TheCrow-EyeBarter-Bin

Cuyahoga Valley National Park on Ektachrome 100S

2012-01-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

In the late fall, I had the opportunity to take a few days off here and there and run around the Cuyahoga National Park with Steph while she was working. We visited Blue Hen Falls, Brecksville Station, and other awesome sites up and down the Towpath trail and Riverside Drive.
This Ektachrome 100s is probably about 10-12 years expired, and didn't have much in the way of magenta shift or anything else...just good chrome color.

Fujichrome Astia 100

2012-01-14T13:12:00.000-08:00

I recently shot up some Astia 100 expired film that I've had laying around for about 2 years. Its about 4-7 years expired, based on the rest of the lot that I purchased and I've shot a bit of it before (at night) that I was somewhat pleased with. This, however, took me aback. I sent the roll to Dodd Camera in Cleveland to develop, and it came back beautiful. I think this is the best color that I've seen from chrome film thus far, my crappy developing aside.

The Fisherman (Agfa Isolette Test)

2012-01-09T15:47:00.000-08:00

Due to the great weather we've been having lately, Steph and I headed out this weekend to take some photos of what we could find. We ran down to rocky river and shot the bridges and persons that we could find. I have recently received a gift of several awesome old cameras from a friend of mine, so I took one of the brutes down to the river with me, an Agfa Isolette, loaded with expired Agfa APX 100 film in 120.

The camera is nice, the bellows are in good shape and the aperture/shutter is pretty snappy. On many of the shots, I was much too close to the subject, resulting in blurred nothing, but I did get two nice photos. One, of a fisherman that we'll call "Jim". I later got a chance to take a photo of him with his personal camera holding a 30" Trout that he'd just pulled out of the river.

Strangely, this is the only shot with any apparent light leak on the whole roll...I'm wondering if maybe it's just a flare on the glass...

Sunshine in a Bottle

2011-12-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

Here, I'll tell you a secret,

There is no sunshine in a bottle,

but

the dim rooms of winter can often allow you

to bend the rules a bit.

Those dawns are hard to forget, too,

the sun streaking in,

last nights cigarette still clinging to your throat and lungs,

starting the day with a cough that ends in a retch.

I wish I had a better tale for Christmas,

but here it is.

Look elsewhere.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

2011-12-21T16:14:00.000-08:00

Cuyahoga Valley National park is one of the only reasons that I stay in Ohio. Aside from the metro parks there is not much nature to see, other than driving through endless farmland, which, on the interstate, is more boring than suicide. So, there's some great parks to get into in Ohio, if you're willing to close in on the cities to get it done.

The black and white in this set represents kodak plus-x in wd2d for 6 min, and then we have some expired velvia 50 for fun.

Sand Run Metro Park

2011-12-19T17:56:00.000-08:00

Sand Run was a good experience. Located near Akron, Ohio, it is located around a large reservoir, and filled with stately trees and streams. Here is a sample of what I found, shot on some 10 year old velvia 50. I really like this film. It scans well, and the expiration adds some interesting character to the shots, I think.

Erosion

2011-12-17T18:59:00.000-08:00

The water spills and I cannot erode in its time.

Merely flesh, merely mind

The unsorted conundrum of self, heart, sanity, health

lie in quiet, white sheets on the floor,

barely giving a nod to the reckless nature that created them;

barely noticing.

Today I watch the water wear away the stone,

sensing a time beyond this

listening to the speech of erosion.

Dirty Cleveland

2011-10-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

The Dirty Cleveland:

is synonymous with the upper-decker where the perpetrator defecates in the upper portion of the toilet thus leaving the bathroom owner perplexed for weeks as he searches for the increasingly horrible smell.

The Butcher

2011-10-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Butcher:

Steph and I were taking a sunday photo-drive, out to see the brownstones of Cleveland. We ran across this crazed butcher, ostensibly the owner and head butcher at Stockyard Meats. He chewed our ears about such topics as the downturn in the economy, the way the neighborhood used to be and back when the Cleveland Browns could whip anyone on the earth. He was extremely vibrant and animated...a real character. If I still ate meat, I would purchase it from this man.

A trip through the woods at Rocky River.

2011-09-26T10:20:00.000-07:00

Not so terribly grand, I think. However, I haven't posted anything in some time, due to the time necessary to scan, re-scan, re-scan again, curse the newtonian rings, and then give up. However, I've purchased a negative carrier for the scanner, and now, it is much less painful to scan negatives, and faster, too.

There was no time available for fuji Neopan Acros 100 pushed to 400 by my stupid metering, but I think that the t-max developer did this film some justice, even if my time was perhaps a bit long....Here's some film.

I shot these in the Rocky River Basin about 5 miles from lake Erie using a Yashica A tlr. Fine Camera.

Ultrafine Extreme 400 Test Roll in Yashica-A

2011-06-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

In my Search for a Cheap-ass film alternative to Kodak films that I fall in love with and then never get to use again because they are discontinued, I figured perhaps less might be more, so I went in with my friend Dehk and bought some Ultrafine. We both had pretty horrible experiences with the Ultrafine 100ISO films, but the 400ISO extreme emulsion is worth it. At 2.69$ a roll, it is very hard to complain about this solid film Here are a few from a roll of 120 that I tested in a used Yashica-A that I've recently aquired. I developed at 20celcius for 4min 15 seconds in Acufine developer

Pinhead, I am through with you.

2011-04-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

Some things are never meant to be

colored pencil portraits falling in love with a demon from hell.

They both end up looking rather upset,

though,

you'd think that the demon would somehow have the upper hand

however,

it's always going to be

the woman

who wins.

Photos are for the Road

2011-02-14T16:28:00.000-08:00

I like to take photos while driving. I know that this notion has frightened some of you, but I do. Now, more often than not, I am a passenger, so it doesn't hurt that I am taking photos while moving. There is a certain sacrifice that one makes when moving at 60 mph down the road, and at the same time attempting to capture a beautiful sunset, cloud formation, wildlife or what have you: Things that are moving, look blurry. Well, I like blurry, sometimes. Even when I was a small child, I used to look out of the window of my father's truck and focus and un-focus my eyes on the scenery passing by. The fescue, barbed wire, or the gravel on the shoulder racing by in a grey blur.
I recently took a trip with Stephanie and Shannon back to the farm country where I was born. Here are some photos from the road.

And NOW....

2011-01-29T17:40:00.000-08:00

I've made it back to winter again. Next year, the 'year in review' will go throughout the month of December and not the month of January. I'll have more sense. January has been 'The month of the Camera", insofar as we in Ohio are concerned. Due to the generosity of 2 friends and Steph and I's industriousness, our camera collection has grown by 6 new cameras. We added a Mamiya MSX 1000, an Olympus Om-1 and Om-2, a Mamiya 135 ee, and a Honeywell/Pentax Spotmatic. All cameras are in functional shape and with a bit of TLC and lens cleaning, (fungus) they'll be back on-line. Stephanie, too, has caught the 'film-bug' and has finally finished her first roll of film in several years. Its always good to go back to analog products and do what first sparked your interest in any given craft or art. Also, due to my friend Derek, I've developed my first roll of 'found film'. Derek sent me a roll of kodacolor II film from 1974-1981 (approx) and I developed it in acufine developer. It took a week's research to determine what times and temperatures to use, and I did find several individuals that helped along the way. The film was 127 type, which is 43mm wide and contains 16 exposures. Kind of an 'in-between' film for 135 and 120, now discontinued utterly. There were 2 exposures that had been saved on the roll, all the rest were solarized completely due to someone opening the back of the camera after the film had been exposed.

Here is the result of my research. I developed for 8 min @ 22c in acufine developer.

I would encourage anyone who reads this to send along any 'found films' that they might have lying about, and i'll see what can be done with them. You can always reach me at josephdecker0@gmail.com if you'd like to send along some film, or have an orphan camera that needs a home. Broken is best! It gives me an opportunity to learn something. :) Thanks for all the views and the lessons last year, I hope this year is just as good!

Fall! part two

2011-01-25T09:09:00.000-08:00

COLOR! For those of us who miss it.

Fall! Part one

2011-01-23T17:12:00.000-08:00

Summer! part 3

2011-01-22T13:11:00.000-08:00

Well, summer's over. On to FALL!

Summer part 2

2011-01-21T11:17:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to travel quite a bit this summer. Most of these photos are from a journey Steph, Shannon and I took to Philadelphia and back in a convoluted way through the Pennsylvania wilderness. It was a beautiful ride.

Summer! part 1

2011-01-19T16:53:00.000-08:00

Ah, just think...Soon it will be summer, infields, swimming, gulls, summer rains, hydrant flushing and hosta. What more could one ask for?

Spring part 2!

2011-01-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

Lakewood is the land of flowers during the spring-time. It explodes into color and dies off by July. This is also when the beading began, so I have lots of happy photos from this time of year.

Spring!

2011-01-16T07:19:00.000-08:00

Last Winter Part 3

2011-01-15T09:46:00.000-08:00

That does it for winter. Now, moving on towards Spring!

Last Winter 2

2011-01-14T12:38:00.000-08:00

Last Winter

2011-01-12T11:42:00.000-08:00

Last winter jan-mar 2010, (some of my favorites, newton's rings be damned.

Little Late (year in review)

2011-01-06T07:08:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take this time to say thank you to all those who supported my photographic efforts this year, from people who featured my work on DeviantART.com, to Derek (the photo guru), Stephanie (who puts up with my tech-speak and smelly chemicals in the bathroom and kitchen), and those of you who've commented, critiqued and watched my work. I will begin a series of year-in-review pieces of the best of the best.

Challenge

2011-01-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

Derek,

Here is your Challenge.

Frozen/Thawing

2011-01-04T15:38:00.000-08:00

Nearly dead

yet startled

into attempting

and then

truly

emerging

This photo represents many triumphs for me. Now, I have a place to shoot again, until the spring. It is always changing. Sometimes the Lake is blue, sometimes Aqua, sometimes it is steel-grey. It is in constant change, and affords many opportunities to feel. Can't wait to get back.

Cleveland Skyline (obscured)

2011-01-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes

even the greatest of things

are obscured

by simple clouds

New Aquisitions

2010-12-26T08:03:00.000-08:00

All I wanted for christmas was cameras, and boy, did I get them. During my trip to Hannibal, Missouri, I picked up a Brownie twin 20 and shot a roll of Plus-x through it. Its another 620 camera that was easily modified to take a 120 spool. It also has a real old-fasioned flash bulb attachment that is so powerful, it will blind anything in the immediate area. My sister was kind enough to give me a new/used Nikon as well, a f-301/N2000 that is now the Corvette of my collection. It does everything and even has a flash. There's a group of cameras that are waiting in the wings to be purchased, and I just received some unlooked-for christmas cash, Soooo, I'll be picking up those cameras momentarily. Hooray for cameras! Especially ones that work!

Through the Breaking Ice

2010-12-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

Through the breaking ice, we heard;

the laughter of saints,

a rumble of ghosts called to prayer

The breaking of everything,

anything

should in turn

reflect something this beautiful

At the end of the way

2010-12-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

At the end of the way

there is a sign

we'll know what it says

when we arrive

Like Powder in the Dawn

2010-12-22T17:34:00.000-08:00

Like Powder in the Dawn on the slopes

of forever

the creases of care that you wore in me

are lasting

Like powder in the dawn on the slopes

of forever

my eyes drift up

and see

Reflection

2010-12-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

In our reflection, truly

we see all that we have been,

might be

would be

could be

should be

but often

we fail to see

the true essence of ourselves

shining through

wow, I've been lazy.

2010-11-30T11:21:00.000-08:00

You know, I just noticed that I've been blogging here for some time, but I have been really lax about what I've been placing here....I have alot more stuff than I'm really sharing. Perhaps I should go back and dig through the files? Yes, lets.

Apparently,

the neighbors did

mind

midnight morning

2010-11-28T12:21:00.000-08:00

sharp pin of wisdom

morning midnight

the empty lots beckon me into

corners

and alleyways

with their height

stab the veil of nighttime

lifting it only briefly

for those with eyes to see

Satan Will Rise

2010-11-27T06:47:00.000-08:00

when you go on a walk about the city that you live in

you never know what warnings you'll find

wating in the park

or the restroom of the local bar

and don't forget

the scabies wall

The Argoflex E is alive and well

2010-11-20T08:51:00.000-08:00

I recently have been searching for a cheap, reliable Medium Format camera on-line and in the local flea markets. I found the Argoflex E on Ebay for 12 Dollars. It was made in Detroit, Michigan USA in the latter 1940's. Its body is made of bakelite and it has a good reputation for clarity, sharpness and reliability. It was manufactured to accept 620 film, which is no longer manufactured, but due to great engineering foresight, the makers of the Argoflex decided it should also be able to accept 120 film, if the kodak product became a success. Fortunately, it did, and the camera accepts the larger 120mm rolls nicely.
I loaded a roll of 2-tmy (tmax 400) and walked the few miles down to the rocky river to give the Argoflex it's trial run. I am not a huge fan of the Tmax emulsion, and I have heard lots of horror stories about higher speed films in medium format being less than quality, but I have to say that I enjoyed the results of this roll. The Argoflex's shutter speed goes only to 200 and the f values on the lens are from 4.5 to 18. The overall sharpness of the lens is going to take some work on my end to achieve the full effect. The finder is rather dark, even in bright daylight, which makes it a bit of a pain to focus, but it looks VERY sharp in the finder, so I imagine that it will be VERY sharp also when I get the hang of it. I expected some overexposure and compensated in development for it, but I still came out with a few 'bad' frames.

Here are what I would consider to be the 3 best, I scanned them in, adjusted the levels in photoshop, though the thing produced very viable negatives with little adjustment. Since I was using the 'sunny 16' rule and not using a meter, I am even more impressed with the performance of this WWII era camera.

Yashica Autofocus S and Kodak Tmax 100

2010-11-15T08:28:00.000-08:00

Here is the Tmax 100 I shot with the yashica. I was complaining to stephanie that I needed another film body to carry around with me, for color film, and she arrived one day with this little beauty. At first, I was squeamish. I mean, point and shoot? Really? No control over exposure or focus? Its like a perverse little Holga-thing. But no. It has a little focus button that does pretty well. It also exposes nicely, and the lens on the tiny bugger isnt bad either. So, enough complaining. I shot this at 160EI and 200EI via the rotating exposure ring on the face of the camera. It seems do be damned accurate too. Whether in tribute to the machinery of Yashica, or in detriment to my skills as a photographer, this is my favorite roll of Tmax 100 so far. This particular tmax is about 11 years old having expired in 2000. I was quite pleased, I hope you are as well.

Kodak Technical Pan

2010-11-11T07:11:00.000-08:00

Kodak technical pan film was an 'almost' panchromatic film, which means it responds to the whole spectrum of light. We don't have to worry about this much nowadays, because all black and white film is panchromatic. At one time, black and white film was Orthochromatic, meaning it responded very weakly to red spectrum.

In every photo forum I have visited, someone is there singing the praises of kodak tech pan film. It supposedly leans more to the red spectrum of light, simulating the application of a red filter to the lens, and darkening blues (sky) and lightens reds. I shot this roll at 200ASA, as reccomended. It is supposed to have a very wide exposure latitude, but the sharpness I got with my new Mamiya Sekor DTL1000 and sekor 55mm lens seems sufficient at 200EI...I might try 16EI with the next roll I come across to see if the claims about the film are true. All in all, it was a great test for the new/old camera and even though the film was expired at least 6 years ago, it performed nicely.

Cross-Processing with Fuji RHP 64T

2010-11-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

Here are my first experiments in cross processing E-6 film in C-41 process. I used Rollei/Compard Digibase Chemicals for this development, and developed at standard times and temperatures. I enjoyed the effects, though, some of these shots have me completely baffled as to how they turned out sharp when the rest are grainy. Cross-processing is for me. Next, for bleach bypass, another weird process that leaves the silver on the color negative. I can't wait. I believe I shot this film at 100 or 200EI, seems a bit under-exposed.

Blast from the past, Agfa 400 Expired 1986

2010-11-08T14:49:00.000-08:00

To be honest, I really wanted to load these up one at a time, and write poems for each of them. They are good memories, and strong emotional images for me. I may do so, at some later date. This Agfapan film I picked up at Loomis Camera, a great place. The owner often sells highly expired films, and always comments that "the dust is free". There are many wonderful items there, enlargers, ancient cameras, accessories and lenses....but, I digress. This film is 400ISO shot at 1600EI, developed in Tmax developer. It did expire in 1986, and in retrospect, I should have shot it at box speed, and not pushed it at all...Live and Learn. The tones it produced at a 2 stop push were pretty nice, by my standards, and even though there is some 'underdevelopment' going on, or 'underexposure', none of the highlights are blocked up and there is still a pretty wide range of tonality, even if I sacrificed some sharpness. I'll never complain about expired film again after this. I'll just assume I screwed up somewhere and try to figure out where. :)

Double Exposure Project (part 2)

2010-11-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

Here is the second half of the project. There are lots of single images in the melee' that I chose to leave joined, rather than to separate. Derek did a better job of that in his blog. Again, I was taken by the singular appearance of some of the 'compositions' that looked as though they were planned. This was a great experiment, I can't wait to try it with color. I may go shoot the color photos today...:)

Double Exposure Project (part 1)

2010-11-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

Recently, I sent a few surplus rolls of Fuji Neopan Acros 100 film to my friend Derek, in Michigan. I also began reading up on several photo projects I could do that would increase my knowledge and proficiency. I came upon the idea of doing a double-exposure project with Derek, and he said he was game, so we began. Initially, he shot whatever he felt like shooting, and then I shot whatever I felt like shooting. It was uncanny how some of the exposures were of nearly the same subject matter, even though we had not conferred on the subject at all. Here is the first portion of the project. Many of the exposures worked like murals, several images over several overlapping frames, due to the different cameras used. Here are the first few.

Learning about Filters (camera motion)

2010-11-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

For this end of the experiment, I decided to use the idea of forced motion of the camera to sustain a 'wiggly'
effect. Mostly, I just used slow aperture and shutter speeds, firing and twisting the camera at the same time. I used a fairly busy arrangement, so that there would be a blend of noise created by the motion that would be somewhat asthetic. I also used a range of motions from 180 degree twisting, to lateral and vertical motions. Here are the results, shot through a Lt. Blue filter, using Kodak CN400 film.

Learning about Filters (black and white)

2010-11-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

For this experiment, I used only the Lt. Blue and the Lt. Orange filters, with several different arrangements and the white snow as a back drop. The flowers are a deep crimson, burnt yellow and burnt sienna. The film I used was Kodak CN400 Professional at 400-1000ASA. I used several different settings to capture this series, and the film lives up to most of its claims. You could honestly give an slr to a 8 yr old, show them how to focus and shoot, and at pretty near any setting, the film is functional. It has the widest exposure latitude that I have seen in a black and white film, thus far.

Learning about Filters

2010-10-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

For this experiment, I used a wide array of lighting gels. Mostly, Dark orange, Lt. Orange, Deep Crimson, Lt. Red, Lt. Blue, yellow, Burgundy and Deep Violet. I hand held the gels, and took photos as recommended. The point of the experiment was to create a sort of collage of different colored photos, in a way like Warhol's 'Daisies'. The day I began, was bright and sunny, but as the Colorado weather changes at 8400 ft, the next day it snowed and I had the opportunity to use the white backdrop to my advantage as well. I also took several black and white photos, in order that we might use them to enlarge and then cover with a light colored panel of the gel, thereby simulating the 'daisies' effect as well.

All in all, the project taught me some useful things, and also opened my mind to a new set of experiments that I could enact with the use of color film. Recently, I taped a Lt. Blue panel across the lens of my Yashica Auto Focus S point and shoot camera, loaded with Kodak Portra 100T film. When the results come through, i'll be sure to post them up.
These photos were all taken with Kodak Ultramax 400ASA film

...about photography part 2

2010-10-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

I started shooting about 10 years ago with a Canon AE-1 Program. I picked it up at a pawn shop in florida, along with a cannon 50mm f1.8 and a Sears 135mm f2.8. So I asked around about film and most people seemed to think that the 400CN Professional film that Kodak makes was the better choice because it is a C-41 process film. (you can get it processed at wal-mart or walgreens) It's a fairly 'low hassle' film, has a wide exposure latitude and gives good, sharp photos, though it is interesting seeing wether they will come back greenish, reddish, orangeish or yellowish from the print machine. In a way, this almost adds to the kitschy value of the film but it becomes a pain. If you want them to be true Black and White, you have to scan and convert them, and then print them again. Seems like it hardly justifies the cost, at 5$ a roll, plus another 5-10 dollars for developing and pocket prints.
Several years earlier, I had tried to shoot real black and white film, but taking it to the developer, and trying to get consistent results was always a hassle. Pushed photos would be PUSHED beyond recognition, negatives would have scratches, there were generally 5 day turnovers and the cost was fairly prohibitive. I gave it up pretty quickly and returned to consumer CN400 and the local Walgreens.
Finally, after 7 years in, I re-discovered 'real' black and white film. Still using the trusty Canon, plus a vivitar 28mm f2.8 and a RMC Tonika 400mm f5.6, I began to shoot a regular regimen of kodak, ilford and fujifilm, but I was still stymied by the idea of going to a lab, and dealing with contact sheets, photo people and the COST.
I had recently begun talking to two friends about their camera collections and their experiences with their gear, and one friend stated that he was developing and printing all his own work in his bathroom. He made it sound like a pretty simple proceedure and he also recommended some things to try. His results were far from average, being quite sharp and consistent. It seemed like there were a lot of things that could go wrong, but I was determined to study and learn.
For christmas that year, Stephanie clandestinely purchased me some photochemicals, a dark-bag, a developing tank, 3 plastic reels, and tri-x, t-max and ilford hp5+ films. We mixed it up with help from Steph's memory of her highschool photography class, consulted the oracles of http://www.digitaltruth.com and their massive development chart, then we dove in.
It was INCREDIBLY satisfying. For the first time, the results I was supposed to be seeing, were there in the negative. The first successful development created an instant addiction. I spent the next 7 months pouring over anything I could get my hands on about photography, studying the zone chart more intensely and shooting, shooting, shooting.

Thanks to Stephanie, Derek and Asaf.

Red Rocks

2010-10-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

The bones of the earth exposed in the sunlight

we were greeted by the birds

and when my lenses fell off a 30' cliff

I didn't even frown.

This is a place of magic,

a place of breathing the breath

that sustains life

The Edge of the Dream

2010-10-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

Two men played an endless game

over a wide map

set in the flagstones of a lavish castle

Upon the flagstones were

different geological regions

mountains, plains, forest

The two men were aged,

one with long flowing white hair

and the other grim and weathered

The white-haired one congratulated the other

on being the best player he had found

the weathered one nodded, but did not reply

The white haired man moved the pieces without touching them

and explained that,

"I just ask my intuition for answers, right or left, and then I move in that direction"

The weathered man remained silent

moving his piece forward

with a gloved hand

When they both reached the center of the board

they rolled dice and began to circumnavigate a symbol at the center using small figurines.

the symbol was a black 'V' set in a green field encircled with black filigree

It was this black line that they followed to the conclusion of each round of the game

until the old man with flowing hair waved his hand in a cutting gesture and laughed

that was the end of the days session, he explained to me

Then, I woke up

2010-10-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

sometimes you have to take the low blow when it presents itself

The Machine

2010-09-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

Letters and numbers call us out in like time

clicking and clattering like some old machine

a typer gone mad

and you look down at yourself and reveal that

you haven't been tuning the clockwork at all

and the mass mess of gearshift madness

cobwebs and sadness

just nearly escaped your notice

What I've learned so far...about photography

2010-09-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I started out shooting CN400 'fake' black and white film, and moved on to 'real' black and white film at the end of 2009. I've been making lots of photos, experimenting with development times/temperatures and developers. I recently bought 2 C-41 process color film development kits and I have about 30 rolls of C-41 and E-6 film to cross process, process, bleach bypass and generally abuse.
At the beginning of this odyssey, I was using the Massive Dev Chart at http://www.digitaltruth.com in order to achieve resonable starting times and temps for acufine developer, tri-x and Tmax films. In the last year, Ive shot Kodak tri-x 400 and tri-x pan 400 ASA, Kodak tmax 100, 400, P3200 ASA, Ilford hp5+ 400 ASA, Ilford Delta 100 ASA, Ilford Pan F plus 50 ASA. Ive also shot many rolls of color, but I'm not going into that presently. I will say that I had alot of fun playing about with color film that I developed in acufine. Most of that film was Kodak Ultramax 800 ASA, plus one roll of REI opticolor 200 ASA. (whatever in the world that is, probably Agfa film, or somesuch)

I am going to compile a list of Developing times and temps for all films that I have used, and will include them as I continue to post.

Freedom

2010-09-18T06:36:00.000-07:00

lemme just get out there in the wind

and i'll show you all

something worth fighting for

crazy

2010-09-18T05:58:00.001-07:00

sometimes

the crazy days

are the best days

The Road to the Clouds

2010-08-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the road to the clouds
must first pass through hell
and the white wisps of heaven
be tinged with flame

in order that we recieve our sanctification
with a clean soul

Our feet touch the coals and our spirit leaps for the light of the stars
shining one million miles overhead

2010-07-31T15:14:00.000-07:00

The clouds out there on the horiozon
and i'm here
so small

not even a mile high

But i get to see
and for some reason
seeing is the magic we were given

it's a magic that means less that we make of it
and more than anything
if we can truly see

Fuck You, Jesus!

2010-07-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

So many Judas Iscariots

Friends that understand nothing but betrayal

beware the man looking out for himself

Beware looking out for yourself.

Remember self-sacrifice
remember maryrdom

Forgive your enemies
have eyes in the back of your head

when you see the blade coming down
remember supplication

Just let go.
son of god or not,
it rarely matters.

2010-07-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

Words spill into words
a whole lifetime

Looking back
searching hand shakes

Compile
Re visit

I tore away
reformed
re-formed

The Mermaid and the Sailor

2010-06-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

Neither are very interested
and as the sun beams in
they turn back to their lives

The sailor says,
"well, i best get back to my ship"
the mermaid says,
"I don't feel like singing today"

The crowd doesn't notice
they're all busy with beer
or girls or whatever

But i was watching.

Flight

2010-06-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Even if it was just a simple piece of grass...

We got away

for a moment

Many Baptisms

2010-06-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

The dead are submerged
and rise again in glory filled with the
spirit of holiness

We jump and shout in the water
as the sun bounces up crazily

I recall you there
the scent of your mouth on mine

Christ's children, all

Lord I'm Ready
To come to the water

Attack of the Mantis Machines

2010-06-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Marching in waves
across every barren space

They are coming.

Sinking

2010-06-19T18:11:00.000-07:00

This building
this body rejected
in the open morning of tomorrow's glance

Tell me your tales
old brother
old skeleton

just look!
They suck your life away when you still yearn to breathe!
Every last thing pinioned against

Don't bother giving them a groan of notice when you fall

just optimistically
pour yourself
across that city
and whoever gets in the way
deserves it.

We are the New Lords

2010-06-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

We are the new lords of truth
Simple lines
Simple words

We eke out an existence
and you never know us.

We wait for the dark and the lonely moment
(We have to flee the police for our statement)
And in garish colors we paint the structures of our hearts
on concrete walls
and you people,
you subway people,
you 9 to 5ers
you sick, money-infected, stupidity-addicted 'people'
call it a 'crime' call it 'destruction' call it 'trash' call it
what ever you call it

But
Our hearts are not silent
even as we toil the low wage job
the corner sale
or no job
we dream shapes to place into your world
in garish colors
that bleed out of us
that are us

So cover us up, if you want
We
are the New Lords of Truth
and there will be more of us
coming

The Names of the Fallen

2010-06-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

Write here the names of the fallen
Freeway wall
silent witness
grey disciple of endless transport

See our warriors' names here written
vanquish our memories
malt liquor
mile-per-hour highs
and poems written in a language
only we
can read

RAAAR!

2010-06-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes there is glory in the simple child-mind

Imagination Rampant

The clouds are coming to get us!
The tyrannosaur has returned!

Growth in Dust of War

2010-06-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

Winter is a war
frozen
consuming

We break from a false skin
and grow
new leaves
any-how

Spring is not our last chance

Our last battle
Our last song
Our last riddles
are only waiting for the winter to arrive

Out in the Distance I See

2010-06-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

In the mists of the world
conceived
birthed through the canal of wood-spirits
held down and bathed in creeks of sphagnum
waters

The depths and the high places are my home

Let me swim or fly
or
leave me be

on the flat earth where the sun beats from between the clouds
you might find me

but watch:
I'll disappear in green
and come again in blue
soft in flight and diving.

Mesmerize

2010-06-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

Let It Come Down

Never tear me away
from nights spent in soft snow
only the stars as witness

Set Your Table in the Green Place

2010-06-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Martyr museum of my mind
sacrificed causes all the while

Did you lay your table in the green place?
Did you remember to wash the blue sky from your eyes?

We leak in present presence.
We drink to go back
We shoot to go forward.

Needles and bottles
are a girl's...
(and cliche' and trailing off is comical)

Never stop the ride
Ride the never stop
Stop the never ride
Never ride the stop

Greet green grey great mists
that bumper off our heads like cotton dreams
White and Green

E'en Memoriam

2010-06-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

Between the stretch and the brick
between the bud and the flower

Death exudes

Between the spaces of the microns
that line your soul with selves
in the space there
between the letters of the words

relay
relax
refuel

(refute)

Stop looking with those eyes

Dance a solemn pin for the gone
stone wanderers

Leave a poppy on the graves of the Soldier Saints
One for your memory and one for mine

Stretch, Blocked, Flowering

2010-06-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

2010-05-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

I live west of this, and the current weather systems seem to carry most of it away from where i live. It's a good thing. When you drive by it you can feel the sinister nature of the thing, the vast expanse of industrial waste and pollution decaying everything, even itself.
There is a sense of death and loss all those lives stolen by windowless buildings, fluorescent lighting and the consistent inhalation of chemical fumes. It hasn't really been that long since the labor uprisings that were caused by places such as this, and just look! They're still up and running.

Vast as a Moment, Little tears

2010-05-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

Dance round stones
leave loneliness to martyr
caustic effective
out to branches

Remember the prairies and the empty ones
they make names for clause and claws with names

A corner-post for missal
err behemoth grain
eye me not a moment
and then stay, stay
don't push me away when i leave
creosote and ashes
squeezing out like tears

Estranged Glands

2010-05-20T06:43:00.000-07:00

phu phu phu
pho!
phu phu phu
pho!
harder than it looks.

The director enters
the room spins.

Why are you always catching me unawares?

the Dionysiac labours of man are never ceased
the cultish faddish colors and motions arise and are severed
with generational gaps
like a scissors noone can see

The wise are garmented in fibers no-one can tell.
The king's new clothes indeed.

Hear here
that the anti-fictional doesn't have to be coherent.
blabber is a language of children
and it makes sense, even if all it says is:
I'm Happy

Light bends and we break
Like Bends near the break
Like bends rising to the break
Bend before you break
Break at the bend
bend the break
break-bend
BRAKE
Bend

Everything Beggars a Question

2010-05-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

Bum Seer.
need another.

over that counter remedies
that cause secondary issues
stress that causes all isssues
issues of old selves that are no longer mandatory, regulatory or useful.

pace back down the rain soaked streets of yesterdays tomorrow

we'll pick up ants and watch them sideline us on national television
with a disease we didnt bother to get because we're not fashionable

Take a ride
mystery
going no where
every
where

pace back through the click track
lapped up in mammary before memory
tacked up on walls of our history
permanent psychotic remembering
and
never forgetting

2010-05-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

I just let the phone ring and wandered into the next room.
There he was on the console, looking smug, as always.
I barely know how to come down from these things, and
I certainly can't truly describe the up-draft, I say
to the empty air.

Lets float away
or not
we could just stay here
it would suit us better
lets live a life worth telling about
to people that will revel in the telling.

Ive gotten tired before, you understand.
It's not that I don't love life
It's that I didn't love myself
and now having realized THAT
I no longer have to search for an answer to much of anything.

Based on Being

2010-05-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

We just fall back asleep anyway
they say.
I hardly have the strength to attempt a counter-argument
after what I've seen.

They DO just go back to sleep
or they only turn in their slumber
mumble and drool a bit more.

It is interesting to convince myself that theres a reason to go on living

every time i look around

whereas

that used to be the exact reason I wanted to divest myself
of all of this.

The First Sun in Forever

2010-05-05T11:37:00.001-07:00

"my family", The Road, And 'take it...'

Argumentation

2010-05-04T11:18:00.001-07:00

We dance and there is a feeling of death
that comes without creeping
it is the death of image
the re
newal
of the inside eye

Tell me of travels
o you troublers
or trouble your travels
on my door step,
whats the difference?

Make me a mean man
that way
i cannot feel so much
or so little.

We just want to be even,
remember.
remembered.

The breeze blows
and the light hesitates
before growing dim

2010-05-04T06:53:00.000-07:00

1. & 2. The Working Man (before) and (after) 3. Child caught in the act of dishes.

2010-05-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

More of the same roll.

Experiments in Color Film

2010-04-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the results from my first development experiment in color film. I took regular old Kodak Ultramax 800 @ 3200 and developed in regular dilution Acufine. I poured in enough developer @ 22c to get about half of the film covered and then let it stand for 2 min. I added some 18c water and agitated lightly for 30 sec, then let stand for 2min. I dumped the solution, added more regular developer and agitated once every 2 min for another 8 min. I then stopped for 1 min and fixed for 12 minutes agitating gently and regularly. What I got wasn't at all typical, most of the posts I read on-line specified that it would be a waste of time, that there would be 'zero contrast' and it was impossible to print or scan negatives through the orange mask on the color film. I am pretty happy with the craziness that ensued.