1971 Hasselblad

When I was just in junior college, with no clue what I might want to do or how to do it, I bumped into photography. A friend of mine from a year ahead said I would love journalism. I did, but when I took a little photo class from Charles Sowders over in the Pirtle Technology center I was hooked. ust have been the spring of 1971. Sometime that fall my parents sprang for a new Hasselblad 500C with a normal lens and one back. I think I still have it, though I've owned a couple so this might just be a close relative. 41 years of square format. Hard to imagine.
Never gets used these days. I keep film around. The polaroid back still has some pack film in it. Extra backs and lenses. Every now and then I shop around on Ebay though there is no reason to add anything to the Domke bag it lives in. Guess I should get rid of it. Shooting film these days I want to use bigger film so it's all 5X7. Sure had a lot of fun and made some money with my sweet little 500CM.

Something you don't see everyday. Video of Shiprock.

Usually photographers keep this kind of thing

a little secret. Tour of some of my favorite places at Shiprock while I am photographing. Let's see how long it takes before I see another photo of The Dot.

Darkroom days.

Working before the water temp gets out of range. Had to turn on the air conditioning today to keep it fresh. April 1st.

Printing new negatives and trying to dip back into the files to pick up oldies now and then. They all are headed for different projects.

No problem negatives. If I catch myself doing too much it means I am overdoing it. They are easy prints.

A little Hasselblad negative of Ali when she was 11 or so.

The Dot on the SouthWest side of Shiprock.

The Isbells pistol range in the roadside near the lake. Probably 1990.

Wall stripes below the White House overlook at Canyon de Chelly, 2010.

County Road at night, 1998.

Rose field last month near Tyler.

County Road and water stain, 2008. Near the lake.

Box Turtle and candle. For the Blackfork Bestiary.

East Dike snaking in from a nice piece of light at Shiprock last month.

The Blackfork Book of Magic. Probably 1996.

Shiprock Shadow and the Pulpit, last month.

Rock Cairn, Climber's Cave at Shiprock last month.

All nice big prints on 20X24 Ilford Multigrade Warmtone.

Spring Fleaquinox

Jupiter and Venus are in the West at dusk with Marz in the East. Blooms have come and gone. About a week ago I killed the first flea of the year off the cat. Fleacombing. Haven't seen one since November, 11. Last year was so dry and hot that the fleas and ticks took a real beating, though I had to quit taking Lucy on deercam runs by June because of deerticks. I hardly notice them since I usually wear rubber boots but she would come back with 10 or more climbing around her little Jack Russellness.
Fleacomb keeps the cat relatively flea-free, though I can tell when she's been outside near a hatch. You'll kill ten, then three, then one, then none for a while, then she will hit another hatch. I would never presume that I get them all but I certainly know the hot spots on a cat and can make them scarce.
Anyway, let the flea games begin!

After the icehouse shadow again.

But might have to wait until next year.

The sun has gone North. Looks like January is the best time.

Workshop at the Museum in two days! March 24th.

40 bucks to hear everything I know, plus a little bit more. Tyler Museum or Art: 903 595 5715.

In the darkroom...

Cloud blowing away with the light.

Here's what it looked like in digital.

Overcast rainy days. Good tap water temps makes it easy to stay inside and work. Got all the 5X7 film processed through Xtol and all the negatives proofed. Really helps
taking the proofs through a scanner and looking at the images electronically. I'm severe editor of my own work. Plus I don't want a negative I have to fight with. These are all pretty balanced shots and I won't have to perform any darkroom miracles to get a print I like.

Shot about 60 negatives. Approx 20 different scenes. If I get a chance to go back I know right where I want to start and the light I want to start in.

The Black Giant. I think the Giant is why you can't camp on the South Side. Not even the eagles nest over there.

Katie actually took a few photos of me working!

450mm lens off the roof at dusk in a light breeze. Deardorff was stretched all the way out. Probably won't make a big print, but the light was so beautiful that I shot a piece of film anyway.

Going to have to have a very light hand with the printing on this one and keep the stone from looking too heavy.

Wish I had put a 90mm Super Angulon on a lens board. Needed all the room I could get in here.

Three variations to pick from. Wide angle is the best. I think I can make a very delicate print.

Here is a digital file while I was waiting.

As you get close, it looks like a million images ready to be made...then you got a little nutty trying to tease one out. Very deceptive.

Morning light washing up against the side of the South Dike.

I tried to be VERY careful with my filtration this trip. Easy to overdo it in New Mexico.

Shiprock and Chaco proofs.

Climber's Cave on the West face. Pretty sporty climb. Once I retreated to this cave in a big rainstorm and the roof turned into a waterfall. I finally got tired of watching the lighning through the water, rolled out my bag and went to sleep.

Digital file of the cave.

All negatives processed in Xtol. Nice enough set. Just starting to get a few proofs out.

Shot this exact scene before but you never know about the light.

And here it is. From about 10 years ago.

Interior of Pueblo Bonito. The floors and ceilings are out for three stories up and it looks different than any of the builders could ever have imagined. Smallish doorways on the ground floor, has a kind of tiny cathedral feel to it.

Climbers built this to get to the first hold on the overhanging lip of the cave. More shadow detail in a real print. These are scanned from quick proofs. It does help to work with the image a bit even electronically to get to know it before making a 20X24.

Never seen a photo of this. Tough conditions to get to it. Love to see it on a cloudy day. Direct afternoon sunlight tangles it up.

Digital Dot.

Photographer's treat.

Photos from old new archives bought off ebay. A little something for everyone while I am on a shooting trip to Shiprock.

Airplane Race contestant Frank Fuller, for the Bendix Trophy, Burbank to Cleveland. September 1, 1937.

Tackle Jack Miller of the Delaware Blue Hens, 1949.

Promotion photo for wigs, 1966.

Marilyn Rich, 1950. Any idea why one helicopter blade is bent, you digital folks?

Police dogs get a wide berth. Chicago, 1961

Don Larson, Benoit College, 1952.

Jim Ryan running the mile, 1967.

Coastguardsman Bill Murry writes home, November 1944.

Canadian News service photo of POW uniform design, 1943.