I scanned this negative as just a sheet of paper on my flatbed scanner the other day (in other words, no backlighting). I haven’t had the time to get into the darkroom lately, and I just wanted to get an idea of how it turned out. It’s not the first time I’ve shot with my (relatively new) 8×10 camera, but this is the first image I’ve posted from it. The negative is pretty dense, as I don’t have a shutter for the lens I’m using (8 in. at f4.5, which is wide open). But I’m getting the aesthetic I’ve been wanting for awhile, I believe. And the good thing is this format will carry over to wet-plate nicely.

Now for the big news: I got into grad school. After applying every year since December 2003, I’ve finally been accepted somewhere, and I’m happy to say that the somewhere is Savannah College of Art & Design. Not only that, but I’ll be attending the new Atlanta campus. As you may know, a metropolitan area was a major factor in where I could even apply to school, for Stacy to find work. You can read more about it at CrazyWalker.

UPDATE: I’ve given this a write-up over at CrazyWalker for those of you interested in my views on the future of photography and the wet darkroom.

This is “my” first wet-plate image. But of course, the incredible Mark Osterman was the one doing the shooting. And while I poured the plate and developed it and so on, France Scully Osterman was the one who managed to make sure I didn’t screw it all up. Both of them were phenomenal, and if you have any interest in this process, you should take one of their workshops at the very least.

I’ve been wanting to learn this process for, I guess, 3 years now. So the fact that they came to the Ransom Center in Austin was perfect. It probably would’ve been at least another 3 years before I could’ve made it up to Rochester otherwise. I’ll try to post images from the workshop soon, but no promises.=)

Hopefully this image more accurately portrays the tonality of these images in print. I realize the web is an awful medium for viewing photography, but I’m trying to find a balance. This image (well, the “scan” of it) and the previous were both shot on a copy stand with my Digital Rebel. The lighting was tungsten and the white balance was custom set for it. The prints were both made on Ilford Warmtone Glossy Fiber paper… 16×20 inches.

As for the image, it’s not my absolute favorite, but I think it falls in line with the other portraits I’ve done recently. Still, my new project on Gabriel Street is taking all my attention now. I’m very excited about it.

This is part of a new body of work (I hope) on a little road called Gabriel Street. I say “I hope” because I’m just assuming that people will be cooperative enough to let me into their lives with a big camera. This is, of course, the same place where I photographed the little kids the other day. And yes, those images are on the way, but I may have to re-shoot a few due to movement. Not much that can be done about that, unfortunately.

This particular image was tough to print. I printed another version with more contrast, and more of the image showing, but I like the cropped, flatter version presented here better.

On an entirely unrelated note, my basset hound, Homer, was stung by a scorpion tonight while Stacy was walking him. Poor little guy has the worst luck. A few years ago he was attached by another dog for no reason and lost a little chunk of his gigantic ear. He’s a trooper though.

August is my step-grandfather… my step-father’s dad. Remember the old war film reels they used to show when you’d go to a feature film? Well, I don’t have a first-hand knowledge either, but most of us know about them. Anyway, he was one of the guys that shot those.

We talked a little about film (Kodakchrome, specifically) during the shoot, and he was the first person to know that I was shooting him with a 4×5. I thought that in and of itself was pretty impressive. I only wish we could’ve chatted a little bit longer, but it was Christmas and there was plenty going on to distract.

Just under three months prior to this shoot, the very patio we were sitting on looked like this. Things had come quite a ways in Orange since then.

Sorin is the proprietor of Eurotech in Austin, which is a camera repair shop. To my knowledge, he’s the only employee, and he does great work. Funny thing is, he really doesn’t have much interest in photography itself… I guess it’s the tinkering that he enjoys. He had begun making bellows the last time I visited him, so I asked him to hold it during the photo.

I’m going to see him tomorrow, as the 135mm lens on my new(ish) enlarger decided to start spitting out aperture blades. And lucky me, Fotofest is less than two weeks away. This is why it’s fortunate that I have, count them, TWO large format enlargers.

Oh, and for those of you who think I probably spend way too much money on photography, I’ll have you know that I spent less than $600 on supplies, $84 on film processing and less than $500 on equipment during 2005. Well, that is, if you don’t count the dry mount press… which would have been $400. Still, it’s a wonder I produced any new images at all with a budget like that. =)

This was taken during my recent trip to Odessa (and Midland). It’s my Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Thornton, at her new home in Midland. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to shoot a portrait with daylight, so a flood light and reflectors had to do.

This is another image of my friend, Andy.

This is my friend Odis. Odis and I were tuba players in high school, and though I was militantly seriously about band (I was a music major later on, after all) Odis always kept things light. He was actually a music major for awhile in college as well. Now he’s a rural postal worker, and he plans to go back to school so he can move up in the USPS. This was taken out at his uncle’s barn. Odis is awesome.

This was taken a couple of months ago. For those of you up North, this is an example of our winter clothing. I think this was shot in December. The little guy on the left is my brother, Carter, who turned 8 in January. His two friends, Ryan and Jarvis, live down the street. They’re all good kids… and quite patient, I might add.

BTW, is anyone here an incredible writer? There’s a grant I’d like to pursue, and I’d need a writer to pair with to be eligible. You probably know what I’m talking about if you’re a great writer and you like photography. But maybe not. Let me know.

Yes, it’s yours truly… taken with the assistance of my friend, Andy. His portrait will be up in the next few days. I’m on the fence on this one. The composition doesn’t really work all that well for me, I don’t think. I’d like your feedback. And of course, the subject is, well, questionable, of course.

And if you’re curious, this was taken on the balcony/deck off our second story master suite. Because we have some bikes hanging below the deck, we needed a way to keep rain from soaking them. So yes, that’s a shower curtain nailed down to the deck. Yes, I grew up in a redneck-rich region, so in a way I could be considered one myself. It was my idea, after all.

But the idea for the deck was the idea of the previous owner. They put the door in and the deck, but failed to anchor the deck or support it properly. So when we moved in, a crew had to come out and make sure it was up to code, which included installing a new door.

I don’t usually post links to other photographers or photoblogs, but the portraiture of Judith Joy Ross is gorgeous.

I’ve been gearing up for a few things coming up in the near future. The first is graduate school applications. Two more are due on Wednesday, so I’ve been finishing up my portfolio in the darkroom, which is why this has finally been printed. As a matter of fact, I’ll have a pretty good set of new images to post over the next several days.

The second thing is FotoFest 2006 in Houston. I will be taking part in The Meeting Place, which is essentially a giant portfolio review that cost me a ton of money to take part in. So I have to have a stellar portfolio ready, and I’m glad I have a few more weeks. Even so, I’ll probably still attend the event with a “works in progress” type portfolio.

This is my friend Nathan. His brother Casey and I are best friends, and I’ve known both of them for quite awhile. As a matter of fact, I was the first student they met when they transfered to Orange in junior high. I was an office assistant, so I showed them around the school. Now Nathan is an elementary school teacher in Pflugerville, and he seems to love it. Casey has said he has quite a knack for it.

This is one of my longtime college roommates and friend, Andy Bain. Of course, now he’s a grownup and likes to be called Andrew. Even his fiancee calls him that.

We’re moving in just a few hours, about 5 miles up the road. But it’s a bigger house, and I’ll actually have a pretty sweet darkroom setup on the second floor. I’m just not looking forward to moving the drymount press and 3 enlargers up the stairs. Andy and I moved them downstairs the other night and it just about wore us out.

At the sliding glass door to Joe’s enclosed back patio.

This was Joe’s last day of work at the Texas House of Representatives. He had worked there for 25 years; as long as I’ve been alive. I didn’t have to be at work until 10:30am that morning, so I drove up to the Capitol knowing it would be my last real chance to shoot Joe in the place he knew as his well as his own home.

My time there that morning was quite enjoyable, even knowing what the afternoon would hold. When Joe left for the day, I’m told he didn’t even realize he wouldn’t be coming back to work after the New Year.

Over the next few days, Joe went out with his mother on errands and the like during the day. One morning, she had to leave him at home, and like a prisoner given the keys to his cell, Joe slipped out and went back to work. Apparently his ride provided by Capitol Metro hadn’t been canceled yet.

The party, people telling him goodbye, the comments about him enjoying retirement; none of it really registered. When Joe’s mother came to pick him up at lunch time, he finally realized the reality of his retirement. I’m glad I didn’t have to be there to see it.

Oh, I know you missed me. Sorry, but I hadn’t had a chance to scan anything for awhile, and since I’m shooting very little digital, I had to go out and buy a scanner. Granted, it was as payment for a photo shoot I did for some friends, but being able to update this web site is a much desired benefit.

So you’ll be seeing a few more images of Joe now. These are actually scans of slides of prints that I made for my first graduate school application of this year. The paper is Ilford Glossy Warmtone, but this is a Photoshopped version anyway, so it’s not 100% accurate to the tone.

This is at my mom’s house before Hurricane Rita.

Helen takes care of Aunt Eunice (in the image from a few days ago). She had, I kid you not, FOURTEEN children. Brave, brave woman. She was so nice.

I’m heading to Orange today. I’ll be back in a few days with pictures.

This is one of my mom’s friends from work at the Stark House in downtown Orange. I haven’t heard definitely yet, but I think the Stark House was mostly unharmed by the hurricane. We’ll see soon.

By the way, Zenobia was awesome. She had a cajun accent. Awesome.

Original Post: The first of my portraits from Orange. Coincidentally, it looks like Orange might very well be devasted by this hurricane. I really feel awful about it.

As best as I can remember, Aunt Eunice was actually the neighbor of my mom’s grandparents. She’s 97 years old, and despite her bad hearing, she’s incredibly lively. It was good to meet her, though I’ve probably met her before and just don’t remember. After all, she was 73 when I was born.