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Tag: photography

  • Idaho/Montana 2026

    Idaho/Montana 2026

    Recently returned from a trip to northern Idaho to attend a wedding. Being the glutton for punishment that I am, I flew across the country with 15 rolls of 35mm film and a selection of lenses. Did I bring my DSLR just in case? No, I did not.

    I’ve heard horror stories about flying with film, but in my few attempts I’ve been lucky. The TSA agents I’ve come across have been very accommodating. I keep the film in a clear ziplock bag and ask for a hand check – sometimes they volunteer – and it all goes off without a hitch. I do not arrive with film loaded in the camera, so I want to load a roll after I pass security.

    We had a wonderful time visiting with family, some I had not seen in years. I blew through a few rolls of Fuji 400, two rolls of CineStill 500T (one of which had some issues I didn’t know about until after development – such is life!), and a roll of Lomo 800. The wedding service was lovely, the lighting was perfect, the weather mild, and I did get a few shots I was proud of. Mostly I just snapped candid photos, but I had time for a few attempts at something more substantial.

    We also spent an afternoon rock climbing, and took a day trip over to Kootenai Falls, Montana for a short hike. The smoke there was worse, so the hike was probably not the best idea, but it was worth it for the views.

    Our trip home was delayed due to the previously mentioned Spokane wildfires, so our two-hour layover turned into seven. There are worse places to be stuck than Denver International, however, so I made the most of it and blew through another roll. (Two actually, but one didn’t turn out very well as I was experimenting/killing time more than anything.)

  • A few degrees

    A few degrees

    I shot a roll of Kodak Tri-X 400 recently to experiment with a few things. Admittedly, I may not have been in the best headspace when I developed this roll and neglected to check the temperature of my chemistry. The result was, for the most part, an overdeveloped mess. A few images were salvageable, however.

    Increased contrast, prominent grain structure – honestly, that would have been fine if that’s what I was going for, but it was not my intention.

    Fortunately, I have access to these spots to try my shots again, but that’s rarely the case. Film has a great way of reminding you to slow down, pay attention, and roll with the punches.

  • Pittsburgh Marathon 2026

    Pittsburgh Marathon 2026

    The big day arrived, and my wife was ready to run her second full marathon. Having spent a few years living in Pittsburgh, I was more than happy to travel with her for the weekend and spend some time walking around the city with my FE2 in hand. Decided to work on my black and white skills and concentrate on tone and composition, so I packed a few rolls of Kodak Tri-X.

    Pittsburgh is a lovely city. The North Shore has changed so much since my time living there in the early 2000’s – back when it was North Side. It has the same problems as anywhere else, and you can see it clearly in the old buildings that once held the likes of Bloomingdale’s, now home to a CVS and a Target, but as far as cities go, it has remained clean and full of promise for the last few decades. The lifetime locals may tell you different, but many of them will never realize how good they have it.

    No other place has felt so much like home to me, and I was only there for two years. Maybe one day I’ll get back, but I may be too old to enjoy it by then. Until then, I’ll enjoy that grand entrance from the tunnels every chance I get, and argue with myself over whether to get lunch at Max’s Allegheny Tavern, or the Modern Cafe on my way out.

  • Urban Wasteland

    Urban Wasteland

    While my wife continues to train for a marathon, I’ve been getting my steps in by taking photos around town. I wanted to try something new, so I rolled a batch of redscale from Fuji 400. The resulting images were cool but they weren’t quite apocalyptic enough for me, so I set about abusing them in creative ways.

    I started by forgetting everything I knew about caring for and handling film negatives, followed by a quick dip in bleach and a bath in tapwater. I then experimented with a lighter and a heat gun, letting the film warp, curl, and bubble. I may have burned myself in the process, and I shudder to think about what I was inhaling.

    I then pressed the negatives into the film carrier on a Plustek OpticFilm scanner. Color correction was mostly guesswork, but this is art, so realism wasn’t the goal here.

  • Just beyond the beauty

    Just beyond the beauty

    While taking in the sights in Morgantown, it would have been easy to ignore the reality of modern civilization. Walk beyond the amphitheater and cherry blossoms, and you are reminded that you are in a bubble. Across the street is a Sheetz. Just beyond the old rail bridge, given new life as a walking path, is a parking garage.

    That’s not to say Morgantown isn’t a nice town – it is, mostly. It’s a college town, home to WVU and the Mountaineers. My son will be attending in the fall. My wife has family who grew up there. But it has a long, troubled past, as all West Virginia towns do, and even now its future seems slightly off-kilter – teetering between success and ruin.

    The same could be said for any town in any state in the U.S. right now. Artists and entrepreneurs plant their flag and do their best to inject life, culture, and a fresh coat of paint on old frames and foundations. Some stick, many don’t. Some of the old institutions, like 123 Pleasant St., soldier on, while others have long since shuttered or (like the Den) are a shadow of their former selves.

    Beyond the sheen, however, the reality sets in. A few blocks out from downtown, you’ll see streets that haven’t been maintained in years. Between the murals and posters for free concerts of cover bands and old favorites, forgotten people bum smokes and struggle to find comfort in a town that, for the most part, ignores them.

    Therein lies the irony. We have money and energy to spare, but we spend it on the easy problems while ignoring the things that could really make a difference. We put on shows to entertain and distract, while ultimately doing nothing to help the city thrive. We gather to admire the beauty of nature, of life and all of existence, while only a few yards away, a person lies in crisis and is ignored.

    I normally feel a certain way about photographing people on the street, especially when they are unaware, but this image spoke volumes. The juxtaposition of the uplifting message paired with the man on the bench was a perfect representation of what I was feeling that day. Words can only do so much. Good frames won’t save bad paintings.