Oops I meant to post a photo with that last blog.

The last thing I needed

Last night as I was trying to finish cleaning up my scans and getting them ready for printing and converting them to jpgs so I could send them off to Costco, I lost all power. A power pole at the beginning of my street apparently could not handle all of the wind and I only got power back an hour ago. Unfortunately my computer is a desktop so I was pretty much screwed. I have a few test prints done and so far I am pretty pleased with the outcome but I am anxious to see the whole piece. I am getting my stuff finished up now but I don't know if they will be printed in time for class today.

I spent my morning sorting through the box full of crap that I have been scanning. I am working off of a suggestion I got Tuesday in class and grouping similar objects or items together. Sorting through everything proved to be quite a pain in the ass so I decided to go shoot some stuff for 499 before the sun went down. Dark at 4:30 really sucks! Shooting was very eventful. I was caught trespassing by the Port Police. Fortunately they caught me at the unlocked gate I went through and not the fence I kicked in a few minutes earlier. They were not very happy with me but I managed to talk my way out of trouble. I found some really cool stuff inside that gate, but I will wait a while before I go back.

opinions/advice needed

I have the opportunity to buy a DSLR for a pretty good price but I am torn between a Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1megapixels and a Nikon D5000 12.3megapixels. The prices are close so they are not a factor in my decision. I really would like to get the better camera and since I really am clueless about DSLRs I would really appreciate any advice. If anyone has one of these or has used one of these I would love to hear what you think about it. Thanks.

I am simultaneously working on this project and my experimental project. My scanning is coming along quite well. I still need to do some work on the images in PS but I will hopefully have some stuff to show in class tomorrow. I think I really want to present these in a book form because I do not think that they will work well as large images. Now I have to figure out where I will send them to be printed into a book. I considered making it myself but with the semester winding down and other projects and papers due, I don't think I will have the time to devote to making a quality book.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for wonderful family and friends. I am thankful that I am finally done cleaning and doing dishes. And I am especially thankful for my cousin who installed a full and free for me version of PS CS4. No more trials for me. Yay!

I went on a photographic adventure yesterday with Montana. We did not hit all of the places that she wanted to but she did get some really good images out of the places we did get to. I have been working on my scans this morning. I have also been thinking about how I want to present them and I am leaning towards a book format. My computer is starting to piss me off with its slowness so I am going to shut it down and let it have a nap while I do some baking. I will try to post up some more scans later tonight.

This is one of the artists I saw at the Flash Forward Exhibit at FotoWeek. Her name is Ursula Sokolowska. Her work is often very personal. Her website is:

http://ursula-sokolowska.com/splash.html

Project

My concept for this project is to create scanagrams using methods of chance. The objects that I am using all come from the "junk drawer" in my parents kitchen which has everything you could think of in it. I have emptied the drawer into a large box, stabbing myself on something in the process. I really did not realize that much shit fit in one little drawer. The rules that I have created for myself are that I roll a set of dice to get a number from 2-12. Then without looking I reach into the box and pull out that many items. I am wearing a glove to avoid getting stabbed again. Then I place the items on the glass and cover them with a black cloth then scan them. I am having a few issues with them and I am not sure if I want to use the black cloth or not. Here are rough examples of both. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

With Black Cloth Without Black Cloth

National Gallery of Art

I was in Washington DC and Virginia for the better part of last week and got to see some of the FotoWeek DC exhibits around the city. Sadly it was raining the whole time I was there and I did not get the opportunity to pull out my Rollei and do some shooting. I did see a lot of stuff I would like to photograph so I will be planning another trip, hopefully in better weather. The National Gallery of Art had two photographic exhibits. One was In the Darkroom: Photographic Processes. This exhibition shows the major technological developments in process from its beginning to the advent of digital photography. The other show, which was attached to the previous, was Robert Bergman: Portraits 1986-1995. I cannot seem to find a website for him, but here is a link to the Yossi Milo Gallery website that shows some of his work.
http://www.yossimilo.com/exhibitions/2009_11-robe_berg/

So I am in San Francisco but unfortunately it's a short trip. I am really bummed I don't have a camera that shoots RAW because I have seen a lot of stuff today that would really love to shoot. There is a building in SOMA that is old and dilapidated with furniture and appliances precariously hanging out the windows and from the roof top. There are also some really cool decaying buildings in the Tenderloin, which is where all the old tenements are. Hopefully I can come up during winter break and roam around the city to shoot. My sister and brother -in-law live in a cute Spanish Revival building that was built in 1930. Oh how I love old buildings! I am going to take some jpgs of it and post them later.

It has been a while since I last blogged but in my defense, it has been an absolutely insane week. I have had the same headache all week and I thought it would go away around 5 o'clock today but no such luck. Next week I am going to Washington D.C. and, lucky for me, the 7th through the 14th is Foto Week 2009 in DC. It is mostly in Georgetown so I will probably spend the day there that Friday. Here is the website if anyone wants to check it out. www.fotoweekdc.org/events/featured.aspx
There is also an exhibit at the National Gallery of Art called In the Darkroom: Photographic Processes
www.nga.gov/exhibitions/darkroominfo.shtm

I just got home from school and I am exhausted. I have been in the photo lab all night and got two more prints done for BFA. I wish I could just go to sleep right now but unfortunately I can't just yet. I cannot wait until I can sleep for 12 hours straight. Maybe in a few weeks.

Umm...

...Just kidding on that last post. I figured it out. It was user error. I think it is a sign that I need sleep. Night Night.

What the ef is really going on?

I am trying to post links on this damn blog and it just is not working. I refuse to believe that I am this technically retarded. I understand that it is one in the morning and I have had very little sleep for days now but seriously!?! I went to layout then added a gadget chose links list and put in the info. I managed to get a picture up (my Wii bowling record) but I can't seem to do this. UGH! I am annoyed. I accept defeat.

p.s. Fingers crossed that Costco does a good job printing my stuff.

So I figured out that I can save a copy as a .jpg from the RAW screen in CS4 and now I can actually post photos. They are not the final images since I am having to save them from RAW but what the hell.

Here is one that I was just screwing around with.

I have been working on color correcting my images. I worked on a few yesterday and a few this morning. I am still trying to decide what I want to print. I have several different buildings I can choose from but there is one building that I really liked and I shot a lot more of. I am torn between showing several different buildings and details of those or showing different details of the Compressor Building which is the one that I shot the most of.

P.S. I don't know why CS4 will not let me save a copy as a damn .jpg so they are easier/quicker to upload to this damn blog. Every time I try to upload a .psd this site takes half a century and it is driving me freakin crazy. I cannot post any pics. I have tried 6 times and I have somewhere to be so I'll try again later.

Damn computers

I have updated to CS4 but for now it is still only a trial version. Three times tonight it has encountered an "unexpected error" and "has to close" UGH! This has taught me to save often. I can't stare at this damn computer any longer, so I will post some photos tomorrow when my urge to throw this effin thing out the window has diminished.

Of the buildings I shot the other day, this one is probably my favorite. I have not made any corrections on this one yet, but it is a good example of the kind of stuff I am looking for.

This was spray painted on one of the buildings shot the other day.

Evidently technology is testing me tonight. First I cannot upload the photos I shot today, then blogger starts hassling me. Obviously I finally got logged in but I still cannot upload my photos to my computer. I think the problem might be that my trial of CS3 has expired but I am not sure. I guess I need to download the CS4 trial. Montana was wonderful enough to lend me her camera so I could get some shooting done but now it seems that I have to bug her for tech support too. She has a wonderful heart to put up with my inept digital knowledge. I think I got some good pictures and I'll post some when I figure out what the hell I am doing.

Sze Tsung Leong

I am doing a presentation on Sze Tsung Leong for my 499 class. This was a really good suggestion for me. I really like his work, especially his series History Images. Here is an image from that series. His website is http://www.szetsungleong.com/

I've been driving around looking for places I want to shoot. I found few good spots. Now I just have to get my hands on a camera so I don't have to shoot film. I only have 35mm color film which I would rather not use.

Project Description

Project Name:
Decay
Project Description:
This project will be landscape images of industrial and urban decay. It will include images of now obsolete industry, such as the fishing industry in San Pedro and Terminal Island. I will also be looking for neglected urban structures.
Conceptual Concerns:
The concept behind this project is ruins. I want to show the physical remains of these buildings that have been abandoned and neglected. They have been left to decay and are considered an eyesore, but most people do not even notice them. They are not considered ruins because that word has the connotation of being ancient and beautiful. They are ruins but instead of being exalted, like ancient religious ruins, they are left to decay until they are torn down to make way for something new.
Technical Skills Covered:
I cannot say that I want to master using a digital SLR or shooting in RAW because this is my first experience with both. It would be naïve to think that I could master it in one project. The same can be said for Photoshop though I do not intend to do a lot of manipulation. I am hoping that this will be a good first step into working digitally and color correcting in Photoshop.
Formal Guidelines:
There will be 8-12, 7x7 prints. I am still considering shooting film and scanning it, but am working on borrowing a camera because I think it would be very beneficial for me to learn to shoot digital. I am still undecided as to whether or not the photos will be mounted.
Artistic References:
Sze Tsung Leong’s work, including HISTORY IMAGES, HORIZONS, and CITIES.
Readings:
Industrial Ruins: Space, Aesthetics and Materiality by Tim Edensor
The Aesthetics of Decay: Nothingness, Nostalgia, and the Absence of Reason by Dylan Trigg
The Aesthetics of Ruins by Robert Ginsberg
Grade:
The basis for my grade on this project should be a combination of the formal qualities of my work and the technical skills I will learn.
Goals List:
My main goal is to stop resisting digital photography. I know that it is the next step but I am apprehensive about making the leap. I will let go of all of my preconceptions and embrace the learning of something new.

My friend told me about this and it made me think of the Chindogu stuff Kyle showed last week. Although, I find this less funny because it seems humiliating for the dog.

We made a little art while sitting around the table hanging out with my cousin on his last night here before going back to Italy. I call this one Peanut Pond.

I am getting really frustrated trying to figure out what I want to do for my project. And to boot, I have to re-think my BFA project. It's been a crummy week. I have discovered that I still suck at color correction only this time I am not wasting paper.

My car has a long history of bad behavior. Mechanically, J (that’s his name) is a mess. I have had the transmission go out on the freeway (no fun at 70 mph). The power booster went bad on the freeway too. I don’t know what its function is but I can tell you that every time I slowed down the car stalled. Considering I was in traffic on the 5, it happened a lot. J also died, for inexplicable reasons, on the 405 while heading to San Diego, which resulted in a $200 tow back to San Pedro. I have since invested in the AAA Plus membership. It’s well worth it in my book. Recently I had the pleasure of having my front wheel snap off of the axle. The sound of that makes you think that the bottom of your car dropped out. I actually looked down to see if my car resembled the Flintstones’ before I realized what it was. His most recent mechanical problem involves the heating coil, so the noise coming from the center console sounds like someone is doing bong hits. The last trip to the mechanic resulted in a $2000 estimate. That is $1500 more than what his blue book value is. So sad. He has now decided that electrical problems are fun too. The most common is the check engine light, which I have learned to ignore. I have had the engine checked. It’s bad. I got the message, thanks. The radio also has a mind of its own and when it feels like it, it doesn’t work. Last Tuesday my alarm decided that my radio shouldn’t have all the fun. I tried to set it before going to class, no dice. It has done this in the past and will usually reset itself after a few hours. So when I got out of class I pushed the button to unlock the car and nothing. I pushed it a few times thinking I just might still be too far away but it had not fixed itself. So I manually unlocked the door and started the car. This set off the ticking. Really loud, really embarrassing ticking. Laura was there to witness J’s shenanigans and she just laughed. So I dropped her off and was barely two blocks from school when the alarm started sounding while I was moving. Oh the shame! I pushed the button and that stopped the beeping and the ticking resumed. I called Laura to tell her. She laughed again. It started sounding again as I was stopped at a light on Ocean. Unfortunately, I was stopped next to a cop. He rolled down his window and asked if everything was okay. Red faced, I told him I had a wiring problem but it would be alright. It sounded once more as I was crossing the Vincent Thomas Bridge. By this time there was a lot of cussing. Oh I forgot to mention that my windows are wired to my alarm. I can roll down my windows with the remote and they roll up when I set the alarm. Ordinarily this is helpful because (surprise, surprise) the A/C does not work. I paid $600 to have the condenser replaced but the crook mechanic only polished up my bad one and put it back in. A month later he closed down shop and moved back to Croatia. Anyway, my whole drive home Tuesday night the windows would roll up without warning. That may not sound bad in comparison but half the time my arm was resting in the window frame. The alarm behaved for a few days but last night it went off again while I was driving. J is old (13) and he has a lot of miles (nearly 180,000). I give him a lot of credit, but honestly this shit has got to stop.

Just a quick post because my Internet connection is having a hissy fit and I don't want to write a novel from my phone. I am really struggling to come up with what I am going to do for the first project in this class. I have been playing around with photoshop and working on fixing the photographs I have scanned. The only problem with this is that once my family gets wind of this they are going to make me scan and repair all of our old family photos. That could take forever. Although maybe I could make them all pitch in and buy me the software since my trial is going to end soon.

Marcus Doyle

I was looking around online and came across some work from British photographer Marcus Doyle. It caught my eye so I went to his webpage http://www.marcusdoyle.co.uk/. He has a lot of urban landscapes in his Urban Sprawl series but I especially like his North Shore series. He seems to shoot at night or at dusk which creates some interesting colors. This image is from that series. It is called Eyemouth.

I am not into blogging at all, so it is difficult for me to get on here and do this. Not only do I not enjoy it, but it isn't something that crosses my mind so I simply forget to do it. Anyway, I was talking to a friend and she suggested that I look at a photographer named Ted Van Cleave and more specifically some work he did in the "Boneyard" in Las Vegas. See years ago, I shot some black & white stuff in the boneyard which was quite a fun experience. After finally finding the place, I had to hop a fence to get in and ended up being hassled by the cops for trespassing. I checked out Ted Van Cleave's website and he's got some interesting stuff. He seems to play with color a lot. His website is: http://tedvancleave.com/

First Blog

This is the first time I have ever written a blog so it's a little strange for me. I'm not really sure what to write about the digital photography class since we have only had one meeting. I guess I'm a bit nervous about this class because I haven't done digital before. I also don't have a camera I can use for this class so I need to figure something out. I have done some photoshop before but nothing elaborate. I am hoping to get the program so I can experiment at home. Anyways, I have to cut it short because I need to leave to get to class.