Blog has moved.

I'm totally over the editing system of this blog system, things like the tiny editing window in windows (works fine in linux) and the total lack of offline linux editor compatibility (works fine in windows) are really a pain in the ass.

The bloody painful image and video uploading systems (borks the whole of the formatting) take it beyond a joke. I'd also love to know why I have to click in the window with the mouse after hitting return in order to see the cursor again?

My art blogs now at.

http://secretivesquirrel.wordpress.com/


I'll keep this one for straight out writing, it's ok for that.

Thanks google.

To Come

Stuff wot I need to do.

Secretive squirrel.
1. - A post of the stuff I have on my wall atm.
2. - A Post of some of the digital stuff I've been paying with.
3. - More random artings, I have a bunch of stuff with carbon paper and monotype that I'm getting into atm.
4. - Video stuff - assuming that I manage to get this software to play nice at some stage.
5. - Digi infrared update.

Technical Squirrel.
1. - Stuff about Video and sound platforms that I'm currently attempt to force into work.
2. - Camera profiles - these will be written for my website - I have far more cameras than any normal person would need (and less than I want).
3. - Digital Infrared explanations.

The other blogs will be getting other stuff updated and stuff.

Contact Sheets and editing

This is more or less how the editing process works for me - it's an abvreiviated version.

Step One - Film; I expose the film and develop it - I don't bother to look at it at this time, and usually develop a dozen or so films at a time - it's not one of my favorite tasks.

Step one - Digital; After capture the shots are put into dated folders so that I can retrieve them at will.

Step two - Film; I make a contact sheet of the whole film onto a sheet of 8x10 photo paper. I tend to do this for 20 - 25 sheets at a time

Step two - Digital; Skip to step three.

Step three - Film; When I have 50 or more contact sheets unedited I put them all up onto a pinboard (or this year staplegun them to my studio wall) - I then go through all of the shots that I don't want seen at all and cross them out with black ink - then all of the ones that I can't print due to copyright considerations, permission, or ethical considerations (these things can change) and put a cross on them with a red wax pencil (chinagraph). From here I go through and mark all of the frames that I think look good enough that I want a closer look with a white line (all with waxpencils) around the frames that I want.

Step three - Digital; I change the folder properties so that the icons for the images are larger, thus I can consider the images at a slightly larger scale - i use preview to look closer at marginal images. I then select the images that I want to see as prints and copy them to a new filder before returning the folder back to a normal status and filing the folder - from this point on I work with the new folder with the original folder backed up externally.
Step Four - Film; I then print all of the selected prints as 4x5 prints on black and white proof paper (RC silver paper), and then tape them together as concertina books - I don't make a point of inspecting them at this stage.
Step Four - Digital; I then Go through the folders of selected files and photoshop them so that they make cohesive sets and are ready for printing (this is my least favorite part of working with digital images). I then print all of the selected prints using a digital printing service - usually for around 12 cents a print - I don't make a point of inspecting them at this stage. I don't make concertina books of these.

Step Five - Film; When I have several of these books I lay them out and go through them deciding what to label them as - the labels (apart from rejects are for each of the projects or subjects I'm currently keeping a file for - some images make it to more than one file)
Step Five - Digital; a good stack of these I lay them out and go through them deciding how to group them - the groups (apart from rejects) are for each of the projects or subjects I'm currently keeping a file for - some images make it to more than one file. I move them around in the folders for sorting and delete the rejects (this is why I work with copies).
Step Six - Film; I then break the books up and recreate them as selected subject books - I haven't gotten to this stage yet in my current project
Step Six - Digital; These are now ready for final selection and being ready for printing.
Step Seven - Film; I then Go into the darkroom and go through the process of making exhibition prints - I tend to make one print as an AP (artist proof) so that I can see how to print the final image and then two final prints of which one will be presented.

It's not so terribly exciting to see something like this laid out as a step by step process, in practice I find that neither digital nor film is cheaper to work with, and due to experience and a degree of procrastination I'm slightly quicker and more efficient getting silver exhibition prints done than digital exhibition prints.

Napier - Historical Photo.

I found this photo recently, it's of the memorial baths on Marine Parade in Napier, You couldn't get a photograph from the same location now as the trees have grown much much higher and the view is blocked, but it's put me in a mind to take some photos when I go up there in the next couple of weeks, I'll grab some copies of historical shots and see how much has changed - it's not an original idea, but it'll keep me occupied when I'm up there.

Unmapping

I have been playing with the idea of unmapping for some time (I started collecting maps about a year ago), but I've found that my original concepts aren't really workable. I had envisioned using gouache to paint over the map thus painting out all traces of people - but at a certain conceptual level that's really not all that compelling, the process is more interesting than the final result for one, and for a second problem it's hard to get past the fact that the full map is still under the paint, thus I'm not eliminating anything, but rather obfuscating.
























This is one of the maps that I was fiddling digitally - after deciding that paint was not the correct answer - digital is better, but still not all the way there, that and I'm not a fan of computers for painting (that's actually a big factor), but ultimately I'm still working with maps and all of the overlaid data. I also tried tracing to mylar and using cell painting techniques, which has greater possibilities, especially with different types of maps.

Ultimately with the paper maps I'm beginning to think that the only logical answer is to burn them and use their ashes for a work - this has the advantages that I can video it, and that I get to burn something, which is always a plus in terms of making something more interesting.

Werewolf - Om nom nom.

Werewolf - Om nom nom.

I was looking through beasteries looking at neat animals - the mildly irritated expression on the persons face amuses me far more than it, by rights, should.