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fine art projects of varying craziness.

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10th Ave Bridge, Minneapolis

10th Ave Bridge, Minneapolis 2002

This was another large format shot with a big monorail camera, which makes for quite a chore in the Minnesota winter. Overcast winter days can be dreary, but they are the best for most types of photography. This might be my most detailed 4×5″ shot I’ve ever taken, and I love the subtle tones and textures of all the different surfaces.

This is the 10th Avenue Bridge. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and began construction in 1926! Some might find this photo more interesting once I point out that the other bridge, on the left, is the 35W one that collapsed in 2007. That one began construction 38 years later in 1964. Both bridges took about three years to build. We travel over bridges and other structures all the time, and never think twice about any of the various aspects of their history or design. Sometimes it’s worth exploring and looking under the hood.

This was meant just as a test of the lighting setup, using a polaroid back on my medium format camera. Sometimes now I tell people that I’m just testing the lighting to get them more relaxed and casual. Since digital has taken over everywhere, these little polaroid records of the shoot are now a part of history. Digital is beyond powerful now, but there is something tangible and special about the feel of something like this in your hands. Although I don’t miss paying $300 for a days worth of film and processing.

This particular type of B&W polaroid film came with a glaze that you put on the print when it was done, in order to fix the image. There was a natural bleaching, glossing, and duotone effect to this process, dependent on timing of application and age of the materials. I’ll feel a little sad when I come across a photography major who’s never been in a darkroom or felt something like this. Most schools still have a darkroom I think, but the time is coming up soon I’m afraid.

I did a series on the deck surfaces of an aircraft carrier. I’ll go more into that later, but I will say that almost 500,000 planes landed and took off from this aircraft carrier. This might be close to what they saw during their takeoffs on a warm hazy morning.

Girders Minneapolis

The Minneapolis "ruins," under the Stone Arch Bridge, next to the Mississippi. Now that the museum and lofts are finished, I believe things aren't quite like this down there now. For those not familiar with large format, this is a scan of the entire 4x5 inch film, which is why you see the crimp marks, etc...

China, 1997

My photography from China was a little all over the place. Most weren’t this postcard-cheesy. My best work, such as the larger diptychs, have yet to be digitized into a format compatible with the interweb tubes. When I get around to fixing the drum scanner, broken shortly after scanning in a dozen or so of the China series, that shall be remedied (for the pieces still in my possession).