More from While You Were Sleeping

Some more images from the series I’ve been working on, While You Were Sleeping. Its been coming along and I’m pleased with where its been going.

Copyright Scott Lessing Hubener

Hasegawa Tōhaku’s Japanese Ink Painting

These various ink and wash paintings, or sumi-e, have been piqueing my interest of late. I really like the use of the screen in some of these works. Hasegawa Tōhaku’s seminal work below entitled Pine Trees is my favorite of this grouping.

Natural Landscape

These new photos were very enjoyable for me to make. Over the last few months, I’ve been documenting the natural landscape. While autumn and spring had some blooms and interesting color, I tended to eschew bold colors and work with a limited palate. As the blooms of spring are transitioning to a fuller, less colorful foliage, I’m enjoying the challenge of creating photos true and honest to the scene while maintaining a photographic scene that is interesting.

When I took these photos, the scenes I came upon were very monocolor. The composition and tones were more dictated by form than anything. Color was important, but working with little or no color range was enjoyably challenging. Before making the photos, I really thought about what it was I was documenting and choosing to photograph. The series really pleased me overall and there were a couple, one in particular, that I’m really happy with.

Copyright Scott Lessing Hubener

Scala

There are a few issues that I’m working out with my Google Checkout, so while that whole thing is working itself out I’ll post something else. Then once everything is copasetic, I’ll add the image for the much anticipated 20×10.

Below are some Scala photos. Just got the film back from CO, about the only place I could find to process this stuff. Now that I’ve worked with it, I have some ideas about new photos. My four rolls just arrived yesterday in fact.

20×10 Coming Soon

After reading several blogs about photography’s future, creative ways to market, etc I’m going to try something new. Over on APE, a few weeks ago there was a reference to Wired’s editor, Christopher Anderson and his article about the future of business, advertising etc. One interpretation is that services and products can go directly to the consumer. Efficiency will improve, therefore I as a photographer can have fans and sell directly to them.

This has been done quite well over at 20×200 through the Jen Bekman Gallery. Now its time to put the wheels into motion. Liz Kuball has intelligently begun her own 20×25 version in pursuit of purchasing a new lens. Her efforts were successful and the prints sold out and she got her lens!

So now its my turn. Like Liz, I am in need of equipment. Not a new lens this time though, but rather my needs are technology. I’m looking to upgrade my software. So my sale is 20×10 to get the fee for the $199 upgrade. That and the fact that I’m not sure if I even know 10 people much less that many who are willing to buy my print, but we’ll see! You’re suppose to have 1,000 fans according to Kevin Kelly, so if I sell 10, I’m then 1% of the way there. Wow, 1,000 is a lot.

What needs to happen now is for me to choose the image and then post it here of this blog for sale. This will happen in the next day or two. I’ve got a couple photos in mind and hopefully 10 people will like it enough to buy it and help me out. Stay tuned.

Cataloochee

While my Yashica had a small scratch on the rear element, my Mamiya twin lens seems to be in order. I got some film back that had been put through the Mamiya and no issues to report. At least now I know what the problem was with the Yashica; UCM or undetected camera malfunction as the cheesy portrait studio guy in town says.

The black and white film I shot scanned looks good. The Epson V700 has done a good job. The tones look nice and are more natural than what a digital camera tends to produce when converted to black and white.  I shot some similar subject matter a couple weeks back digitally and really like the film results more.  These are from the Smokies, in an area close to where these were taken awhile back.

Copyright Scott Lessing Hubener

Mmmm Cake

It tasted good too.

These people had fun too. After eating the cake.

Copyright Scott Lessing Hubener

Yashica

I’ve been shooting a lot of film recently. As I’ve just gotten some of it scanned, it appears there is some fogging. Oh well, I guess that happens. I remember reading about someone’s light leak a while back. But at least the mystery and not knowing has returned.

Here are a few,

Walker Evans Polaroids

There is a fantastic book that I recently got my hands on, Walker Evans Polaroids. They were taken over the last year of his life and are a great insight into his way of seeing. It was some of the only color work Evans did, as he eschewed most color photography.

Evans, like Kertesz, was part of the a Polaroid marketing plan that gave film free to established artists to show the potential of the medium. Many of Evan’s typical subjects appear, including, buildings, signs and some portraits. Also much like Kertesz, the Polaroids seemed to offer a final body of work. Both artist were in acceptance that their working days were past, but ever the creative minds, they took to the joy of the new medium and the possibilities it afforded them.

Cataloochee Valley

This series is from my recent outing to Cataloochee Valley in the Smokies. It had been awhile since I’d gotten over that way, which in some ways is nice because it feels new again. The dogwoods were still blooming and there were several trails to walk. I shot a lot on my Yashica as well, so I won’t know how those turned out until I’m able to get the film processed.

Copyright Scott Lessing Hubener

Smokies

Today I visited the Great Smoky Mountains. The photos I took really lent themselves to black and white. PThe loop around the motor nature trail provided a lot of nice subjects from right outside my car. I still like the idea of a photo book of the Smokies done entirely from a car. Not just because I don’t want to get out and walk, but how else can you shoot the most-visited national park in the world in a new way?

I found the black and white in spring to be even more against the conventions because all the colors of the flowers and blooms aren’t apparent.