Fine Art Photography

Aug

2010

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

We hope that everyone has survived the heat of summer and are ready for a little cooler weather and maybe some photography. We have several events coming up beginning this September. We have an exhibition of thirty of our latest photographs coming up at the Langdon Center in Granbury starting next month.

Exhibit: “THROUGH THE LENS OF THE VIEW CAMERA” by JB and Susan Harlin
Dora Lee Langdon Cultural and Educational Center in Granbury, Texas.
September 3-30, 2010
Artist Reception
September 24, 2010
5-9 pm
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We are excited to have been chosen to be included in this year’s Langdon Review. Langdon Review of the Arts in Texas is an annual publication of Tarleton State University providing an overview of the year’s most exciting cultural accomplishments in Texas.

The Langdon Review Weekend is an annual literary and arts festival that takes place the first Wednesday thru Saturday after Labor Day. The “Weekend” kicks off on Wednesday, on the Tarleton State campus in Stephenville, and then moves to the Dora Lee Langdon Cultural and Educational Center in Granbury, Texas, for the remainder of most of the festivities. This festival is when the co-editors unveil the year’s Texas Review of the Arts in Texas journal.

We are honored to have been asked to speak Thursday evening at this years festival weekend. We will also be attending the Publication Reception Friday afternoon and hope to see many of you there. More information can be found by following the links below.

Langdon Review Weekend Registration: CLICK HERE
Schedule: CLICK HERE

Presentation – part of Langdon Review Weekend –
“BIG CAMERAS BIG FILM” JB & Susan Harlin
September 9, 2010
7:30-9:00 pm (second half of session)

J. B. and Susan Harlin (photographers), “Big Cameras, Big Film,” a 40 minute PowerPoint presentation/talk that covers the Harlins’ travels and what they do. J. B. and Susan also bring cameras, photographs, and samples of large negatives for Show and Tell.

J. B. and Susan work with film sizes that range from 4 x 10 to 16 x 20 inches. Using very large cameras and film allows a greater feeling of texture and reality not achievable with other media. Most of the finished photographs are created by placing these large negatives directly in contact with the printing paper. For more information, go to jbhphoto.com.
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PUBLICATION RECEPTION FOR “LANGDON REVIEW OF THE ARTS IN TEXAS JOURNAL”
Langdon Center Lawn
Granbury, TX
September 10, 2010
4:30-6:00 pm
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We will also be attending a reception at the Adobe Western Art Gallery in the Fort Worth Stock Yards Saturday September 11th in conjunction with Fort Worth Gallery night. Also hope to see many of our friends there.

Gallery Night Celebration
ADOBE WESTERN ART GALLERY
2324 North Main Street
Fort Worth, Texas. 76106
September 11, 2010
5-9 pm
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As always we would like to thank our friends and customers for your support.

JB & Susan

Aug

2010

Fiddlin’ Around

Years ago I found myself with access to a violin. I love the sound of a violin. There is something about a beautiful, single note when played by an accomplished violinist. There is a richness. . . a richness of sound. . . a deep resonance, with harmonious overtones in just a single note. I thought this can’t be that hard, you just draw the bow across the string and out comes the sound. Not quite for me though. I even resorted to reading a little in the beginner’s book on bow technique. But, no matter how hard I tried, it always sounded like someone dragging a heavy metal chair across a concrete floor. It was immediately apparent that I really did not want to learn the technique that bad. That was the end of my effort with the violin.

So, what does this have to do with photography you ask? Well, maybe nothing. . . maybe a lot. . . depends on your point of view and interest. No matter what the commercial says, there is no easy, quick way to anything. . . and. . . believe it or not, you can never have it all, and there is no free lunch! Life is about choices. If you spread yourself too thin, you will never achieve anything. If you sort of think you are interested in LF or ULF photography, you are setting yourself up for failure. LF, and especially ULF, is not easy, not foolproof, and is hard work. There are many pitfalls that will frustrate and test your patience. If it can go wrong, it will! You have to really want to work with LF or ULF. You have to be able to find your way through all of the little things that will ruin your every effort. If you are determined, and if you really have the desire, you can, and will master the craft. Persistence and patience will pay off in the long run. But, if you are looking for instant gratification, find another interest.

I would never recommend that anyone jump into LF or ULF photography. It is just not for the faint of heart. . . those that are not dedicated enough to invest in the time it takes to master the process are doomed to failure. Sort of like playing the violin. I am really glad I didn’t buy a violin just to find out I actually didn’t want to learn to play the thing. If you only have a casual interest, you just may be better off letting someone else do the fiddlin’ around.

JB

Aug

2010

PRINTING NOTES & CATALOG

In the last entry I talked about making film notes in the field. That is the first step in the process of record keeping. I didn’t mention the last step which is negative storage. Each negative is marked on one edge with a unique number, then inserted into a clear sleeve then into an archival envelope. Each envelope has the negative number written on the upper edge. The envelopes are then placed into archival boxes, which are labeled with the contents. Also, the smaller film is proofed on our standard paper. These proof sheets are punched, and filed in binders. That pretty much sums up the negative end of the process.

The next step is printing, and yes, we keep notes on the printing process. As each print is worked out in the darkroom, we have printed sheets that we use to record the process. We make our own print planner sheets using the computer to document every step in the darkroom. Our print planner sheets have spaces to record all pertinent information for the creation of a finished print. It includes the negative number and date, along with the print date, printing paper, developer, enlarger settings and such. The print planner sheet also has a series of boxes to record exposure manipulations. . . burning and dodging. That way if we ever need to go back and reprint, we have a record of exactly how we made the first prints. These sheets are filed in a three ring binder and labeled for future reference if needed.

We also keep a computer database which contains our catalog of available photographs. This database contains all of the information from the film and printing notes. The master catalog database also contains information on the number of prints available, price, and exhibition information.

I am sure this all sounds extremely complicated, and I have to admit that if you ever get behind on the record keeping, it would be near impossible to ever catch up. The secret is to continually and consistently keep the records up to date. When we are on the road, the first order of business in the evening, after dinner, is to update the day’s notes and log. Once we get home, the next order of business is to get the film notes done. This has to be done in order to sort the film before development. Our catalog database allows us to keep track of what we have in the way of photographs and serves as a place to search for information when needed.

If you continually keep up with your film notes and records you will always have a way to see where you have been and maybe an aid to where you go next. Is it worth it? We would not do it if we thought otherwise!

JB

Aug

2010

KEEPING NOTES

I have written quite a bit about LF and ULF photography here on the jbhphoto BLOG since we started back in January of 2009. A lot of it is my rambling about this or that, and sometimes I tend to repeat myself. Oh well, must be old age??? One thing that I do not remember writing about is keeping notes. We are both meticulous about keeping records of our travels and detailed notes on the film we shoot.

We do several things when we go out on an extended trip. One is to make a lot of snapshots. They are an excellent way to keep track of the places we visit and are used to plan future trips and serve as a visual reminder of the places and things we discover. We also keep a daily diary/travel log of what, when, and where we were on a particular day. I have to admit that Susan is better at the diary than me, but at the end of every day before we drop off to la-la land, we try to type a few paragraphs. We keep this on a laptop computer and entries continue till the trip is over. It is a great resource, along with the snapshots, later when trying to come up with exactly what happened on any particular adventure.

But, the most important notes are those that pertain to the film we shoot. I experimented for some time when I first started shooting sheet film and eventually came up with a record keeping scheme that works. We have both used this method for many years and it has given us detailed records that, when needed, are invaluable.

When I first began seriously trying to keep film notes I started off with a small notebook. For me though, having to fumble with pen and paper was just not working. So I came up with the bright idea of using a small voice recorder. This worked great! I would record one entry for each exposure and later transcribe the information into a notebook. We both used a micro-cassette recorder for years, until mine just flat quit working. It was worn out and had to be retired.

At this point the digital voice recorders were available and they opened up an entirely new way of record keeping. With the digital recorders it is even easier to keep up with the daily notes. We make one entry for each exposure. The digital file is date and time stamped and it is easy to upload them to the laptop computer. This we do every evening along with updating the daily travel log.

Originally we transcribed each film audio entry into a notebook by hand, but starting about three yeas ago we began typing this information into a computerized form. This form has spaces for Negative Number, Film Holder Number, Development, Image Orientation, f Stop, Shutter Speed, Notes, Filter, Lens, GPS and Date and Time.

This is a somewhat complex way of keeping film data, but it has proven to be well worth the effort, especially when you need to recall the what, when, or how of a particular photo that you made years back. I can go to my film notes and tell you most anything about a particular negative, including the weather.

Keeping notes is also a way to track mistakes. If a particular negative did not turn out as expected, you have all of the information that can provide a clue as to what went wrong. I also record information on my audio entries about location, the light, temperature and anything else that might affect the image, or the photographer. Your notes can be a lifeline to help you track problems.

Detailed records of each sheet of film are not hard to keep up with if you are diligent and keep the process current. Next time I will talk a little about keeping notes in the darkroom. . . and. . . yes, we also keep pretty detailed records of the prints we make.

JB

Jul

2010

A NEW CANHAM 4X10

Almost forgot about the other little project we undertook a few months back. Susan found a KB Canham 4×10 and it ended up in our possession. Because we strive to keep our equipment as homogeneous as possible, the new camera required a few modifications just like my 8×10.

Everything around here seems to end up in the shop before it hits the road. So, here is another little story about camera modification. Take a look at the article WHY MODIFY ANOTHER CAMERA? to see what happened this time.

The good news is we took the cameras on a little outing a few weeks ago and the negatives were just fine. No light leaks, nor any other strangeness. Guess this one is ready for the road. Time for fall, then winter, and much cooler weather to get out and haul some equipment around.

JB

18

Jul

2010

COOL WHITE. . . MAN
Seem things continue to change at an alarming rate. Several years ago, maybe 12-15 to be honest, I bought some supposedly daylight balanced fluorescent lamps for the kitchen fixture. They put out this really annoying, kind of brownish light that I just could not stand. They were eventually banished to the garage where they finally burned out and were discarded. It was back to the old standard Cool White fluorescent lamps and that awful color cast they generate. Fast forward to our current world and I saw some information about a Compact Fluorescent (CFL) lamp that is 5,000k and touted to be Full Spectrum. Wow! Now that is more what I was looking for.

I bought a CFL lamp that is dimmable, 5,000k and Full Spectrum for another project I was working with. I was so impressed with the light that I searched out some four footers for the kitchen fixture. Once installed I was really impressed with the fact that the room no longer had that sick green/blue light I have become so accustom to from the run-of-the-mill Cool White lamp. The kitchen light looked so good compared to the ones in the darkroom, I knew they were next.

I did take the time to look at a few photographs under both lights and the difference is remarkable. It is always difficult for me to judge print color cast under fluorescent light. These new Full Spectrum lamps deliver a much more natural light that I really like. If you haven’t looked into these new generation lamps, you might just get a pleasant surprise.

Little else to say, other than the latest batch of Full Spectrum fluorescent lamps are impressive and I really do not want to go back to Cool White. . . Man!

JB

Posted by JB Harlin in Commentary, Darkroom, Photography

11

Jul

2010

DUST. . . A Four Letter Word!
Yes, the number one adversary of the LF photographer is DUST! Dust is a four letter word in the world of photography. Seems we are always fighting Dust. It gets into everything. The one place you absolutely can not tolerate the pest is on your film. A tiny speck of dust or lint in your film holder will always find its way onto that one area of smooth even texture.

So, the question is how to battle dust? One thing to do is, as mentioned in my previous post titled “Wax On. . . Wax Off” is to wax your equipment. Waxed surfaces are easier to keep clean. Also, vacuum out all of your bags, cases and packs regularly. Before every outing, take the time to disassemble your camera and clean it. Remove the bellows and vacuum out all of the folds, inside and out.

Next comes your film holders. Before you begin loading, dust the table top. I like to go over the surface with a damp cloth just to be sure. Your best friend when it comes to your film holders is a good vacuum. We travel and have to deal with film loading in all sorts of, less than desirable situations. Our number one tool is a small portable vacuum.

I first saw these small commercial vacuums being used by copy machine techs years ago. The vacuum they carry is a small, self-contained, field service vacuum and the most popular seems to be one made by 3M. We searched around and bought a 3M SV-497AJM vacuum on that auction site years ago. One of the best purchases we have made for sure!

A little searching on the Internet turned up this from 3M, “Designed by 3M Corporation for its own office products service department, this durable, reliable vacuum cleaner set the standard for all others. Designed specifically for cleaning toner from copy machines, it also is great for cleaning printers, floors or just about anything else a field engineer might encounter.” The unit is self contained with hose and attachments housed in the top and is 17″ x 6.5″ x 7.5″ weighing 9 pounds.

Our 3M field service vacuum has logged many miles with us over the years and we would not consider travel without it. It is also great to have around the darkroom to help keep dust under control.
JB

Posted by JB Harlin in Darkroom, Film, How-To, Photography, Travel

16

Jun

2010

WAX ON. . . WAX OFF
Well. . . that was a cheap shot, but maybe it got your attention. Care and maintenance of your photo equipment is something that is important. Take care of your equipment, and it will take care of you. We use a lot of gear that is made of wood. We spend a lot of time outside in harsh environments. But, all of our equipment needs protection from the elements. We wax everything. Wood, metal, plastic. . . they all get a generous application of wax.

Wax keeps moving parts moving smoothly and a well waxed surface is easier to keep clean. Dirt and contaminants do not stick to a waxed surface. A slick, waxed surface is easier to keep clean. Also moisture is not as much a problem. I can say that we wax most everything except the lenses.

So, what kind of wax should you use on your expensive equipment? We use only the highest quality Microcrystalline waxes on our gear. Microcrystalline waxes are far and away, the finest wax you can use.

They offer excellent resistance to moisture, food acids, alcohols, moderate temperatures and are pH neutral naturally. Another benefit is that they will not show fingerprints on treated surfaces. Microcrystalline waxes also dry crystal clear, never yellow, leave no chalky residue and resist dust as well!

What brand of Microcrystalline wax do we use? RENAISSANCE WAX-POLISH has been the #1 choice of museums, art galleries and institutions for the preservation of precious items for over forty years. Professional conservators, retailers, restorers and private individuals throughout the world depend on RENAISSANCE WAX to protect their collections and for in home use.

All I can say is, this stuff is great and highly recommended. It is SAFE to protect all of these Materials:

Wood; raw & finished. Leather, Parchment & Paper. Metal; Silver, Silver Plate, Gold, Copper & Copper Alloys (Bronze, Brass, Tin, Zinc, German Silver, Nickel), Lead & Pewter, Iron & Iron Alloys, Tin & Tin Alloys. Damascus; Stone, Marble, Onyx, Limestone, Granite, Brick, Tile, Terrazzo, Obsidian, Alabaster; Gems, Glass, Porcelain, Holloware, Bone, Ivory, Horn, Shell & Mother-of-Pearl, Gutta Percha. Dammars; Gilding & Gold Leaf, Patinas. Enamel, Lacquer, Japanning, Cloute, Pose d’Or, Pique Point, Varnish, Marbleizing, Stains & Artificial Graining. Plastics, Formicas, Paints, Polyvinyl Acetates, Esters of Polymethyacrylic, Polycyclohexanones, Fiberglas Epoxy Resins, and much more!

Guess you can say that we are sold on Microcrystalline RENAISSANCE WAX. You can find it at most woodworking supply stores and on line. A quick Google search will turn up a lot more information. Well worth the cost and time it takes to apply. A little “Wax On. . . Wax Off” and you are good to go most anywhere.

JB

Posted by JB Harlin in DIY, How-To, Photography

03

Jun

2010

COVER YOUR BACK?
Do you cover the back of your view camera with the darkcloth before you pull the darkslide? I certainly do!

Have you ever experienced these pesky little light leaks along the edge of the film that seem to come from nowhere? Gremlins? Not really. They are caused by any number of things that can go wrong in LF. A holder that has a small leak only when the slide is out, one that does not fit tight in the camera back, a light trap that is worn, or maybe you stress the holder as you remove or replace the darkslide. Thing is, it always seems to show up on that one piece of film you really want to print. Light leaks were seldom a problem as long as we were shooting 4×5, but when we moved to larger film sizes it became more evident. I will say, without reservation, as the film size goes up, the problems multiply exponentially!

The good news. . . the solution is simple, and for us, solved 99% of the light leak problems. Leave the darkcloth on the back of the camera while exposing the film. This way, even if there is a problem with the holder seating or the light seal being broken when removing or replacing the slide, you greatly reduce the probability of a leak.

It has become a habit to clip the darkcloth to the camera back once it is setup, and it remains there till the exposure is finished and the darkslide is back in the holder. We both use small, inexpensive, plastic spring clamps available at the local hardware store, to clip the darkcloth to the camera back. Simple, quick, easy. . . and. . . it works!

JB

Posted by JB Harlin in Film, How-To, Photography

20

May

2010

PHOTO EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
What are you looking for? A new camera? Pieces and parts? A new lens? We are cleaning out our equipment closet and it is time for some things to go to someone that can use them. The excess equipment we no longer need may be just what you are looking for.

Drop by the new area on our web site FOR SALE and take look. There just may be something you really need. And you will be helping us with our spring cleaning!

JB

Posted by JB Harlin in Photography

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