Thursday, November 20, 2003
The paint dried, the fixtures were mounted, the wiring run, lamps installed and it looked like the UV light source was ready to go. Last night seemed as good a time as any to take it out for a test drive. Using one of the Delta 100 negs from the LF group shoot a few weeks ago and some Fabriano Uno paper coated with Photographer's Formulary Classic Cyanotype emulsion, I took it out for a quick spin around the block.
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Posted by coldmarble @ 08:25 AM ET [Link] [blab]
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Slapped a coat of paint on the wood box of the UV light source to-be last night by the fading rays of the sun and the dim glow of a street light. Even one thin coat of white enamel helped its looks and I can begin to see the completed unit in my mind's eye. The paint seemed dry this morning and if time and energy allow tonight, I'll start mounting the lamp fixtures and figure out how to route the wiring to the power strip. It might be ready for a test run soon, this weekend even. Yippee! No more being tied to the sun's schedule for alt-process printing!
I tried to register for the alt-process course yesterday but they aren't accepting any registration until December 1st at the earliest. You can believe I'll have that as a priority on my to-do list. Some of the processes they work with will be old hat, such as cyanotype and IR, but the chance to play with Liquid Light and P.O.P. paper and perhaps get some tips on gum and platinum/palladium are too good to pass up.
Waiting on a call back from the grad school admissions folks about the Post-Baccalaureate program. There are a number of questions I'd like to get some help with before I get too enthusiastic. With a full-time day job and other responsibilities, I'm definitely in the non-traditional student category. How adult student friendly are the course schedules and requirements? Is it just a fit of hubris to think I can fit into an art school environment?
Thinking about picking up a pack of Polaroid's Type 55 film. Pretty much worthless for any of the transfer or lift play but it is capable of making a negative. That opens up the idea of doing an onsite and in the field cyanotype. I'd need some time for the neg to dry, of course, but the idea appeals to me for use at next year's Seneca Seafest. I could shoot a group portrait of the whole crew and have an alt-process print ready by dinner time. That'd be a fine addition to the Seafest scrapbook/album.
Posted by coldmarble @ 12:20 PM ET [Link] [blab]
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Not sure what I have against cutting a straight line, but there weren't too many of them in my little building project this morning. Finally pulled my thumb out and started building the wooden box housing for the UV lights I bought a few weeks ago. The box is formed, the glue is drying and then some sanding and painting before I mount the light fixtures and powers strip. I'll have six 20 inch black lights mounted three inches apart, hopefully providing enough light to let me print some larger alt-process pieces. Just being able to print a cyanotype or Van Dyke regardless of the weather will be a big help, though I may still play outside on sunny days.
Being able to print alt-process indoors will be nice this winter. Especially nice since I'm hoping to sign up for an alternative process class at the local art college. I hope there's still space available when I call them Monday. It's the same school that I'm considering applying to for a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program. This one seems to make more sense to me than signing up for a five to six year stint of trying to get a full MFA on a part-time basis. It would also be good preparation of I did later choose to go the MFA route. I'd probably do better if I could decide what I want to be when I grow up, but where's the fun in that?
Posted by coldmarble @ 04:45 PM ET [Link] [blab]
