I’m not sure where I heard about Michael Ashkin’s were it not for. It wasn’t a Charcoal book, so I suspect it was the review and “Highly Recommended” rating from Jörg Colberg. I more or less trust Colberg’s reviews, and tend to more or less agree with him most of the time, but it was Ashkin’s use of text that pushed me over the edge.
Continue reading “Michael Ashkin – ‘were it not for’”Film Shooters: Refrigeration is Your Friend
I’m not sure how I ended up with two rolls of Fuji Super G. Maybe one came from a Oli’s Choice or similar mystery expired box from the FPP, or maybe a lot of expired film from the ‘bay; I think the other came from an Emulsive Santa event, maybe the 2019 version, but I’m not sure. What I do know is that I had both for more than two years, and one for longer than that, and I kept them in the refrigerator.
Sadly, whoever owned one of them before me wasn’t quite so kind…
Continue reading “Film Shooters: Refrigeration is Your Friend”The Gathered Leaves Grab Bag
Back in November, 2020, Alec Soth’s Little Brown Mushroom imprint/project/thing ran a sale. Most of the stuff on offer was way out of my league, and I was deep into debt reduction mode anyway, but I plumped for the $100 “Gathered Leaves Grab Bag.” What is the “Gathered Leaves Grab Bag?” Well…
Continue reading “The Gathered Leaves Grab Bag”Bruce Davidson – ‘Subway’
Until I stumbled across Subway during an Aperture sale, I only knew Bruce Davidson for… Turns out, I had Bruce Davidson confused with Bruce Gilden and I almost scrolled right past, but I’m glad I checked it out (and bought a copy), as it’s quite something.
Continue reading “Bruce Davidson – ‘Subway’”A week with the Harman Black & White camera
As a Muslim, I don’t celebrate Xmas at all, but, and shame on me, in late 2020 when CameraFilmPhoto launched their Advent Calendar, I jumped on one. Also, as an avid film enthusiast with some environmental concerns, I mostly avoid single use cameras, and while I heard of the Harman single use Black & White camera, preloaded with either Ilford HP5+ or Ilford XP2 Super, I never had any interest in buying one. So how fortuitous that day 13-15 of the CameraFilmPhoto advent calendar contained a Harman Black & White camera loaded with XP2 Super?
Continue reading “A week with the Harman Black & White camera”Matt Martin – ‘American Xerography in Color’
Matt Martin is a photographer, curator, and promoter of photocopied photography… Photocopied photography? Yep. Check out @thephotocopyclub, which Martin founded, and his series “American Xerography 2016-2018.” In monochrome, the quality reminds me of punk flyers and zines, and has some relationship to Provoke and William Klein. In color, though, it’s something else.
Continue reading “Matt Martin – ‘American Xerography in Color’”Matt Black – ‘American Geography’
I stumbled across Matt Black’s American Geography “zine” while looking for something else, and just couldn’t help myself. First of, it’s another one to add to my mini-collection of “America*” books; second off, it’s sorta unique in that it’s meant to function like a zine or book, and (with two copies) as an exhibition, which appeals to my painting and art history backgrounds. It’s a strange and wonderful object, to be sure.
Continue reading “Matt Black – ‘American Geography’”