Sep
30
According to the web statistics software the most visited post on this blog is the one I wrote in December 2007 about film photography.
It was a bit surprising to me to find out that film photography stirs so much interest now days with the convenience of digital. I mean, two years later, and it is still the most read post on this blog. Cool.
I want to believe it actually means I was right when I said film will always be available in some form or another.
I guess there is this special something about film photography that cannot be duplicated or replaced by digital; and I’m sure if you are using film you know exactly what I mean.
Myself, most of the time, I prefer the feel, look and practice of handling an old film camera. However, when I travel there’s no substitute to the convenience and immediacy of digital.
I traveled with film cameras in the past and I have no intention to ever do it again!
I find that many photographers who use film, often alternate between film and digital which is great because nobody should be forced to choose only one method for taking pictures.
Film is dead, long live film!
Posted in Film photography Film photography San Francisco stats
Sep
25
1. Using Mod Podge, paste pieces of textured papers and other found objects (such as ticket stabs, stamps old newspaper etc.) onto an 11”X14” canvas panel.
2. Make sure to cover this layer with the Mod Podge so it doesn’t only adhere the papers to the canvas but also protects this layer to all eternity (or at least a few years)
3. Cover this layer with watered-down gesso. It will mute the layer a bit and also will tie the pieces together.
4. Add a thin layer of acrylic paint of your choice. Don’t over do it so it doesn’t overwhelm the other layers.
5. Now to the transfer part. Spread Gel Medium onto your image which in this case is a Xerox copy of a picture taken at a train station in Long Island, New York in the evening when people get off the train to go back home from a long day of work.
6. Put your photo copy which is now covered with gel medium face-down into the canvas on top of the previous layers. I transferred a few copies of the same image.
7. Let it set for a few hours, preferably over night.
8. Wet your fingers and rub the access paper, revealing the image which is now transferred to the new surface.
9. For the final touch you can add text, letters, gesso and paints.
10. Clean up the mess!
That’s it! Now you’ve got yourself a nice mixed media image transfer thingy which I like to call: mixed transfer.
Posted in Experimental, Image transfer gel medium gesso Image transfer mixed media mod podge old newspapers paint texture papers xerox transfer
Sep
21
It is Friday night and we are dressed up and ready to go to dinner in a fancy schmancy restaurant in Malibu by the ocean. By the time we leave home it is getting dark and as I have no fast film at hand, I figure there is no point in taking any camera along with me.
Tonight, I’ll just be nice, sit through dinner, be polite and forget about photography.
But then, when I’m at the door, it hits me: hey, don’t I have a nice digital camera somewhere in the house which is perfectly capable of taking night photos?! And so, on my way out, I grab my Nikon D60 for our night on the town.
The opportunity to take a few wonderful and darn right exceptional pictures happens after dinner when we walk on the beach (yeah, yeah, so romantic! Nikon and me).
So here it is: a long exposure in Malibu.
And this is your lesson today, my dear two readers: Never leave home without a camera.
Posted in digital beach digital camera Malibu night photos nikon D60 ocean
Sep
10
I’m in a process of putting together ideas and plans, much like a blueprint, for my next book.
The book will include some thoughts about street photography and many of the techniques I use in photography; some that are featured in my last book (I am not an artist) and a bunch of new ones.
If there is something you want to see in the book, if there is a technique you think needs further explanation or if you have any other suggestion, I would love to here from you.
You can leave a comment here or if you want it to be private you can contact me directly.
Btw, You will find most of the techniques I use featured in this blog, here to the right under “Categories”. A list of the chapters and techniques in my last book is available on this page (on the right).
Posted in Best Photos, Photo Books, black and white photography photography books
Sep
05
I came across this picture while looking at my old photoblog. I think I took it around 2002, when I was young and beautiful.
It is one of these pictures that will always keep me wondering; What was this interesting group of women doing together in this room? Ah, I’ll probably never know.
And that’s, ladies and gentlemen, the beauty of street photography!
Posted in Best Photos, black and white photography, street photos black and white photography girls street photography venice beach
Sep
01
If you’ve seen this camera before I’m sure it is quite obvious to you why I was interested in trying it; it’s small, light weight, quiet and automatic.
Just perfect for street photography!
The Konica C35 is a little rangefinder manufactured in the late 60’s and there’s really not much to say about it beyond that.
So I took this camera for a test drive and I shot a roll of Fujicolor 100, which I like to use as a test film because it has only 12 exposures.
All the pictures came out pretty much out of focus.
it turns out the focus part is not so automatic.
Oh well. I guess I’ll have to try again 
Posted in Film photography, classic cameras Konica C35
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