My Harshest Critic (Me)

Dad in San Pedro, in front of the
Korean Friendship Bell - Christmas, 2010

It has come to my attention that I am a bit rusty with taking pictures. The fact that it took over a month to finish the roll I started in North Carolina (early November 2010) and ended with Dad's vacation in LA proves that. But I still printed two pictures because I as on vacation and I didn't know when I would be able to again. Since some people are wondering how I actually take my pictures, this will give me a change to show you what I do and some of the mistakes I made this time around.

The first picture, above, is of Dad in San Pedro. He is standing in front of the Korean Friendship Bell. The picture was taken on Ilford Delta 100 speed film. Film speed is one of the factors that determines how much light you need. 100 is a slow-speed film. This means that it will take plenty of light, but the picture will be very sharp and crisp. Likewise, a fast film will need much less light, but will be more grainy. I prefer to shoot with slow film.

With plenty of light from the sun, I was able to use a small aperture. In other words, the hole of the lens was very small (the pinhole effect). This allows me to keep subjects that are close and far all in focus. As you can see, the exposure is very good. My two big mistakes where the easiest to avoid. First, I did not clean the lens. This caused there to be a lot of small white dots when I eventually printed the picture. This really ruins many of my pictures, and I must get better at it.

The second mistake I made was not using a flash. As you can see from the picture, the sun was on my left, illuminating Dad's camera-left side. The other side is dark, naturally. Had I used a flash, it would have lit the other side of his face and would have revealed all of Dad's facial features. Amateur mistake.

Portrait of Nimuae Carmona
November 2010 - Black Mountain, NC

The picture above is of my niece Nimuae. She was the only one of the kids willing to have her picture taken by me. This turned out to be a wonderful portrait. Same film stock as before, but I used a long lens instead. This blurs out the background and draws more attention to the subject. Once again, I didn't keep the lens clean, so I had tons of spots. The other problems were more difficult to solve.

When I made the actual print in my darkroom, I did get good exposure and contrast on Nim's face by using a filter (this adds more contrast). However, despite printing the paper for almost a minute, and putting another forty seconds of light on the background (this is called burning), I could not get the background to the right of Nim's face to show up. I could have made another print, but I had already made a few bad ones and I was too aggravated.

I used spot toning to get rid of some of the biggest white spots. This is a really annoying process; it involves using a tiny paint brush and black ink to fill them in one at a time. These pictures had hundreds of them, so I was only willing to do it on the worst of them. I'm really not very good at it, but I did a much better job on the picture of Nim.

Now that it is scanned, I will use Adobe PhotoShop to fix everything. Soon it will be perfect, and next time I will do better.

Pops Visit and The Petersen Auto Museum

The Laurel and Hardy Car.
Hell yeah!

Hey Folks,

First off, sorry. I know I've been worse than ever about keeping this thing current. Almost four months since my last post; sorry. I finally got some time off from Columbia to take a nice staycation. Pops visited, and unfortunately it rained almost the entire time he was here. But we made the most of it.

Professor Fate's Hannibal 8 from
The Great Race!

We ate VERY well when Pops was here. First we ate lunch at Ernie’s House of Tacos for lunch, but we were so stuffed we never needed to eat dinner. Later we did the fondue thing at our apartment, and ate breakfast in my neighborhood.

Dad, most of you know, works at Caterpillar, so I knew he’d be someone who would appreciate cars. This gave us a reason to finally go the Petersen Auto Museum. Located in the Miracle Mile across from the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Petersen is truly one of a kind. Some of the cars where so rare I hadn’t even herd of the makers.

1989 Batmobile. Assembled in Gotham City.

This place has every kind of car ever made, from steam engine models to muscle cars, classic models to Electronic and proto-type vehicles. You name it, they got it (though not all of them are always on display). The place is also well-known because the Notorious B.I.G. was killed outside after a party here.

Especially memorable for me were the movie cars. They had the Green Hornet Car that Bruce Lee rode in, Doc Brown’s DeLorean from Back to the Future, the Batmobile, and perhaps the best: Professor Fate’s Hannibal 8 from the Great Race. They also had some models owned by Steve McQueen.

Jen at the Hot Wheels Exhibit
at the Petersen Auto Museum

The place definitely proves once again that cars today are SOOOO boring. Give me a big boat of a car. Yes, they were gas guzzles and parallel parking was a pain, but there’s a price to be paid for cool. I really missed my Cadillac after I went here. Maybe I’ll buy one w/ my tax

return.

The rain finally let up toward the end of Dad’s visit. We took advantage of it to go up to the Griffith Observatory. After that we took Jen to Masa for a Chicago Pizza (the only one in the city worthy). Delicious, and I think I might have eaten the best desert I’ve ever had in my life. Unbelievable.

The last day we went to San Pedro to see the ocean. After that we went to Long Beach to visit Rene. We watched movie later that night, and then I took Dad to the airport the next morning. For the rest of the break, I mostly stayed at home. Great vacation, just what I needed.

The Big Pimpin' Barber Car.
Hopefully only one of these
was ever built.

The Last Roll of Kodachrome...

Vernal Falls, Yosemite National Park

Despite Paul Simon's objections, "they're taking my Kodachrome away." Kodachrome was the granddaddy of all color film stocks, having been used for over 70 years. It used a dye process, which made it notoriously difficult to process. So difficult, in fact, that only one lab in the world was able to process it by 2010: Dwayne's Photo is Parsons, KS.

Really, it's amazing that the film stayed around as long as it did. It was only available in one speed, and had to be special ordered. Then, once you shot the roll, you had to ship it to Kansas, then have them process and ship it back to you. Kodachrome is a reversal film, meaning once the film is processed, you have a positive instead of a negative. You can then view the film through a projector or a loupe. Prints could also be made from the film, as well as digital scans. Still, I've found they don't usually do justice to the film itself.

Mirror Lake in Kodachrome

Kodachrome yielded exceptionally accurate colors and creamy skin tones. I have yet to find a stock that had these unique characteristics, even digital doesn't come close in my opinion. It tends to give pictures that old-time America look, and Kodachrome was also used on the famous "Afghan Girl" photograph which appeared on the cover of National Geographic years ago.

Anyway, once Kodak announced the discontinuance of all Kodachrome film and chemicals, there was a mad rush to buy the last of it. Luckily, I had a roll in my freezer that I was holding on to, but all processing orders had to be received at Dwayne's Photo no later than December of this year. I was running out of time, but I wanted something special to shoot my last roll on.

When I decided to go to Yosemite, I knew this was going to be the right time to say goodbye. After finishing up the roll I already had in the camera, I loaded up the Kodachrome. The first part of the roll was taken at Mirror Lake, and it yielded superior results compared to the Kodak 160 Neutral Contrast stock I shot with earlier (printed in B/W on a previous blog post).

A Dear in Yosemite Valley

Hiking back to Yosemite Valley, Jen and I spotted a dear in a meadow. I used up way too many pictures on this, which I somewhat regret. I knew the light wasn't good enough, and the subject was too far away. But the moment was there, and I couldn't help that I had a rare film stock in the camera. Again, this is why digital has pretty much taken over.

Jen in Yosemite Valley - On the Way to Tunnel View

After that, we headed up to Tunnel View for the money shot. We started to get worried that we weren't going to get up there before the sun set, so we decided to snap a few pictures in a scenic area just in case. The picture of Jen came out a lot better than the one of me, so I posted it above.

When we got to Tunnel View, we were blessed with several things: we hadn't lost the sun, we had parking, and it wasn't crowded with tourists. I decided to lug out my large format camera, but even my wide-angle lens on that behemoth was too zoomed-in for the picture I wanted. I returned to the 35mm and took what I think was by-far the best picture of the roll. I'm probably going to take it to a lab and see if they can print it on an 8x10.

Tunnel View

The next day, we hiked up to the footbridge of Vernal Falls. I only had a few exposures left, so I took some pictures of the waterfall before I got to the inevitable final shot. I told Jen it was the last one, pulled her in frame, set the timer, and hoped for the best.

I am so glad the picture came out. Once again, the original camera positive is far superior to the print you see below, but it's still a terrific picture of us. I especially like how we contrast with the stones and how the greenery (being dark) guides your attention to us.

Farewell, Kodachrome. I will miss you.

The Last Kodachrome Picture....EVER!!

Nooooooooo!!!!

FILM REVIEWS: Inception and Lebanon

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to get to see some movies in the theatre. Even better, they were both excellent in an otherwise bad year for movies. The first was Inception, which I have been trying to see for weeks.

I won't give away anything from the story, in part because I can't explain it easily. Inception is one of those rare movies that creates a unique world, and lets you get lost in it. For the first 45 minutes, you will want to scream out, "Where the hell is the place?! Who the hell is that?! What the hell is going on here?!" Rest assured, you will get the answers and it will explain itself.

Movies like this tend to cause hours of discussion afterwords, and that's part of the fun. Like Dark City and 12 Monkeys, this is a film that demands repeat viewings. I thought it was brilliant.

MY REVIEW: ****
(PERFECTION)

------------------------------------------------

The next film I saw was Lebanon, an Israeli film that is playing in limited markets. This was may go down as one of the best war films I've ever seen.

The picture takes place entirely inside of a tank during the First Lebanense War. Think of it as Das Tank. The only view of the outside world is through the gunman's periscope; images that gradually become more and more horrifying as the film goes on. By the film's climax, the tension is almost unbearable.

The ending of the film is ambiguous, but you will be thinking of Lebanon long after the final credits have rolled.

MY REVIEW: ****
(PERFECTION)

Shoots, Shoots, Shoots!

Finding Grace Director Max Myers
Porterville, CA

Last Rites Films has really picked up. I am doing post sound for a name actor on his short film, but at the same time I am still working on set AND full-time at Columbia. One of my most interesting jobs has been doing pick-ups for a feature that was shot a number of years ago.

Originally titled Don't Let Go, it starred Katherine Ross (The Graduate) and Scott Wilson (In Cold Blood) in a story about the relationship between an alcoholic father and his son; both musicians. It was directed by Max Myers, one of my instructors when I was a student at Columbia.

This time we had to shoot in Porterville, which is located in the Central Valley of California. We previously did re-shoots in Hollywood, and we did some voice-over at Ms. Ross' house in Malibu.

From the Penthouse of Evo
Downtown Los Angeles

Almost all of my other sound jobs have come from PlayNetwork. Journey's hired us to cover a MotorCross even in Riverside, a Go-Cart Champion in Palmdale, and this past weekend, the band Gorgeous Got A Gun at Evo in Downtown LA.

Evo is a skyscraper Downtown and we were shooting in the penthouse. We carpooled from the network headquarters, and had plenty of time to set up. The view from the penthouse was absolutely stunning, and I'm guessing the price tag was in the 5-10 million dollar range.

I am doing another gig this Friday in Culver City. Beyond that, I have jobs lined up September and October as well. It may be too early to tell, but production seems to finally be kicking up.

The same view at night.

Do You Dream in Color in Napa...

One of the documentary subjects, and me
in a funny hat.

I had a very special job a few weeks ago in Napa. I was hired to do sound in Napa (Wine Country) for a documentary about blind children. I had mixed before for this project in Palm Springs, and I was happy to work with these folks again.

The drive up there was rough. There were four of us packed into a car with a ton of gear. Once there, we had to drive some more to pick up one of the subjects from Santa Rosa. The shoot itself went well, but it was exhausting. Woke up early, went to bed late, and long, extended interviews. That meant a lot of time with my hands above my head holding the boom, but that's the job.

Nick.

What made this job special is that it really opened my eyes to another world. The problems facing the blind are extreme. Unemployment is almost 80%, and education is not doing much to accommodate them. Still, these kids had good heads on their shoulders, and I have a feeling they will rise above.

I have never really spent much time with the blind, but at this camp I was one of the few people who could see. One thing I noticed immediately is that they seem to have much more patience then most people I've met. Perhaps this is because they can't judge you on appearances, and in turn make their impressions based on what you say or do. Basically, they have the gift to do the rarest of all human qualities: listen.

At the Dance Hall

I was also glad to see Napa. Besides San Francisco, I haven't seen a lot of Northern California. Wine Country is absolutely gorgeous; filled with mountains of endless green and imposing Redwoods. The air was clean and the quiet was very nice.

The way back was pure hell. We had to drop kids off in Santa Rosa, San Francisco, and San Jose. Then we still had the drive back to Los Angeles. I got in after midnight, and a few hours later I lurched into work like a zombie.

This kid wanted to be one the cowboys.

BIRTHDAY #27 AT YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK!

Mirror Lake
Yosemite National Park

I had been trying to get to Yosemite ever since I moved to California, but always made one excuse or another not to go. I decided going would be my birthday present to myself. And boy did it deliver.

Yosemite is quite possibly the most beautiful place on Earth. Granted, I haven't seen a lot of it, but this place was loaded with endless meadows, granite cliff walls, waterfalls, trees, and wildlife. Jen and I stayed at the Marriott in Madera (discount courtesy of Randy), so we actually had to drive quite a ways to get to it. But once we were there, we lived it up.

Half Dome
Seen from Glacier Point
Yosemite National Park

Our first trip in was difficult. I took the Western entrance in because I heard there was construction on the Southern roue. This required going through the vast Sierra National Forest before entering Yosemite. However, once you're in the park, you're right in Yosemite Valley which is the main launching pad for almost everywhere. We parked, ate, and started our first hike to Mirror Lake, so named because when the light hits the lake just right, it makes a mirror of the breathtaking scenery above. I brought my camera.

Yosemite wasted no time pointing out how out of shape we had become. It took quite a while to get there, and we hardly noticed it because the lake was dry! They didn't mention it was seasonal at the trail head. Still, there was an impressive view once we got there.

The photos I took were on a variety of color film stocks. I'm still waiting on the Kodachrome roll to get back, which I had to send to Kansas to get processed (my last roll ever!), but I was very unhappy with what I took. This trip convinced me once and for all that I am meant to shoot black and white. Color just doesn't look good in my hands, with rare exceptions. Most of the photos on this entry were taken in color and changed to black and white.

On day 2, which was the last day we had, we decided to hike to Vernal Falls. We didn't even make it that far. The trail was listed as "moderate to strenous," but I found it life-threatening. By the end, we were stopping every 100 feet or so. It was just kicking our butts! We did manage to make it to the lower bridge, which afforded a spectacular view of the falls. Those are among the Kodachrome pictures I'm waiting for, so I'll post those when they come in.

We headed back, but I really wanted to see Glacier Point before I left. This is by far the most famous view from the park, but the sun was setting rapidly at it was a long way away on curvey, mountain roads. Had we left 10 mintues earlier, I would have had some stunning pictures, but we just didn't make it in time. The picture above of half-dome was taken there, and it's amazing it turned out at all. Although it looks like daytime, it was almost night when I shot it!

Bear!

Oh, and we saw a bear! We were on the shuttle bus when an Asian guy next to us yelled, "Behr!" I didn't have my camera assmbled, so I quickly threw on the longest lens I had and snapped it through a green window. Again, I'm truly amazed that the picture above came out at all, and it's really good considering the circumstances: almost no light, lots of movement, no prep time. Jen has a video of it somewhere as well.

And just like that... it was over. We drove back to LA and I've been in the grind ever since. The picture below is one of the few color pictures I'm really proud of.

"Screaming Trees"