Film Status

(I prepped this post pre-sabbatical, two years ago; forgive me for losing the source of the quote–although I suspect it’s Araki-san. Also, kindly note that, being fourth declension, the plural of “status” is “status.”)

“Photography needs to be sentimental. That dry brightness that digital cameras create, that’s not sentimental at all. Colors created with the three primary colors have a very simple impact, but there’s a melancholy at the same time. Colors don’t turn out the way you want them to be, that’s what so good about them.

“Perfect colors are not to be researched like that… To be extreme, you look at black and say, it’s red. That’s art. Creating ripples among people is what art does and its the density of art, but before that, you have to feel the ripple in yourself.

“It’s not exciting because there are stupid guys who ignore that, trying to figure out how to create real colors. They say, ‘If you use this digital camera, you can take a clear picture in the dark’. The dark should stay dark. You can’t really see that much, and you don’t really want to see that much anyway.

“Humidity and darkness are very important elements in photography, so you have to be careful with digital cameras because they sort of kill those elements, I say. I, too, use them, sort of recording things in everyday life for fun, though.”

Synaesthesially speaking, this is not so different from vinyl records versus compact disk recordings.

A Suite, From Sixteen

“I have always dreamed about being a star.”

Here is a marvelous project out of Bellaire High School, in Ohio: pictures made mostly in a documentary style with a touch of PostSecret in the captions. It’s “The All-American Town.”

 

Read about the photographers and their mentors: https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/2019/07/23/although-only-high-school-these-photographers-have-crafted-stunning-account-their-lives-appalachian-ohio/?utm_term=.a85ec2a78baf

“I have learned to be strong when there is no other option.”

There was a physical publication; watch this space for another run of the zine: https://oionline.z2systems.com/np/clients/oionline/product.jsp?product=69&

“If I could go back in time, I would tell myself that things will get better.”

“I keep to myself but love people through difficult times.”

Level Of Craft Trumps Stylistic Affectation

Here’s an interview with Lois Conner, who makes platinum contact prints from her 7×17 negatives.

 

 

 

“…and just keep working.”