Photographic Angst

Photographic Action Project

2006-03-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

As a quick exposition to what I'm about to propose, I'm going to say that I'm in a band that plays industrial, and has generally had a sort of political slant to things, though it hasn't always been evident. My bassist had a Social Action Project assigned in school -- he had to do something that would positively benefit the community. The end result was that there's a benefit show being organized for May 26th, with proceeds going to Food Not Bombs, a local organization who meet regularly to cook hot, vegan meals and serve them to those who need them. They've also petitioned for low-income housing in the city (particularly when the city had planned to demolish a large number of low-income homes, replacing them with much more expensive properties.) They've done a lot of good work for the less fortunate folk in this town, and though I may have personal issues with one or two of their members, and perhaps minor ideological differences with some of the things they do, I'd have to be some kind of cold-hearted conservative capitalist to deny that they HAVE had a positive impact on our city.
So, on May 26th, my band, Satellite Trend Signal, will be playing at the Food Not Bombs benefit show. ($7 at the door, $6 with a food donation, but I'll post more specific details when it gets closer.) However, since we don't really have any merchandise, and since I'd feel dirty selling it at a benefit show anyways, I'm going to do something else with our table.
I've been, on and off, dipping into places like Victoria Park, and other low-income inner-city neighbourhoods, to take photos. The plan is that I'll take plenty of these, have prints made (mostly 4x6s, but as many 8x10s as I can afford as well) and sell these at our table instead, with proceeds (everything, not just profits) going to Food Not Bombs. Now, I can probably handle filling a table with prints by myself if it comes down to it, but since a lot of you are photographers yourselves, here it goes:
I'm placing an open request for images of any sort, subject unimportant, format unimportant, from any of you who wish to participate. Send me a digital file, or a 4x6 (since sending negatives is scary and I wouldn't ask anyone to do that) or something, and I'll have them printed (or reprinted) for sale at this table, with photographer credits (probably a nice "Courtesy of" message on the back of the print) visible. Naturally, I'm not keeping any of the money this sale makes, and if your prints don't sell, I'll return them to you if you like. I'm willing to foot the entire bill for this myself, so don't stand back just because you can't afford to have things printed or anything. This offer is open to anyone, anywhere, regardless of where you live, be it in Calgary or no. Anyone who wants to help out is more than welcome. Any pictures taken with this common theme in mind are more than welcome, but I'm going to say again, subject is not important, I will take anything you wish to contribute, and I will not reproduce it for any purposes other than this. I'm not out to steal anyone's work.
Also, anyone who wishes to be physically present to sell prints is definitely welcome to help out. (I can't guarantee you free cover for the show, if that's what you're after, though, since I'm not putting it on.)
Generally, I think it'll be a good time, and a good way to raise awareness for the general lack of support for low-income families and individuals in this city, and support them at the same time.
kvanderlaag (at) gmail (dot) com if anyone's interested, or note me here.

Glamorous Escapades

2006-02-16T22:17:00.000-07:00

Nikon D50
Nikkor 50mm f/2

I shot with some absolutely gorgeous models today, a friend of mine, Krazy-Chan (who I met at the 4th Calgary devMeet, and a friend of hers, named Riss. Let me get this out of the way: Riss is six foot one and absolutely BEAUTIFUL. It's not even fair. Such is the life of a photographer, what a pain!

Hah, I jest. It was a total blast.

I also finished off the rolls of film in all of my cameras. (I botched loading the Nikkormat, so the roll didn't even take. DAMN.)

Should have lots more up soon!

Almost-Leica Slacker

2006-02-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

(Leicaslacker being a term borrowed from Kyle Cassidy of the PLUG. (Philidelphia Leica Users Group)

I've got a CL in the mail, and a 40/2 Summicron-C that will likely get here before the camera does. Great. I'll have a pristine lens with no caps, and no camera to mount it on. Maybe I'll follow Kyle's reccomendation and buy a bottle of Ephadrine just for the cap to use on the rear. I hate Canada Post.

I've also got a non-functional Minolta Hi-Matic 7s. I'm going to fix it, and I'm going to love it to pieces.

I'm also working on picking up a Kodak Retina IIc, either a user or a looker that works, I haven't decided yet. Cheap vs. pretty...hmm. Tough call.

I'm also pretty much the worst at posting photos here. I need to haul myself off my angsty teenage ass and develop some film. But I guess that means I have to finish some rolls.

With this many cameras, it's harder than you'd think.

Working on it.

Agfa Karat IV - 15/36
Canon TX - 34/36
Nikkormat FTn - 19/36
Zorki 6 - approx. 11/36
Kiev 4 - 14/36
Fujica 35-SE - 3/36
Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 521 - 12/24
Yashicamat LM - 2/12

I'll get there yet. Just you wait and see.

Adventures in Black and White Developing

2006-01-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

Zorki 6
Industar-50 50mm f/3.5
TMAX 100 in D-76

Fujica 35-SE
Fujica 45mm f/1.9
TMAX 100 in D-76

As you can see, I've actually been taking some pictures lately. The roll from the Zorki finally got finished and developed, and I even did it myself, but only after shooting a test roll with the Fujica to see if I could actually do it without ruining everything. Obviously, I managed, as there's shots from both cameras here, but it's also obvious that the lens on the Zorki is somewhat...interesting...in its effect.

There's a Jupiter 8 and an Industar 61 on the way from Vancouver thanks to the senseless generousity of RFF member AlexC.

Now the big problem I face is this:

Do I give an honest shot to winning this Leica CL, or do I stick it out and let the Bessa R2 and Leica M2 fight to the death over who gets to have me?

Leica CL (Circa $400 used)

Cosina Voigtlander Bessa R2 (Circa $600 new)

Leica M2. (Circa $600 used)

Decisions, decisions...either way, I'll be using my I61 and J8 on whichever camera I get for the first little while. I can't even afford Cosina Voigtlander glass after a body like that. Sigh!

So there's some rolls coming from the Canon TX, the Nikkormat FTn, and the Yashica-mat LM, in the future. (The Yashica after I figure out how to load 120 onto my reels.)

Did someone say GAS?

2005-12-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

Nikkormat FT
2x Yashicamat LM
Fujica 35EE
Zeiss Ikon
Canon EOS 650 w/ 50mm f/1.4 EF lens

Plus a bunch more cameras I haven't even got started looking through.

All-Mite BC flashgun (no. 5 bulbs, 1950s)
Agfa Starlite light meter (currently on my Karat IV)
Gossen Lumasix light meter.
Some old Argus lightmeter.
Probably two dozen PC sync cords and camera straps.

And an entire darkroom setup. (enlarger, trays, reels, tanks, etc)

I now officially have more stuff than I know what to do with.

Updates are a scarce commodity.

2005-12-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

Zorki 6, Kodak TMAX 100.
Agfa Karat IV, Ilford FP4+ 400
Kiev 4, Ilford FP4+ 125

Just need to finish these rolls.

2005-11-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

The Zorki 6 is loaded with TMAX 100.

This could be interesting.

IV Karat Gold, and Communist Misadventures

2005-11-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

Agfa Karat IV
Agfa Solinar f/2.8 50mm
Expired ISO 400 Film

Whichever RFFer it was that said the Karat IV had the sharpest Tessar ever ground in the Solinar f/2.8, was absolutely correct. I am absolutely stunned at the results from this camera.

I went and got the film I'd run through it developed today. It amounted to three rolls, in total -- I had four with me. One from the Zorki 6, which finally got here, the first two rolls off the Karat (before I calibrated the rangefinder) and one roll from after I calibrated it.

As a note, most of these pictures are from the last roll mentioned. The first two off the Karat -- well, let's just say that I really did a good job on the rangefinder, based on what it was like before. I'm getting better at guesstimating exposure, too, so this is good. Soon I won't even need a light meter! (Not that I have one now.)

The Zorki was a different story. When I loaded the damn thing, I'm pretty damn sure it didn't catch properly, because the wind lever was DEFINITELY not engaging the sproket holes in the film. That means I shot an entire 24 exposures on one frame of film. That would have been utterly pointless to have developed.

I bought a roll of TMAX to tide me over until I get my lot of film from Paul. Hopefully I can load it correctly. I want to see how the Zorki shoots!

In Soviet Russia, Film load YOU!

2005-11-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

The Zorki got here yesterday. Actually, if you want to get technical, it got here Monday. But those bastards at Canada Post deliver parcels when nobody's home just to piss you off, and then make you wait until after one o'clock the next day to pick them up. What jerks.

It was packed in pretty tightly -- to his credit, Nikolai did a wonderful job of making sure it arrived intact and undamaged. Was all cute and wrapped in brown paper folded and held in place by string, too. Tee hee.

Thing works like a friggin' dream. I might have to pick up another lens for it, (as this one's a little scratched and looks like some gunk transferred to it. I'll try cleaning it first,) but other than that, everything works flawlessly. Rangefinder's perfectly calibrated and everything.

Once my lot of film gets here, I'll run some rolls through it and the Agfa, and post some of the results.

Rangefinder Power!

2005-10-30T00:55:00.000-06:00

Nikon D50
Nikkor f/3.5-5.6 18-55mm DX
Picture of an Agfa Karat IV.

The strangest things happen at the strangest times.
My mother died a month ago -- today, this camera surfaced. I guess she kept it in the room where my server is for seventeen years, and I never managed to notice it at all. So while I went and bought a Soviet rangefinder on eBay (it's still not here,) this thing, a German rangefinder from the 50s, was sitting right under my nose.

Funny how that works. I'll run a roll of film through it, have it processed, and show off the results.

Communism + Capitalism = New old things!

2005-10-25T23:12:00.000-06:00

The Zorki 6 should be here soon. If it's not, I'm going to be a little agitated. I'm rather excited to see how pictures off of that thing turn out.

Until then, I found my old Canon Sure Shot. Aside from having a really, ridiculously, irritatingly LOUD AND OBNOXIOUS motor winder, it's a solid little camera. I'll get the film in it developed by some talentless kid at Superstore or something, and scan it to stick some of it up here. It should be fun, just some random, haphazard snapshots.

Needs more rangefinder.

Requests and a general battle plan

2005-10-22T23:22:00.000-06:00

Street Photography Adventure
I'm looking for someone to go on a voyeuristic street photography adventure with. Voyeuristic, that is, in the sense that I'd be trying to capture insight into the lives of my (unwitting) subjects without them noticing. While this is perfectly fun by oneself, anything is, by nature, more fun in groups! Furthermore, it's even more awesome if you can be sneaky with more than one photography.

(Admittedly, any of you with digital compacts are at an advantage here. You look much less conspicuous. This will be much more fun when I can bust out the rangefinder.)

Likely, this will be on a Saturday, or Sunday before 5:00. Some of my favorite venues for this are in around Olympic Plaza, all along 8th Avenue (Wonderful mostly because of its combination of its vibrant life and grandiose scenery) and stalking the commercial areas and +15s around TD Square and such. Anywhere else my partner(s) in crime have in mind is perfectly welcome, too.

Consider it photojournalism without the activism. Capturing everyday life of the majority, rather than the minority. The tribulations of middle-class life don't get anywhere near enough attention -- Someone says something that's ridiculous. You repeat it to them in a blunt fashion. Suddenly, it seems as ridiculous to them as it does to you, when you put it that way. This is sort of what photography is good for.

When you're talking on a cell phone, wearing a $200 suit, walking around in a maze of highly-priced retail stores, talking about how one of your colleagues is really sharp and good at convincing necessary partners to sign deals like it's the most important thing a person could ever do, it all seems pretty normal, having been subjected to it every day of your life for fifteen years.

Take a picture of that moment, where your entire existence, all your feelings and emotions, seem to be made and broken by little plastic gizmos and numbers on paper. Suddenly, does it really seem quite so important, or does it look a little silly?

Take that picture of yourself smiling with your phone to your ear, smiling because cutting 2,000 jobs just bumped your profit margin by cutting costs and maximizing efficiency. Compare it to a picture of a girl smiling with her arms wrapped around the boy of her dreams, looking rather pleased himself. Same emotion, isn't it? Everyone's happy.

Which one seems more real?

I'm out to capture raw, human feeling and emotion bleeding through something totally artificial and meaningless. Who wants to come with me?

Other requests
Other than my crazy tendencies above, I'm looking for some models for a couple different shoots.

Firstly, someone with dark hair and a wardrobe full of contrast, for a shoot involving lots of vibrant color and texture -- in everything but the model. People with terrible complexions, pasty skin, or awful sunburns need not be deterred, because none of this color and vitality will be in the model, in the end. Part of a photomanipulation project. Female preferred, pretty boys also welcome. No overt preference for shape or size.

Secondly, almost the opposite of that. I need someone long and thin with fair features to play the light side of polar opposites. This may or may not involve shots with the other model involved -- not necessary, and I won't be crushed if scheduling or timing won't allow it, but the end result will be neat if it does happen. Male or female. (Male almost preferred, given the other model is female.)

Next, I need zombies! More accurately, people who want to be zombies for a day. Nothing too bloody or too messy -- if you've seen Night of the Living Dead, you know what I'm talking about. This will likely be shot in black and white with the rangefinder, so again, color isn't particularly important. However, if being the walking, reanimated dead (obviously as a result of radiation from a Venus probe bouncing back to earth) appeals to you, send me an e-mail!

(A second shoot for this set may involve being made up all corpse rot-like, a la Dawn of the Dead (the original) and walking around a mall. Mall zombies, anyone?)

Large groups for the last two (as well as the street photography adventure) work best.

Mail me!
Calgary and Area. TFP, most likely.

A colorful cast of characters

2005-10-20T22:30:00.000-06:00

Nikon D50
Nikkor f/4-5.6 70-300mm G (70mm)

This man, according to his story, will soon be the Prime Minister of Canada. He's respecting the court, but win or lose that trial, which he's been in and out of for the past months, he'll be back. You can find him in the underpass on 5th Street (That's Freedom Street, to you) after December 30th.
Fortunately for me, he posed long enough for me to take this picture.

Nikon D50
Nikkor f/4-5.6 70-300mm G (300mm)

This girl was putting up posters on 17th Avenue when I found her. My camera's battery was nearly dead, and I only had a few shots left (with the incredibly taxing motor for AF on the 70-300G) but I figured she was worth a shot. Unfortunately, she hid behind a billboard while I was getting my lenscap off, and so I had to hunt her down and take the picture from behind, about fifty feet away.

(She was putting up posters for the Beija Flor show, too. Pretty, AND tasteful!)

Needless to say, I went out and bought the Nikkor 70-300mm G today. This morning, in fact, at an ungodly hour. I was just too excited. It was a tough choice between the 70-300 and the 55-200 DX, but the extra 100mm of range won out. It's not quite as sharp as the DX, but you really have to be looking to see any difference. I'm quite satisfied with it, on the whole.

So I killed the day downtown taking pictures. From TD Square, to Banker's Hall, to Devonian Gardens, and back again, then all down 8th Avenue, then back up to 17th, where my photo adventure ended.

Some of them are even pretty angsty!

Some starting points.

2005-10-19T17:14:00.000-06:00

October 2nd, 2005. Pagoda Light and Pond.
Nikon D50
Nikkor f3.5/f5.6 18-55mm DX

Obviously, this blog is an (incomplete) collection of my photography -- most likely anything that feels relevant (or just pretty) at the time. I'm only human.
Maybe you judged by the Blog title itself, but there's an awful lot of angst conveyed in some of my photography, as well as my writing in general. I suffer from a disease called opinionation, and it makes me unapproachable, bitter, cynical, and kind of grumpy. However, since you're reading this, on the internet, and haven't responded with 'lolol rofl ur gay,' I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you can appreciate that.

In regards to things I actually enjoy and care about, I'm going to start listing the equipment that I use on a regular basis. Since I'm in the middle of purchasing a lot of it, some of the equipment listed may actually still be in transit, but this is all the primary base of gear that my work will be done with.

Cameras:
Nikon D50 (Digital, SLR, 6.1mp)
Zorki 6 (Film, Rangefinder. Soviet Leica II/III copy)

Lenses:
Nikkor f/3.5-5.6 18-55mm DX (SLR, zoom)
Nikkor f/4-5.6 70-300mm G (SLR, no aperture ring)
Industar-50 f/3.5 50mm (Rangefinder, M39 mount. Soviet)

In retrospect...

2005-10-19T14:00:00.000-06:00

...publishing a blog will likely be the least productive contribution to society I have ever made.

With any luck, it should be more entertaining than Network Television.

I like to set my goals reasonably.