Tonight is my last night before I am off to security work for 1 week. I am putting in another all nighter, this time concentrating on re-printing 3 photographs, I also completed 1 new neg print. The new photograph was of a man from the slum who worked as a truck driver, the people who introduced me to him seemed a bit scared of him and he had a rather fierce expression. I ended up spending some time in this mans slum home which was very small and had a lopsided bottom floor area that the man (forget his name now need to check my notes) told me was flooded each year forcing him to sleep on the 2nd floor.
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| Linhof 4x5 with 150mm lens, Tri-x and reflector. |
I need to get back to the darkroom now and finish my final re-print. I wanted to start working on a second new photograph as well as bleach and tone all the prints I did today but am getting tired, I have to find my second wind now after a quick meal.
The photograph below is the last of the re-prints. I had trouble with dry down on my last printing attempt, the print dried to dark. I made 4 versions of the print this time, different exposures and 1/4 differences in contrast. This is as close as I have gotten to a Sebastiao Salgado or W. Eugene Smith style print. I want to do more of this work in the future with the Leica's and Tri-x a grainy and gutsy warm toned print that deals with a human condition theme.
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| Leica M6 and 28mm Lens, Tri-x Rated At 200 ASA. |
Feel quite tired but did a quick RC print for a mask (photograph below hanging in my film dryer) on my next neg and am quite excited by it. I want to try to make a fine print of them, got to push myself more. I wish I could work 24 hours in a row in the darkroom un-medicated (Eugene Smith used to take amphetamines and work 2 or 3 days straight). I will make 2 quick prints of this neg and then move onto to some bleaching and toning before sleeping. The photograph is at the same home as an interior I did earlier (of fridge and TV), this man would collect bottles all day using his motorbike them sell them to support himself. He told me stories of police corruption and how his son was in jail on drug charges because he could not afford the bribe to keep the boy out of jail. I guess they police charge more money based on the height of the person charged, the taller you are the more expensive the bribe is.
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| Fuji 6x9 and Tri-x with a mix of flash and daylight. |
Did a little staying alert trick, the last 4 hours in the darkroom I worked with bare feet on the cold floor, it helped me stay more aware and concentrate better. I have 6 prints washing now, I will have to wake up every 2 hours and change them out for another 6 and then another and another.
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| Final new print of a long darkroom night, this is my first attempt, I made 3 variations. |
