All In House

I really enjoy shooting film – it’s a lot more deliberate process and the images have a very nice feel. But one thing that was getting in the way of using it more regularly was the time it took from a shoot until I would have the film back for scanning. In the meantime I would always start working with the digital images, and by the time the film was developed, I had moved on to the next project.

The main factor here is that there are few labs left in Seattle that develop this kind of film, and getting there and then picking up is a major ordeal.

So the fix: do it yourself. I had been looking around for a while for the hardware to develop film. I settled on using a Jobo processor, something I was used to from my High School lab days. They don’t make them anymore, but used ones are to be had. I watched on eBay and placed a few bids – but they’re fairly popular and demand outstrips supply, so the bids would skyrocket right at the end. I was in no rush, so I figured I would eventually snag one. The other day I was at Glazer’s to pick up a few things up, and walked into the back area. I guess it was my lucky day (I don’t go to Glazer’s all that often – I order most of my stuff online). But they had a used CPP2 processor sitting there with lift. They hadn’t tested it yet, so it was ‘as is’ for $500. Apparently the previous owner had passed away and his wife had brought all the pieces into the store. That was a bit riskier but better deal than what I’d seen on eBay, so I went for it. And on a sentimental note – the guy’s equipment found a new home that values it.

It took me two more weeks to figure out the missing pieces – a film tank and reels. Earlier today I went and picked up the developer – one each for B&W (Kodak D-76), C-41, and E-6 6 bath. Set everything up and tested the equipment. I still had two rolls of Tri-X 320 from the shoot w/ Myrriah a month ago that I never developed. Everything worked out ok, and the image above is one scan from the first roll I developed. Tomorrow I’ll find a good subject to shoot with some different film stock and tackle the C-41 and E-6 process.

On a separate note: Recently Kodak announced the end of Tri-X 320 in 120 format. Today at Glazer’s it was sold-out. Folks must have been stocking up on whatever is left. I also saw a brand-new posting on photo.net indicating that Fuji is discontinuing most C-41 Pro films, except the 400H. Hopefully the resurgence of film comes in time to save some of these film stocks from extinction.

PS: The previous blog post on Myrriah’s images had all the digital captures for comparison’s sake.

The 500th

This the 500th post on this blog. I’ve been writing this blog since early 2007 when I rediscovered photography and subsequently started pursuing it seriously. That makes it one post for every 2 1/4 days of this journey so far.

It has been a wonderful experience writing this blog, both in terms of the process, as well as in the social interactions it has triggered. Most of the feedback has been positive, though as you put everything out there in such public view there will always be critics of what you do. Some know it better, others questions your intentions or your judgment. But more often than not, people appreciated the sharing of information and the occasional inspiration.

First and foremost I find it helpful though to write the blog as it facilitates a level of reflection that I might take shortcuts in otherwise. Writing it down, and writing it down in a way you don’t mind the world to read it, puts a different perspective on it.

With that I look forward to the next 500…

Fashion Readings

I’ve been reading ‘Fashion’ by Christopher Breward on my Kindle while commuting. It’s one of the recommended reads for a solid grounding in fashion.

A few interesting quotes…

On the topic of the rise of the fashion magazine: “Alongside its transformation from a simple manufacturing to a culture industry, the field of fashion depended on the well-established power of graphic communication and the potential of visual reproduction as mediums for translating its raw materials into garments and products seen, sold, discussed, and perhaps even worn.”

“[…] was subtly redefined in the twentieth century both by the growing importance of photography as the magazine’s medium of choice and an increasing emphasis in the fashion industry on the imaginative potential of ‘lifestyle’ and ‘art’ as promotional tools in which the magazine came to play a central role.”

A good crisp definition of what makes a fashion photo – an image relates to a garment, its wearer, and puts into lifestyle and cultural context in a promotional and desirable way that makes people look or talk.

Katie – Part 2

Finished retouching the remaining images of Katie. A few more out takes:

Credits: Katie @ SMG (model), Kim (wardrobe), Shyn (make-up & hair)

Katie

An image of Katie from our shoot yesterday. We got on location just before the rain hit. It had already gotten pretty breezy and the clouds were giving a beautiful soft light.

This was taken with all natural light.

Credits: Katie @ SMG (model), Kim (wardrobe), Shyn (make-up & hair)

Selina ‘The View From Here’ – Your Mileage May Vary, Mine Doesn’t

I first heard about Selina over on Don’s LE site. The interview was insightful. I started following Selina on Twitter and the other day got a DM pointing to her podcast ‘The View From Here’. I listened to the free chapter earlier today and found it to be quite insightful as well and worth the time (over on Don’s site you can find the discount code to get the whole thing).

Here a few take away from this chapter: In many ways getting established takes a while and you have to be prepared, organized, and committed for the whole journey. In Selina’s view it can take 3-5 years of actively working towards putting yourself out there before the assignments are regular enough to pay back. And during that time you have to build a strong and organized body of work, which in itself is a major investment both in terms of effort and cost.

I’m now some 18 months into this journey and my experience so far tells me that this is about right on. I’ve made steady improvements on my body of work and it is just now getting to the level where it it starting to open doors. Much more remains to be done though. Getting this body of work built has meant many shoots, and a sizeable investment not in camera gear but in production cost of these shoots. Selina’s estimate is $10-$15K before you’re done (see note below). Sounds about right so far.

It’s also a sizeable time investment. Right now I’m averaging 2-3 shooting days a month, and about 20-35 hours a week in time dedicated to this journey, which is on top of my demanding day job and time spent with my very supportive family. As Don pointed out on Twitter the time you can give to this if you still have a day job can be a make/break point. The flip side to this though, as I mentioned in my comment on my recent post, while a day job can make the time commitment harder, at the same time it’s major plus in terms of funding this start-up period and needs to be leveraged properly.

And you have to put yourself constantly out there. I’ve been writing this blog for 3 years now, I’m close to my 500th post and 38K visitors. I regularly maintain my website and make sure it’s ranked well in search engines. I use Twitter and Facebook daily not only to stay connected with people I’ve already met, but also to build new connections. What I say is not an unfiltered version of my brain, it’s displaying an intentional and professional appearance with a bit of a personal touch.

In private I can be a funny guy and have a diverse set of political and social views. But my Twitter and Facebook stream, or this blog is not the place to voice them. For the personal version of me, you need to get to know me, we can have a glass of wine, and then maybe you get to know my more private views on these topics. I’ve often startled folks because my visible emotional range is about as wide as the temperature range in Seattle – always about the same. I don’t get visibly mad or agitated, and I don’t get exuberant either. That’s both good and bad in this business.

But back to putting myself out there: Every time I get an opportunity to work with someone I do my best to be fully prepared, under promise, and over deliver. And hopefully they enjoyed working with me enough that next time I’m looking to assemble a team they’ll do it again. So far, so good.

When I get a ‘no’ I’m respectful of that. But that doesn’t mean I’m going away. Politely persistent, passionate, and dedicated, I will be back again with a new and improved pitch. That approach has already opened more doors than it has slammed or left forgotten.

One area I’m still catching up on, and which is a major focus in the coming months, is to do more in person networking and to do more lead development via e-mails, calls, promo cards, book drops, etc.

The final piece to this puzzle is location. Melissa Rodwell wrote about it recently on her blog. I’ve started thinking about this, and plans are forming on that front, even though they’re still some time into the future.

All said, that’s a lot of work and a major commitment. It’s a lot harder then the direct-to-consumer photography business. But if I make it, and I certainly intend to, it will continue to be a rewarding journey worth every drop of sweat equity and every penny invested.

Update: Selina sent me an e-mail with an important clarification. The $10-$15K includes not only the production costs, but also all marketing costs: “Its for shooting new work AND all the initial marketing tools portfolios ,websites, data base lists, direct mail email, blog you may need designed and produced as you begin.“ Good point, my AdBase subscription, webhosting, and other materials add up quickly, not counting the designer fees for branding that will come down the road.

More Images of Adah

Almost done retouching the images from Adah’s accessory shoot.