This week I focused my attentions on getting the film cut and processed. I decided to use a paper cutter and measure out 5 inches and 4 inches and build up masking tape so I could feel in the dark where the film was. Seemed to work ok but I heavily relied on using my hands for touch, which will be a no no for fingerprints etc. but for now as I get used to this camera it will suffice. Little things like turning over the film to make sure the emulsion side was facing the right way and cutting the corner of the film were all things I had to remember to do.
I managed to load up 3 negatives (lost 1 negative loading it up), I didn’t go too far in order to test out the camera. I framed my shot to include a hangar, attached my shutter release and took my time to focus the shot. I cheated and used a digital camera for a light meter and selected f22 @ 25thof second. For one of the shots, in-between refocuses and taken the shot I forgot to change the aperture back. I knew for sure that one was over exposed by several stops, unfortunately I didn’t make a note of what film holder so I couldn’t change the processing time. When I got back and was packing camera away, I heard a rattle noise inside the bellows I opened it up and there was a slide of film, gasp! Must have popped off the film holder because it is still quite curved, maybe? I had to wait a good couple of days before I could process it. I hadn’t had time to come up with a good leader to put through machine so decided to coarsely stick the negatives to a basic leader. As I unloaded one film holder there was 2 negatives in there, the one I lost when I was originally loading up the films, I didn’t put them through. So that left one negative, and what a disappointment (see screen shot below) I guess it has fogging on it, not sure what the culprit is as there are lots of variables. My guess though is the film, as I wasn’t sure of its integrity, I think it is quite old.
Laura Wing – Disaster shoot!
Quite a learning curve from this little shoot, I need to get back out there as soon as possible. Interested in playing with the movements a bit more to see what effects I can achieve.
I also watched a recording from practitioner Chris Coekin and enjoyed hearing about his various bodies of work, 2 stood out to me. Blind Version was presented as a triptych, one image being text, set out like an eye test with a quote that related to the struggles of being visually impaired and using a guide dog. Then an image of Coekin’s representation of this text, the third image was a portrait of the subject and their guide dog. I really enjoyed the way the use of text complemented the portrait and conveyed a point of view shot to the audience. Coekin talks about how his personal experiences often generate his works conceptually, like The Hitcher. I enjoyed this work, as visually and conceptually it is a very layered piece.
Within his publication (shown within lecture) you could see how each element had its own approach but then came together in order to produce the work. As the title suggests it is about hitch hiking around the country which Coekin did himself. The first series of images that are presented, are self-portraits posed on the side of the road hitchhiking holding a sign to his destination, I think these were taken on a disposable camera. The second series include the portraits of the people that picked him up, shot on a different camera and the third series is of Coekin’s view point as he walks the roads to hitch hike often finding bits of rubbish and debris left on the side of roads. The signs that he used in order to display his destination where also captured and feature in a series called ‘Signs’ (on website) but do indeed feature as the cover to his publication. When thinking of my own work I realise how creating a layered body of work can offer different perspectives to ideas around chosen subject, it should be something to consider. I am always conscience that my subject’s history is more interesting then what I can visually portray. However if I was to present a few different perspectives that could come together in a collective series? I might succeed with visually presenting my subject that audiences can engage.
http://www.chriscoekin.com/index.php?/ongoing/the-hitcher-series-1/
Critical Research Journal 