Deaccession: Nikon D70 body

 

This was my main digital camera from 2006 through late 2010. It was my primary camera on several major trips including a trip to Paris in 2006, several months in Europe in 2007, various trips around the US, and finally my trip to Kenya and Tanzania in 2010 after which it had had enough and finally gave up the ghost. It would cost more money than it is worth to fix it now, and I have a new digital camera. It's kind remarkable (sad commentary?) to think that my Hasselblad and Calumet 4x5 camera have been in good working condition for decades even before I got them while this piece of consumer electronics failed after four years of use and isn't even worth fixing. I am holding on to the lenses in case I get another Nikon in the future.

Deaccesion: Ben Sherman shirt

I bought this shirt at Filene's basement on Boylston Street. It's usually hard for me to find fitting shirts since my arms are so long and I am kind of picky about fit- I can't stand to wear shirts I feel like I'm swimming in. That's why I like this one so much- long sleeves, slim fit. I wore it most when I needed something a little dressy and formal looking, usually tucked into dark jeans and a tie. Now it's kind of worn and gross.

Things I'm Getting Rid Of

In an attempt to deaccesion objects from my life that are no longer of use to me, I will take pictures of those objects, write a description and post them on this blog, then get rid of said object(s). This is a therapeutic process for me as it can be hard to rid myself of objects that have sentimental value but are no longer useful for what they are. This is an attempt to find closure through memorializing these objects and the memories and experiences they represent. This will not be a comprehensive dossier on each an every object I deaccesion. Each included object will be one that has been judged by me to be worth including based on its value in my memory. Posts to follow soon.

Taking to the Freedom Trail

Recently, Dave and I reignited a collaborative project that's been in the making for over a year. The general idea was to photograph ourselves at various Revolutionary War sites around Boston, playing with the idea of tourism and inserting ourselves as a same-sex couple into the historical narrative of American "revolutionaries". That Boston was the city where the American Revolution began, and over 200 years later was the site of the court decision that made Massachusetts the first state in the nation to recognize same-sex marriage was intriguing to us. We were also reacting to what was then the fledgling craze for tea and tri-cornered hats that some Americans were having, and wanted our own piece of the action.

Prudential Project

Venturing farther into landscape photography, I've begun working on a project to create a series of images around the city of Boston and its environs using the Prudential Center building as a motif. The building, which serves as an easily identifiable beacon throughout the city, will appear in each image whether at close range or in the distance. The main elements of the project are compositional/formal qualities, and a documentation of each distinct area in which the image was taken. I am still in the planning stages as far as the full scope of the project, but these are some images from my first photo shoot.

4x5 Magic

A few weeks ago I became the proud owner of a 4x5 view camera purchased at the Photographica conference/sale in suburban Boston. The first order of business was to test it out, and here are the results:

 

based on this Edward Steichen self-portrait:

 

and because I couldn't resist (discoloration on left side is due to this film being five years old):

Jamaica Street Part Deux

Here is another group of images from my ongoing "Jamaica Street" (working title) project that were made between the last post and present. My aim remains experimental in the exploration of composition, light and color, and I have noticed several themes emerging: architecture, pathways (especially zig-zagging ones), texture and surface, an absence of people, and windows lit from the inside.

 

 

 

 

Jamaica Street

After seeing Stephen Shore speak at MassArt earlier this month, it reignited my interest in photographing the man-made landscape (not that it ever really went away), and renewed my curiosity in exploring new ways of composing and arranging objects within the frame. It also inspired me to revisit the work of Walker Evans, whose work has been inspirational to many photographers, myself included.

The following images form the start of a project making photographs of the environment around Jamaica Street in Jamaica Plain where I currently live. I was intrigued by the idea of making photographs within the confines of a very specific geographical boundary and exploring the possibilities that can arise within those parameters.

I've been attracted to photographing at dusk, during the "magic hour", when it is still light out but the ambient lights of night time are turning on, when the possibilities exist for some of the strangest and most beautiful lighting conditions. I am also very much enjoying using the new Kodak Portra 400 film which has an exceptionally fine grain and is designed specifically for scanning.