The Third Act

Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day 2015

The last Sunday in April is Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day.  I'm not sure when it started, but I've been participating for at least eight years (or is it seven?...somewhere in that range).  If you want to read more about the day here is a link.  For me, it's fun to celebrate the low tech technique and all the things I love about it!

What do I love about pinhole?  The infinite depth of field, the distortion, but most of all the long exposures.  There's a fluidity about pinhole that delights me.  With other cameras, many times it's click and go.  With my pinholes, it's open the shutter, move in front of the camera, walk with the camera, flow from one visual point of interest to another...and many variations thereof!  I've always felt that the images made with pinhole reveal the spirit of a place, person or thing and represent the ever flowing movement of energy and life.  That little space where light trickles in and makes its way to the film becomes my paintbrush and I love that.  And yesterday was no exception in creating images that delighted me, to honor the technique.

The photos here were made with my Zeroimage 69 on Ilford Delta400 film.  I actually exposed a roll of Portra 160 in the Zero as well, but I've yet to get that processed (I do b & w processing at home).  As with much of my photographic work, I take what's familiar and mundane and use it to create something I think is visually interesting, or weird, or lovely.  I like to take viewpoints that are unusual...squatting down low for a bug's view of a flower, hugging a tree looking up to the canopy, following Avery and illustrating the blur she can be.  And my pinhole self portraits are among my faves of that genre of image, because I see in me something different every time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 21st...

What an odd day.  It was a beautiful day...but just felt odd.

First off, I needed to get Avery over to a boarding facility to try it out.  I'm terribly concerned (probably overly so) about leaving her when I go out of town next month.  My vet recommended a place and I left her for a five hour trial.  She did really well...got all "excellents" on her report card for the day...but it was weird to not have her around the house.  So, that was number one.

Number two oddness (well, more frustration and disappointment) came when I went to scan the color film I dropped for processing yesterday and picked up today.  Now, this lab isn't the best for this in my experience, but the best I've found here in Richmond (and to be honest there was just one other place that I tried...once...which totally botched the job).  There are SO many specks that it makes the negatives almost useless.  The specks are in/on the film, not from my scanner.  I tried to wipe the film with a negative dust cloth, to no avail.  Whatever I'm seeing is embedded rather tenaciously.  Major bummer.  I was just getting my enthusiasm back for shooting and then this.  

The art goddess threw me a bone, though.  I took a strip of negatives that I hadn't completely sectioned yet, and rewashed.  The couple images that I've found so far I adore!  It makes me feel not quite so despondent.  I'm on the hunt for a new lab, which probably means spending a bit more and sending it out.  Getting usable negatives is kind of important though!

Pinhole day is coming up on the 26th, this coming Sunday.  At first I thought I'd be making color pinholes, but given I can process my own black and white here at home and have a bit more control over the results I may go the monochrome route.  It would be good to get enthused about black and white again as well.

In the meant time...enjoy this bucolic spring image (multi exposure Holga...holgarama? faux pano?).

 

April 18th...

I've been spending a goodly amount of time in my yards recently.  The weather is spring like and warm, which is very conducive to intense gardening.  

Just about all my plants/seeds are now in.  I've got a number of veggies both out front and surrounding the patio in the back planted.  The herbs that overwintered are displaying some delightful vigor.  There's blossoming happening on all the berries (at left see goji berry blossom...I didn't expect to see something so colorful, although truth be told I simply hadn't done my research).  And I'm psychically encouraging my sunflower sprouts to grow sturdy and tall.  

So much about these gardens are an experiment.  As with my photographic art, and food, and medicine, that's my m.o. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything will get just enough sunshine to promote flowers and fruits.  I'm hesitant to make any lengthy garden video or photo tours lest I jinx growth.  Happily, there are lots of worms in the soil.  Last year, when I first moved in, I hardly found any while digging.  But I've been conditioning the soil and it shows.

Once all the major planting is done, I need to return with more focus to making art.  I got an email from the admin of the program for which I'm going to be presenting a pinhole class in the fall.  It was very basic, asking about timing and what supplies the takers might need.  So, now I'm thinking that time is going by and I still haven't set up my darkroom!  Amazing how days, weeks, months can slip away like that.  In addition, I need to gather some various blossoms for pressing to save for future cyanotypes.  It's still proving a challenge to be gung ho with my art, so there's a lot of artful digitals of spring time to take up space right now and thinking and prepping for future pieces.  I do actually have some film to process so yay for that!

 

blueberry blossoms

 

black currant blossoms

 

rhododendron

 

pink dogwood

 

pink dogwood

 

white dogwood

April 14th...

After a few glorious spring days, the sky is once again gray.  That being said, it's raining on all the new plantings and it's not cold, so I'm down with it!  

Yesterday at Lowes I discovered some warm season veggies plants and with that, now there is eggplant and pepper plants in the garden.  The seedling tomatoes, cukes and okra started in pots a while ago, have another week or so before going in the ground.  They're still pretty small and I want them to develop just a tad further before going into the big, wide world.

The dogwoods and redbuds are blooming here at Baba Yaga's house, as well as azaleas just starting to pop.  In the neighborhood there are several cherry and perhaps ornamental plum (I honestly can't tell from a distance) blooming as well.  New, vigorous growth is occurring on many of my herbs, which makes me very happy.  

While the garden is going well the art is just barely keeping up.  I'm shooting a lot of digitals of all the botanicals with my lens wide open.  I like it.  It satisfies a need and desire in some ways right now.  My steps are such baby steps...

But in any case, please enjoy a few blooms...and a lazy spring afternoon yawn from Avery!

 

 

 

 

April 11th...

One year ago today I took possession of my house.  I call it Baba Yaga's house and have dedicated myself to her spirit with the notion of working through the hard stuff, to realize the bounty that's within.  At least that's how I see Baba Yaga, the scary old witch who puts individuals to task and provides boons to the pure of heart.

I had the keys in my hand, and entered an empty house.  It echoed and felt cold.  Over the past year I've painted and furnished, smudged and incensed, planted and planted and planted some more.  I've hosted a few guests, but truth be told would always welcome more.  I've gotten a little canine companion who has filled out the space with me, each of us providing for the other in intangible ways.

I've also cried...a lot.  I never would have expected the process of grieving divorce to take...so long.  It gets better, then not so much, then is okay again...two steps forward, one step back, most of the time.  The spring has helped immensely and I'm gradually putting down roots.  I'm a terribly rooted person and this transplantation has been profoundly challenging.  It's with gratitude that I view this home, a place to heal and evolve (even when I can't see any change at all in myself).  I'm fortunate.

 

 

 

April 8th...

The medicinal herbs at Baba Yaga's house are coming around nicely after the winter.  Most I planted, but some, like the sweet violets at left, come up wild everywhere this time of year.  There are actually a number of other herbs leafing out on woodier plants such as elder, crampbark, black current as well as hops finally poking through the soil, but these were the most photogenic at the moment!

There's a shipment of herb plants still coming to me in the next couple weeks, which contains more medicinals for planting, but those below are what over wintered and are now showing lots of spring vigor.  It makes me very happy!!

 

 

 

 

motherwort

 

comfrey

 

valerian

 

st. john's wort

 

 

 

 

April 2nd...

Morning rituals...  Out of bed, walk around the house, opening blinds, noticing the light...how it lands on the flowers upon the dining room table and bends its way around corners and furniture.

There is outside time for Avery, her breakfast, my meditation time and lighting incense, blessing all those who are dear to me.  Somewhere in there falls showering and getting dressed.

Then to the kitchen.  There is tea...almost always tea.  Right now I alternate between Earl Grey and my Baba Yaga's blend (combining lapsang souchong, assam and ancient forest teas)...every other day. Remembering what pot I used last (because, yes, I use a different pot for different teas) clues me into the flavor of the day.  I'm weird like that...and my memory is sometimes not so good.  Some writing, some checking into the news of the day and then my own breakfast, which is more often than not simply fruit, homemade yogurt, often sprinkled with granola.  

Isn't it funny how these little moments can bring a sense of grounding, connection and belonging to the world?  Maybe it's just me.  These small things are the glue that, well, holds me together.  I've always been a ritualistic person in this way, even when living with my family.  Now, alone, I find it even more important to key into this.  It's not superstition, I don't freak out if something changes up my routine.  But I like the routine, the attention to these details of life, the sensuality of it and the warmth it brings my heart.