My Mini Exhibit

I just finished my first photography class: Black and White printing. Yes, I learned how to do it the old fashioned way, with 35mm film and all the chemicals. It was a class I always wanted to take. In high school, I never got to take an art class because I was on the college prep track. In college, I didn't have hardly any time for electives and when I did, I took political science classes since that was my major. The whole time, I'd shutterbug around. All these years I wanted to do this, and I finally had the time and the resources. And guess what! It was fun, just as I expected it would be! Next semester: documentary photography!

These are a series of digital reproductions of photos that I made. They are originally shot on 35 mm film that I developed myself and printed myself. Nothing beats holding the real thing in your hands! But consider this a mini-exhibit of what I learned!

Depth of Field: Moss Landing Farm


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This was my very first run in the dark room with a successful negative. Beginners’ luck? Hardly. Like all learning, this was a real ego buster. It took 4 rolls of film and three days of shooting to get this picture. Why? I ruined the first three rolls trying to spool the film onto the developing reel. So my negatives were crinkled or not properly developed. The forth roll, through my own inattention, got double exposed. I was so frustrated on the 5th roll that I accidentally opened up the light tight canister and exposed them. I made every mistake possible in the first week and was so frustrated I nearly gave up. But my frustration encountered my determination and I persisted. I had gone back to the same places so many times to shoot, that people were starting to recognize me and introduce themselves. That is how I met Manuel at my local nursery (see Pot Farm below). After my third visit there, he told me not to worry. He was certain that this time I would get it right. He must have been an angel because after that, I got really, really good a developing negatives.

Landscape: Beach in the Morning


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Abstract: Sun on Succulent


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Double Take:


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This negative is from the first and the third roll of film that I shot. This is what happens when you double expose film by running through the camera twice. I didn't mean to do it. But the end result was sort of cool! Next semester I will print more from this roll and see how they look!


Still Life : Pot Farm



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Still Life: White on White



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White on white is a very difficult thing to shoot. You only have shadow and light to define your subject. This print was toned in copper dye. The result is a beautifully lit shot.