The two most engaging powers of [a photographer] are to make new things familiar and familiar things new. 
- W. Thackeray

mmmm... FILMMm

©wendy whitesell, new york city 2011

I got my first shots back from my test roll with the Hasselblad 500c/m. I have a ways to go, but here is my start. There are so many things to think about, like handling and loading the film properly, which film to use, juggling exposures, and being very selective about what to place on those 12 frames. Being just a test roll, I mainly wanted to see if the camera works. Some of the fractured light makes me wonder if there's a leak, but it could also be some awkwardness in my first time loading or unloading the film-- it has to be manually rolled and I may have fumbled a bit there. My second roll was in color and shows no signs of this issue, so, it's all good. Just a matter of having the process become second nature!

A photograph can be an instant of life captured for eternity that will never cease looking back at you.
- Brigitte Bardot

Coney Island Baby...

I've been dreaming of creating a set of Coney Island images like this for years... Yesterday I had the chance, equipped only with my iPad2 and some inspired vision.  While taking the shots, a walk on the beach and  a corn dog on the boardwalk made the day complete. In reality, Coney Island, as I told a friend, is a gritty little carnival on a gritty crowded beach, but its nostalgia and timeless charms make it a whimsical, quirky, and somewhat romantic little day trip on a NYC Summer day.  all photos © wendy whitesell 2012

Post-production was done in Snapseed and Photoshop CS5

No one can do inspired work without genuine interest in his subject and understanding of its characteristics. - Andreas Feininger

horses

Painting  using ArtRage.  appropriated photo.

I spent more time this weekend exploring the creation of images on the iPad and am reeling at the possibilities...

My background is in painting but I gravitated to photography while snapping digital photos for mixed media content.  Eventually I got bitten by a pure photography bug and have been focusing exclusively on it as a discipline for the past few years. Once in awhile I miss painting and have had a long term plan of going full circle by painting into large photographic prints. This takes the right kind of time and space, so for the time being, I've been visualizing the images I've wanted to make. With the tools now available to me on the iPad, I'm able to start exploring these ideas now and have a culmination of various parts and pieces finally coming together. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens when the pot is stirred even further...

iRemix

Remix ©Wendy Whitesell

I've been engrossed in the versatility of the iPad2 apps the past two days; taking existing photos, editing, and then painting on and into them. I'm able to embrace two favorite passions at once with no clean up :)  The two apps I used for the photo in this were Snapseed and ArtRage... I don't have enough words to describe how outrageously cool ArtRage is. Simulated painting programs have been around since the late 80's  -Fractal Paint- comes to mind, but the ArtRage knocks these earlier applications out of the park with its abilities to fine tune tool sets and behavior of paint (like adding intricate amounts of thinner, or having complete control over how you load a brush with paint). The final surfaces resemble painted textures of all kinds, and I've even imported hi-rez (300dpi) photos to work on with amazing results. This brings many possibilities into game, like printing and adding in additional mixed media.  I've barely scratched the surface of what ArtRage can do, but am having a blast exploring. It's 4th of July, and I may have to have this thing pried out of my hands in time for fireworks. Click the image to enlarge and see the detail (done by hand on the touch screen of the iPad, over the photo.) I'll be posting more examples in the days to come, I'm sure :)

What i like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.  —Karl Lagerfeld

Memories?

Mercer Street ©2011 Wendy Whitesell

After much deliberation and negotiations with the piggy bank, I finally broke down and bought an iPad 2 yesterday...  I snapped these shots with its camera function -after I left the Apple store- while meandering through the West Village and Washington Square. Later, I downloaded the app 'Snapseed' and mixed up some vintage-y post-production. The retro effects beg the question, besides the obvious aesthetic, why are we so drawn to these dreamy, yesteryear filters; faded Polaroids, ragged and splattered emulsion, crackly tints, and greenish /sepia tones, etc? They seem to be dominating social media lately and are understandably intriguing...After a quick thought, these two aspects of photography came to mind:

One, it's a visual step into fantasy... Photography is often limited to an act of documentation or simple memento, but as an art form, fantasy, sensation, and emotion are key elements to pushing a picture as an experience in and of itself. It can be an invitation to a created world; maybe one with associations you recognize, but view in a more fantastical or dreamlike way...  Two, it's a simulated memory; an echo to our own past, or a past environment these subjects or effects once played a part maybe before our own existence. Their coordinates are the same, but the atmosphere and energy around them is different. What's compelling is they are in our presence, but with vintage editing, we can experience a collective 'memory' by photographing the subject in the here and now, but present it as if it may have looked in it's own era. I'll be thinking more about this as I work the images from both ends; a vintage film camera and iPad app. It's ridiculous amounts of fun and compelling food for thought.

6th Avenue © 2011 Wendy Whitesell

Washington Square Arch ©  2011 Wendy Whitesell

I have two pairs of eyes – one to paint and one to take photographs. - Jacques-Henri Lartigue

Herb Ritts

Herb Ritts, Versace Dress, El Mirage, 1990

Yesterday, I went to the Edwynn Houk Gallery on 5th Avenue to see the Herb Ritts show. While researching New York photography exhibits, I learned it was the final day of this show and acted on impulse; hopping a train to the gallery two hours before these sublime works were to come down from the walls. I'm so glad I did.

Upon entering the gallery, I was met by the strong graphic form and highly contrasted linear compositions in most of Ritts' photos. Images composed of geometric abstractions in striking blacks, whites, and subtle grays jumped from every wall in the gallery. Though Ritts was a fashion photographer, garments seemed to be secondary to his classical depiction of the human figure and eye for geometry. Many of subjects were 80's and early 90's pop icons, but the work is timeless due to his elegant use of graphic form, classical human figure, nature's forces, and quiet emotion. Along with his unique vision, his sometimes obvious nod to the work of Man Ray made this show a favorite for me. Glad I got see the formal prints in person; I'll be influenced by his work for years to come.

ps. Since the gallery is near Central Park, I grabbed my camera and a couple of rolls of film on my way out the door so I could go to the Park later and shoot. Maybe my Hassie soaked in some nice Herb Ritts vibes while at the show? Time will tell ;)

The belief is once you buy a camera you are photographer. SO that means if I buy a Cello....
I own a cello.

- Vincent Versace

Photo Geekend

It was a geeky weekend. Learned how to set up the Hasselblad this morning after perusing various manuals and youtube videos. Once it was loaded with some black & white film, I took it for a spin through Prospect Park. Very interesting after shooting digitally for the past several years to take over 2 hours to shoot 8 pictures! I did a lot of walking, looking, and hunting for things that merited a spot on one of the 12 frames I had available to me on the 120 film. I had a back up roll thinking 12 would go fast, but it really didn't as my 'economy' sensibilities set in. I perched at places waiting for the right moment, light, or silhouette to pass by and make the shot a keeper. It was a good reminder to think in terms of exposures to visualize what may result ahead of time. The proof will be in the developing. I'm both excited and a little nervous to see what comes of this first roll. With digital, we can take 20 shots of the same subject or moment very quickly checking (often called 'chimping') the LCD each time to check the results of the exposure and changing if desired. Had I taken my DSLR to the park, I easily would have come back with 200+ shots. Going analog was a trip. When I got home, I tried one shot with my strobes to make sure the sync cord worked and found that the lights fired just fine on the first attempt.  Trying to learn as quickly as possible, while at that same time taking it slow and methodical :)

The desire to discover, the desire to move, to capture the flavor, three concepts that describe the art of photography.  - Helmut Newton

Lomography Gallery Store

Lomography Gallery Store

New York is the city where you are supposed to be able to get anything at any time, unless that 'anything' happens to be camera supplies. Anyone living in New York who is afflicted with the photography bug knows that having a last minute need for a canister of film or a memory card on a Friday afternoon or Saturday can be a bit of a puzzle. The main stores and many of the smaller ones close as early as 1pm on Friday, and are not reopened until Sunday due to the Jewish sabbath. So, yesterday when the Hasselblad arrived and my film did not, I was stuck once again not only wondering what was open, but wondering where can one get 120/medium format film in NYC on a Friday at 6pm? The answer, I quickly found out, is the  Lomography Gallery Store in the West Village. While Lomography is not exactly what I am doing, the Lomo enthusiasts often shoot in 120/medium format... The store has every type of film one could want, including their own brand. There's a mesmerizing gallery of lomo photographs and endless supply of whimsical plastic cameras, Dianes in all colors, frames, and more. The staff was friendly and helpful setting me up with the film I needed as well as literature to various workshops they have, and developing services for quirky films sizes and processing. I love lomography and think it could be an inspiring side project during my re-entry into the film world. I may check it out. For now, they are a great source for film and inspiration on a Friday night in NYC, and open until 9pm! They are located on 41 W. 8th Street and are open Mon-Sat: 10:30am–9:00pm; Sun: 11:00am–7:00pm

41 W. 8th Street

 

The Lomography Gallery Store New York City is located in the city’s historic Greenwich Village neighborhood. Featuring the complete line of Lomographic products, accessories, and film, it’s the one-stop shop to fulfill all your Lomographic cravings! Not only is the full line of Lomographic goodies available for perusal, there is a myriad of workshops, LomoJourneys, and Lomography gatherings to attend every month. All products are on display for a hands-on experience, and knowledgeable shop staff are always there to guide you if you need assistance. 

The store offers the opportunity to touch, smell, hold, and lovingly gaze upon the object of your Lomographic desire. The extensive Lomographic product line is not the only sight to see; the Lomography Gallery Store NYC has been designed with flair by the Lomography architecture team. Vintage furniture is available for all to lounge upon while browsing through a carefully curated selection of reading material. We’ve made store displays from replicas of the original crates that the LOMO LC-A was shipped in from Russia. The store also features North America’s largest LomoWall, complete with 35,000 Lomographs on display.

Hassy Arrives!

Got the Hasselblad today as promised by the seller. It's cleaner and more pristine than I could have imagined. It really does look like it's never been used. At all. Someone got a really nice gift once upon a time and barely took it out of the box. Would love to know the back story, but the new story is this baby will finally have a life. I feel like I've adopted a rescue dog that was kept in a basement or attic....  Every original thing is in the box; all the packing, wrapping, etc. It's a beautiful. It will take some getting use to, but I'm excited to have it home and test it out. My sync cords to my Alien bees work; all my peripherals fit; monopods, tripods, etc. I just need to learn to compose backwards; in mirror image, but that's ok... There are many little do's and don'ts on handling, loading film, changing magazines, etc, which I'm learning from youtube. Glad there are other people geeking out harder on this than me, and that those generous souls have taken the time to document their geekdom on youtube :) It's amazing what I've learned in 3 days.. Looking forward to more.

I photograph what I love. As Rumi says, "Let the beauty we love, be what we do."

- Chris Noble

Mapplethorpe: '50 Americans'

Tulips, Robert Mapplethorpe, 1987

Went to the Mapplethorpe '50 Americans' show at the Sean Kelly Gallery in Chelsea today. The concept was interesting. I thought the title indicated 50 portraits of various people, but instead, the 50 Americans were random people they invited to curate the show; each choosing one photograph from Mapplethorpe's body of work. Under each photo was a placard with not only the usual info -name, medium, year-  but also exploratory commentary from each curator as to why they chose their piece. A few people were familiar with Mapplethorpe and were adept at explaining their choice in visually literate ways, while most were very much out their element. Even so, they had emotional, curious, and often socially aware commentary about Mapplethorpe's work. Many said they were moved to look at art and even humanity differently after seeing this body of work; some sensitive and some harsh, and of forbidden nature.

Deborah Harry, Robert Mapplethorpe, 1978

I was taken by many of the pieces, as expected... The portrait of Debbie Harry I've seen many times, but standing eye to eye with this life-sized silver gel print was stunning. There is breathtaking beauty, a late 70's East Village fierceness, and a vulnerability rarely seen coming from images of Harry during this time period. Another portrait of one my favorite painters- Willem de Kooning-was larger than life and so alive, I felt for a fleeting moment I was meeting the eyes of de Kooning himself. The intense capture is at once sad and friendly. It was taken a couple of years before de Kooning's death, when he was believed to have been suffering from alzheimer's. De  Kooning's expression is both sturdy and disorienting; much like his work.....

Mapplethorpe is famously known for his duel nature and controversial imagery, but when it comes to the execution of the photos themselves, the artistry and technique is sublime. There is also a consistent and delicate thread running through each image... Whether a series of erotic nudes, an iconic portrait of long time friend Patti Smith, or a wilting bouquet of beautifully mono-toned tulips, I felt a side of Mapplethorpe in each one; as if no matter the theme, each is a self portrait. The show ends Saturday, June 18.

Hassy

My new baby- A vintage Hasselblad 500c/m! I ordered it yesterday and have yet to receive it. When I went through the decision process, I weighed out the financial aspects and realized I wasn't breathing- not at the thought of the money, but at the site of the picture and vision of the photos I could make. I got little chills as I put the order through and haven't breathed normally since. The camera is vintage (of course), but mint and in the box with everything in tact. I'm guessing there will be a learning curve, some trial and error, and some investment in film and processing, but I'm trusting it will be worth it. I figure a few shots every shoot with this -after warming up and testing exposures digitally- will build, over time, an interesting portfolio of medium format work. Looking forward to working on the square, and getting those dense blacks and rich colors...

Photography, as we all know, is not real at all. It is an illusion of reality with which we create our own private world. - Arnold Newman