They are seductive. They are new and yet old. I have been around long
enough to recognize the trademarks and origins from whence they came;
TriX film, polaroid film, Holga camera, 2 1/4 format and shaved out negative
carriers.
I am a purist from the generation that tried to understand the zone system by Ansel
Adams. Years of my savings were spent to buy a 4 by 5 Arca Swiss view camera. I hand
developed sheet film under a special safe light ( I think it was green ) The
darkroom was a zen zone; Portriga Rapid paper with all it's silvery brown tones.
The darkroom had an alchemy of it's own. The glow of the orange safelight, sepia
toner in brown bottles and chemicals that years later I grappled with how to responsibly
dispose of.
Now with the advent of digital, iphones and smart phones everyone is taking pictures.
There is photoshop and multiple ways to manipulate photographs. I love to throw a few
filters on Instagram but basically I like to stay closer to what I see and experience. I am
and probably always will be a " straight photographer "; no photoshop, no crazy filters.
Maybe it's too many choices or maybe the way I see life through my lens works for me.
