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General News>Friends of Digital Silver Imaging

Michael Donnor – Exquisite Truth

August 19, 2014 by Digital Silver Imaging

Michael Donnor, Manifesting the Moon, 2014 from the series Notes on a Paper Universe
Michael Donnor, Manifesting the Moon, 2014 from the series
Notes on a Paper Universe

Photographer Michael Donnor is on a quest for perfect imperfection. Those fortunate to attend his recent artist talk at Panopticon Gallery were given insight into his thoughtfully precise creative process. Embracing limitation, while purposely ridding himself of distractions, Donnor courageously sought solitude, slowed down by working with medium format film, and consciously used his time for experimentation and contemplation. The reward is two stellar bodies of work that reflect his organic and reflexive workflow, Notes on a Paper Universe and Silent Moan.

Donnor proceeds as a miner panning for gold, sifting aspects of identity, to cull for raw material including facade and persona. He does not pre-visualize the shot but “carries an image forward” by instinctively following the path his concept reveals. Donnor’s steadfast focus on being present reveals that which is not, aspects of the before and the after.

An artist who choses to work with the medium of photography, he does not create a pre-fabricated set but rather engages with an idea and attempts to control the ensuing chaos. He observes, responds then reflects. Interested in “building imagery”, his process involves manipulating the negative by hand with scratches, chemicals, wax and fire. To complete his thesis portfolio of 50 x 50 selenium toned prints, he turned his basement floor into a developing tray, employing mops and buckets to process the prints.

The silent, luminous moon features prominently in our solar system, as well as in Donnor’s imagined celestial constellations. The relationship between our time and place in space is the theme revisited in both bodies of work. Donnor found the moon a willing metaphor. John Updike expresses an analogous sentiment in his poem, Half Moon, Small Cloud; “It’s thereness is as mysterious as ours.” 

Inspired by Joan Fontcuberta’s subversive weaving of fact and fiction, Donnor plays with the relativity of truth. HIs focus in these series is on understanding the interrelatedness of self, time, and the impermanence of both. As a result his work encourages us to do the same. Donnor agrees with Wallace Steven’s ‘willing belief in fiction’ and in Carl Sagan’s conviction; “We are the way the cosmos experiences itself.” Donnor postulates; “Is it there if we aren’t there to experience it?”

Donnor’s images are on exhibit at the Panopticon Gallery until September 9, 2014.

J. Sybylla Smith

Smith is a curator and educator with twenty five years experience in the photographic arts. Smith has curated 17 exhibitions and created related programming featuring the work of 70 international photographers for a satellite gallery of the Griffin Museum of Photography. Smith has held adjunct professor positions at Hofstra University and Emmanuel College. She is a guest lecturer at The School of Visual Arts, Wellesley College, Harvard University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. An enthusiastic portfolio reviewer and thesis advisor, Smith consults individually with artists on concept development.

Filed Under: General News>Friends of Digital Silver Imaging

Psychometry iPad App

November 25, 2013 by Digital Silver Imaging

Blind Bird ©Carol Golemboski

The Apple App “Psychometry” opens with the creator’s darkroom printing notebook. We see her notations of F stops, burning and dodging instructions, and exposure times for a negative that she has printed of one of her complex and metaphorically rich images.

This is where the questions start and the user is ensnared in this fascinating, interactive experience about creation, biography, and oddly enough making art with analog film in a traditional darkroom.

 Psychometry: “Divination of facts concerning an object or its owner through contact with or proximity to the object.” – as defined by Merriam Webster

Through this iPad application artist Carol Golemboski takes the user on an interactive tour of her creative process. The app, like her work, gives the user an experience filled with mystery, discovery and pathos. Through the iPad the viewer is allowed intimate access to the fascinations, motivations and mechanics that Golemboski uses to create her compelling black & white photographic imagery. The user is given generous access to her studio, darkroom and thought process in crafting her silver gelatin prints.

Psychometry gives the user a rich multimedia experience through text, still images and video. When taken as a whole, it provides a view into Golemboski’s  artistic process that goes beyond simple documentation. The app functions as biography, portfolio, process and as a unique object of art.

Golemboski becomes a magician through her electronic application. Her images appear in all their many forms until complete. Layer after layer is revealed yet the mystery becomes more intriguing, leaving the user wanting more. Like the theme of her work Psychometry is another metaphor, an electronic onion for the user to discover a layer at a time. And like a good magician, Golemboski has shown us what is up her sleeve however we are still baffled and amazed as she makes complex and beautiful images out of odd and disparate parts.

Psychometry was selected as one of the twelve Outstanding Books of 2013 by the Independent Publisher Book Awards, winning the category of “Outstanding eBook Achievement.”

Filed Under: General News>Friends of Digital Silver Imaging, News

Selecting a Nature Photography Trip

April 4, 2012 by Digital Silver Imaging

©Russ Burden 2012

I had the pleasure to talk with Russ Burden about photography tours and trips. Russ is a renowned nature photographer, author and contributor to Outdoor Photographer, Popular Photography, PHOTOgraphic, www.takegreatpictures.com. Russ has lead over 100 photography tours and is a fulltime workshop leader. Russ was kind enough to answer some questions about the ins and outs of photo tours and trips.

Q: How long have you been organizing and leading nature photography tours?

Russ: 20 plus years, full time since 2000. I run about 10 a year, all over the US mostly in the West, the Pacific Northwest and Florida.

Q: Do you have a favorite location for a nature photo tour?

Russ: That’s tough because I love doing them all. Close to the top of the list for me has to be the Tetons, especially in the fall. The landscape, the colors, the wildlife, and the light is beautiful. Having said that, they are all my favorites. All the trips I lead are great and each trip is different. So in a way my favorite is the last one I took.

Q: How long do you typically spend on a trip like the one to the Tetons?

Russ: Those trips are 10 days because the photographic possibilities are too great for a short one. The majority of my tours run for 7.

Q: Why not a short trip, like 3 days for instance?

Russ: That would make it too rushed and also at times the weather is a factor. My last trip to Florida, that focused on aquatic birds, we had terrific weather for every sunrise and sunset but that’s not always the case. For example, if you go on the trip to Monument Valley and you want that iconic shot of the dunes and it is raining, you miss that opportunity. With a week or 10 days, I can shuffle the schedule around so if we have a break in the weather, we can take advantage of it.

Q: Sometimes you can’t control the weather. What if the weather just isn’t cooperating?

Russ: I do a lot of advance work preparing the participants on what to expect. We shoot if the weather is great or not so great. On a recent trip to Canyon Lands we set out in the rain and pulled up to the scheduled location and sat in the van. We were chatting about various things and all of a sudden the rain stopped. We got out of the van, the clouds parted and we had a double rainbow. If you sit in the hotel you miss that. I wrote a piece in Outdoor Photographer

about just this subject. http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/how-to/tip-of-the-week/a-mist-shot-better-fog-photography.html. I am driven to give the participants a good experience on my tours.  A not-so-perfect day can also be a good teaching opportunity. Overcast conditions are great for flowers, macro work and some wildlife.

Q: What makes a good trip leader?

Russ: Someone who really knows the location. I never take anyone on trip where I haven’t been multiple times. It’s also about the time of year and knowing what to expect during that season.  A good leader knows how to plan so I have my students bring their laptops so I can teach them Photoshop or show them other tools like Nik Software when we have down time. I also keep the number of participants low so my instruction can be one-on-one. I find it next to impossible to make a great outdoor image when you are in a big group. It’s hard to keep 20 people quiet when that rare bird appears out of nowhere. To get back to your question, it’s about passion and love of photography and I want to share that with others.

Q: Let’s say that all your trips are booked, how does someone find a great nature photography trip/tour?

Russ: First you look at the track record of the leader. If he/she has been doing this for a while chances are they know what they are doing. Pick up the phone and talk to the trip leader. Do you feel comfortable with the level of knowledge of the leader. Will the leader be actually teaching or is he/she simply a tour guide? Does the leader have experience teaching? Does the trip leader take the kind of photographs that you want to take? Ask the leader how many times they have run the trip? How well do you know the area? Do you know the roads?  Experience is very important.

Q: How should someone evaluate the price/value of the trip?

Russ: I believe that the number of people going is the most important factor. I only take 5 people because I want to teach them what I know. The hotel, food, transportation that is all just a fixed cost. The hotels need to be clean and comfortable, the food good, but for me its about the photography. My trips are very competitively priced, I know the areas, the great places to shoot, where the wildlife is, and I am passionate about photography and that enthusiasm spreads throughout the group.

Q: What lets you know that your trip was successful?

Russ: When my customers tell me they wish the trip wasn’t over. When they thank me for teaching them how to read the light. When they leave with great images. Those are just some of the measures of a good trip. Of course, when we have a great time, which is easy when you are in a beautiful place making photographs. I also get a lot of repeat customers, so I think that says a lot.

Filed Under: General News>Friends of Digital Silver Imaging Tagged With: Nature Photography|Nature Photography Tours|Photography Excursions|Russ Burden

New Photography Magazine for the iPad Rocks!

March 6, 2012 by Digital Silver Imaging

Photographersi is an iPad and Newstand compatible photography magazine put together by our friend Marti Saltzman. Marti has been a force in the photo industry. Before launching Photographersi she was the creator of the web site Pixiq.com and the VP of Photography Books at Sterling Publishing. She is now the Executive Editor of Photographersi.com. Photographersi is loaded with top rate content including: text, audio, still images and video. It uses the internet in the best possible way and it’s a resource we think you’ll return to again and again. You can download a free “taster” issue or subscribe at iTunes.

Filed Under: General News>Friends of Digital Silver Imaging

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617-489-0035
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