Lith Prints: On the Nature of Daylight
The last two days I had finally had the evenings for myself! First time this year I could actually work on my own photos. Sometimes I think I ought to quit my job 
Not long before those evenings I also finally came around to developing some film I had laying around from last year. The contact prints made me wanna grab my lith paper so I did. The prints are untoned and so on, test prints actually to see which way this series would go on lith but I love them already. This will be continued but I felt like sharing them anyway with some more inspirational stuff.
Kodak T-Max 100 I Hasselblad 500C/M + 50mm CF FLE I Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB I Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 I Exposure: f5,6 5 sec I Development: about 7 min. 36 sec I Untoned
Kodak T-Max 100 I Hasselblad 500C/M + 50mm CF FLE I Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB I Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 I Exposure: f5,6 5 sec I Development: about 7 min. 35 sec I Untoned
Kodak T-Max 100 I Hasselblad 500C/M + 50mm CF FLE I Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB I Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 I Exposure: f5,6 5 sec I Development: about 8 min. 06 sec I Untoned
Kodak T-Max 100 I Hasselblad 500C/M + 50mm CF FLE I Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB I Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 I Exposure: f5,6 5 sec I Development: about 7 min. 20 sec I Untoned
Kodak T-Max 100 I Hasselblad 500C/M + 50mm CF FLE I Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB I Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 I Exposure: f5,6 5 sec I Development: about 7 min. 35 sec I Untoned
Kodak T-Max 100 I Hasselblad 500C/M + 50mm CF FLE I Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB I Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 I Exposure: f5,6 5 sec I Development: about 7 min. 35 sec I Untoned
The title of the series comes from Max Richter. I’m such a big fan of his work. He made a remix of his original song combined with the lyrics of Dinah Washington’s song dating from 1960.
“This bitter Earth
Well, what fruit it bears?
Ooooh
This bitter Earth
And if my life
Is like the dust
Oooh, that hides
The glow of a rose
What good am I?
Heaven only knows.
Lord, this bitter Earth
Yes, can be so cold
Today you’re young
Too soon, you’re old
But while a voice
Within me cries
I’m sure someone may answer my call.
And this bitter Earth
Ooooh, may not
Ooooh, be so bitter
After all.
This bitter Earth
Lord, this bitter Earth
What good is love
Mmmm, that no one shares?
And if my life
Is like the dust
That hides
The glow of a rose
What good am I?
Heaven only knows.”
I hope you enjoy this post!
-Indra
Moody Nature
We didn’t celebrate Carnaval this year. Didn’t feel like standing between drunk people, listening to crappy music and drinking lame beer. Instead we took each other out for a walk. The weather was beautiful and when I saw a color 120 film laying in my fridge I decided to play funky. I think my Hasselblad saw his first color film. Unfortunately I forgot I loaned my light meter to my dad so the Canon S95 had to do the job. It worked.
One photo of the roll of film stood out and found it handsome enough to post it here. The film was a Kodak 160VC. I still have to develop the black-and-whites.
And now off to my basement…have to make some varnish (yummy yummy) and see if my 18x24cm plates fit my freshly made inlay as one didn’t last time..and I need them tomorrow…
Have a great night!
-Indra
Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia on Seleniumed Lith
We went to Barcelona at the end of 2010 and visited Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia again. Wonderful to see this building evolving every couple of years. It’s such a fascinating creature! If you ever get the chance to visit it, please do. Despite the price of the tickets it is sooo definitely worth it (also because it enables the build to move forward)!
I am working on an exhibition with the theme “Light creates Life” or something in that spirit. This series came to mind as light is so important to a building, and most certainly this one with its high ceilings and beautiful glass-in-lead (stained?) windows. Anyway, see for yourself if you like them for the same reasons I did. Different reasons are also fine though
All the photos are made using a Hasselblad 500CM with 80mm CF 4,0. Film used: Kodak T-Max 100. Developer used: Kodak HC110 Dil. B.
Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 20 sec. Development: about 7 min. 14 sec. Selenium Toned: 1+4, 1 1/2 min.
Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 15 sec. Development: about 5 min. 10 sec . Selenium Toned: 1+4, 1 1/2 min.
Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 25 sec. Development: about 6 min. Selenium Toned: 1+4, 1 1/2 min.
Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 20 sec. Development: about 7 min. Selenium Toned: 1+4, 1 1/2 min.
Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 10 sec. Development: about 11 min. 44 sec. Selenium Toned: 1+4, 1 1/2 min.
While the 2 former posts I had my reservations regarding color, with these I simply love it. It works very well for this as the building itself is also very warm with the materials used and the colors that are created by the colored glass in the windows. This conveys the feeling the building gave me spot-on!
Next step: printing them on 30×40 paper and framing them for the exhibition. Wanted to go bigger but the frames have to stay a bit affordable…so..here’s my concession Anyway, once framed I’ll post the result. I’m looking forward making them, seeing them, everything!
-xxx- Sleep well everyone…I know I will !!!
Graduation Work 2009
As I want to use this work on Collodion I thought it to be wise as to post the real graduation work first. This body of work was made during my specialization grade at the Academy of Fine Arts Hasselt and is, simply said, about the superficiality of today’s society. It’s a series of 8 photos and a small poem written by me.
Dismissed
The manipulated image imposed by the media.
People try to become that image but fail miserably.
The photoshopped image will always be better than yourself, no matter how your surroundings feel about you.
You will never believe you’re pretty when you can’t compete with the beauty that’s being hold out to you.
Self Portrait
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 1/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Rolleiflex T
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- Film & Developer: Kodak Tri-X 320 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toner
Expired
Expired, old, in other words, you no longer exist.
From about 30 years old, depending on how soon your exterior characteristics bail out on you, you’re done.
In the fashion industry and Hollywood sceneries you’re no longer interesting.
Unless you decide to modify your external age in a way you fit within the image again.
I have chosen for a not too old looking person, who is in a fragile, delicate and introvert position.
Even bigger the contrast is becoming between text and person and hopefully will be a little shocking as to make people think a little further.
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 3/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Hasselblad 501CM with 120 Macro
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- Film & Developer: Kodak T-Max 100 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toned
Work in Progress
The most wide spread media-spitting machine.
It’s here you learn what to look like.
Pimp this, pimp that. And if by then you still don’t know what it should be like…
From an early age on you get these images pumped into your head.
Fast and merciless snatches of images are being fired at you.
Naive to think it as no influence on you.
Disturbing to realize the images contain so little real content.
Scary to see people so massively numb sucking up this footage.
The matrix sounds more plausible every day.
We are being so manipulated by this seemingly harmless looking box while it contains so much pressure.
Whether or not aware we are being exposed to this propaganda of which no one will manage to escape.
We are a work in progress.
Self Portrait
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 2/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Rolleiflex T & Black Light
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- Film & Developer: Kodak Tri-X 320 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toned
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- Filter: Green to get to see the UV light properly on film
Classified
People like to form groups, place people in different groups, probably to hide their own insecurity, wear the same clothes, share the same opinion etc.
Each box has their own “dresscode” so to speak and each of them looks patronizing at the other. People who fall outside their rules of normalities are being laughed at, and worse.
We claim to be so unique yet we are all so the same….
Self Portrait
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 4/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Rolleiflex T
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- Film & Developer: Kodak T-Max 100 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toned
Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a business management strategy, invented by Motorola, and is being applied worldwide.
Ssix Sigma is meant to track down defects and errors on the basis of 6 criteria and eliminate them.
My Six Sigma is meant as a parody on the cosmetics industry.
In this industry the problem is being created en thereafter they create the solutions in shapes like make-up, plastic surgery and diet pills.
Lucrative business this cosmetics industry. The mirage they hold out everybody wants. No problem, a few bucks and your dream is within reach.
Self Portrait
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 5/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Rolleiflex T
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- Film & Developer: Kodak T-Max 100 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toned
Under Construction
Breasts too small? A shot of botox works wonders.
Also for your lips they are an indispensable boost.
Ugly nose? We break and mould it to your desires.
Husband not satisfied with your derrière? After today merely jealous!
Messy vagina? Even when you’re 15? Sure!
It’s all fixable.
Harsh? No, mere reality.
Self Portrait
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 6/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Rolleiflex T
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- Film & Developer: Kodak T-Max 100 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toned
According to Specifications
The need to live up to certain exterior looks is of great importance these days.
A doll head with large eyes, therefore, was my goal, especially to emphasize the numbness en to create an unsettling feeling.
The content looks attractive, but as soon as you look at it, it would get to you, as if you would feel guilty about the feeling it provokes.
You would be sorry for them to be made victims. You would be sorry for them because you made them victims
by looking at them in a certain way.
Self Portrait
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 7/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Hasselblad 501CM with 120 Macro
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- Film & Developer: Kodak Tri-X 320 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toned
Overruled
The finale image
“The pressure to live up to society prevailed”
An overdose of reality madness
I can try as hard as I can, it will never be enough.
In the end I have to let it go. Give it up. Quit.
I can’t take it anymore.
Self Portrait
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 8/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Rolleiflex T
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- Film & Developer: Kodak T-Max 100 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toned
The guiding poem I wrote
Epilogue
This is a subject very close to me. I don’t believe in mankind as a whole. Our superficiality and our need, our twisted desire to improve whatever we can to our so called benefits, our need to adjust the surroundings to us instead of adapting to our environment, which will ultimately make us a weaker species as we have become so depending on technology, these needs will be the end of us. Probably a virus of some kind will wipe most of us of the earth. That is what I believe. And that has nothing to do with God nor pessimism but sheer realism; people should take their own responsibility and it’s just the sum of events that will herald the end. I actually find the thought very soothing.
That doesn’t mean I’m a depressed person although these observations and feelings got me down more than once. Of course these thoughts surpass the superficialness as portrayed through the images above; it goes much further than that.
But I do have to say I love my life, I like making people happy around me to make life enjoyable and, so to speak, worth wile. But I strongly believe that we, as a whole, are a lost cause.
