Feature Article in PhotoEd Magazine

I have long been a fan of PhotoEd Magazine. I was first alerted to this publication when my friend and fellow photographer, Angela Marklew, was featured in their book arts issue. I have submitted to them twice, and the first time I had one of my Polaroid transfers featured in their Reader's Gallery. I blogged about it here.

The second time I submitted, they were looking for portfolio submissions by photographers who were working in historic processes. I contacted Felix Russo, the magazine's publisher, and asked if Polaroid processes would be considered. He was looking for photographers working in all alternative processes and asked me to submit some of my tranfer work. I sent him two bodies of work, my Seeing Double Polaroid Spectra Series, and Personally Created Iconic Memories (which I need to upload to Picasa or Flickr...). Six images from Iconic Memories were selected to appear in the magazine and I was asked to write about the series. I received both a contributor's credit on the magazine's masthead, as a writer, and then had my article in the contents and in the magazine.

No matter how many times I have seen my work in print, as a professional photographer, it is always exciting. I am thrilled to be in full color, across two pages, of this wonderful Canadian publication. And especially to be in THIS issue. It is the 25 issue, called Photography Revisited. It features many talented photographers working in processes from albumen printing to cyanotype toning to pinhole and toy camera photography. I have read about half way through the issue, and I can't wait to get online to check out even more of these artists' work.





Here is Mr. Russo's editorial for this issue:
"With this issue we celebrate a milestone, our 25th issue — a good time to reflect on what photography is and why photographers are fascinated with their art of choice. PhotoEd has always considered that photography is not a singular activity with a uniform approach. In fact, one of the lures of photography is the almost infinite paths that it offers to anyone setting out on a journey of photographic exploration. The sum total of all photographic discoveries, inventions, and processes are available for you to discover. The relation of past processes and present practices is symbiotic—mutually beneficial. Encompass the entirety of photography and you will be rewarded with many rich experiences. Thank you for taking PhotoEd along on your journey and for your support over the years.

The fall 2009 issue of PhotoEd will be a survey of post-secondary colleges, universities, and professional schools offering an education in photography. Consider having your school featured in this issue. Students attending these schools are welcome to submit their portfolios. The photographic universe is expanding at an accelerating pace and education will be your ticket to this new world."

If you are a student, what are you waiting for? Get together your best work and submit to PhotoEd....

I am a photographer for exactly the reason Mr. Russo talks about in his editorial. Photography doesn't present just one option, it is compilation of all things within its history. The options are unlimited, the possibilities endless. It is never the same. I am obsessed with photography. It is my passion. I am so grateful to be able to turn my passion into something that speaks to others.

SOOOOO Exciting... Polaroid is BACK, but it is DIGITAL!!

Digital Polaroid AP PHOTO

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, on my gosh, on my gosh!! I am so excited I am doing a happy dance. Thanks to my Google Alerts, which searches for and alerts me to new things on the web about Polaroid, I just read an amazing article that was written yesterday by PETER SVENSSON of The Associated Press. It is about Digital Polaroid... YES, DIGITAL Polaroid. In late March or early April, all Polaroid enthusiasts will be able to buy a $200, 5 megapixel digital camera that prints your images in 2x3", RIGHT ON THE SPOT! And just like analog Polaroids, you have to wait for your image to appear, as it takes one minute for it to develop. I may be a geek, but those of you who understand, will know why I am so happy that that magical moment of wondering what your image will look like IS BACK!! Since moving and leaving my black and white darkroom behind, my only chance to experience that thrill you get as an image starts to appear in a developing tray, was by making a Polaroid. And then, they quit making the film. But this, well, this almost makes up for it! Unlike analog Polaroid you can check out your image on the LED screen before you decide to print. Yet, you still don't know what the print will look like until it comes out because the typical color shifting and graininess you get with a Polaroid are still there. Ah, Polaroid. I can't help it, I just love Polaroid.

One of the complaints about the camera, which is something I actually embrace, is the lack of control that one has over their image (is this not the beauty of Polaroid, Holga, Diana, and other toy cameras?). The Digital Polaroid is a very basic camera, which in my mind is all an artist needs. There is no auto focus, just a switch for close up or infinity. Other complains include the lag time between pushing the shutter release and the image actually being captured. And the prints are narrower than the sensor, so some of your image will not be in the final print. You can do in-camera cropping of the image before printing (cool!), but you can't zoom out wide enough to get the whole image on the print. All of this stuff is just fodder for creativity!

Now, about the printer paper... it has nothing to do with the old Polaroid technology. A printer head in the camera heats up selected parts of the POGO paper to produce the prints. The film comes in packs of 10 for $5 or 30 for $15!! No ink or toner is needed. The back of the print can be peeled off, and the print can be stuck anywhere. You can make multiple copies of a print. You can even take you SD memory card from another camera and print the images using the Digital Polaroid. Although if that is all you want to do, you can save $100 and get the printer Polaroid already makes that connects to camera phones and digital cameras. The life of the rechargeable battery is short, only good for about 20 prints, since it uses a lot of energy heating up the printer head. But, I have always bought two batteries for each of my cameras to remedy this.

Keep in mind that Polaroid has declared bankruptcy, but they are still operating. So, really, there is no way to know how long they will be making the PoGo printer paper but since it is a new technology, you might as well get one and use it as long as you can. I know I plan to be the first in line... Yippee!!

Whoopie!!

I just found out that Nicky, who lives here in Banff, and whose little one attends library story group with my little one, had a baby girl on Friday! Congrats!

It sure does seem like spring around here (although I think it is almost summer) since almost every woman I see is pregnant...

In art news, I found out that one of the 4 images I had in the Five-Art exhibit in Tampa, Florida, sold. It is a Polaroid called Carrotts. Yippee!!