ever up. He challenges and encourages us to look that way, up the stairs, up the mountain, beyond what we could ever imagine accomplishing. Upturned faces look to starry skies. Upraised fists shake at towers of industry. Up. Up.

I do not belong to his race; I only have his window into this world at this moment. I am fascinated in the story Douglas tells. Consider the mural scenes in the library at Fisk. These are more impressive than the works hanging in a sterile gallery. I imagine generations of students within these walls studying, gazing, wondering, and living under their graphic motifs and vibrant colors. The rich stories told by Dr. Victor Simmons on the tour of the development, execution and restoration of these murals- all while the figures danced and sang and spoke their story.

Douglas stripped down everything in his works, all recognizable features of his subject until, as a silhouette, it could only be recognized as one thing yet remained mysterious in all that it could be. Color, graphics, shapes all in juxtaposition with shades of light and dark spin along the canvas and weave the tale of emancipation and education and never justification or redemption. That is for the viewer to accomplish.

Cravath Hall at Fisk University.  The murals of Aaron Douglas hang in many of the rooms.

Shot February 2008