New years resolution.

[rwboyer]

Here are a couple of New Years resolutions that I am considering. I say considering because I am a bit single minded when it comes to these kinds of commitments. I usually stick to them life or death.

1)Shoot ONLY film in 2010. Period - No DSLR - absolutely none.

2)Shoot at least one decent frame a day - no cheating like picking up your camera and firing off a frame without leaving the same room.

3)Make one really good print per week - no exceptions.

4)Finish at least one big project. Finished means all of the negatives shot, processed and the final prints done. Finished means that there is at least one planned and executed exposure of those prints to the intended audience.

5)Use every single piece of analog gear that I own to make at least one good print. No buying anything in terms of equipment until that is either done or the unused gear is gone.

6)Shoot every single sheet or roll of film in my possession prior to buying any more. Of course I can order some if I am actually going to run out but no skipping the stuff that I don't feel like shooting.

7)Make some sort of scanning commitment and stick to it - this one is tough - maybe one LF sheet or one roll of film every single solitary time I sit down to do anything at the computer.

8)Take at least one good image of a member of my family and extended family every month. AND make a good print for me and for them.

9)Try to make at least one good exposure and one good print of a subject or situation that I "know" is not going to work every month - make it work.

10)No more "maybe" prints laying around - make a commitment on a print one way or another. Either print a final print and be done with it or trash the "tests" and "proofs" that are piling up everywhere. I am not saying to rush anything - live with a couple of tests or proofs - decide what to do and print. No more of the half way half assed copouts so that you can be on the fence when showing someone your "maybe" proofs. This is the biggest laziest copout strategy that I have - prints that are only work prints and not "finished"

Are any of these worthwhile, dangerous, sound familiar?

RB

 

[moouers]

RB, those sound great. I don't see the problem in using a digital camera in addition to film, though. It's all personal preference, of course, and we all vary greatly. Personally I'm just happy to have the option of shooting both.

As for my own resolution... mine would be to start and at least get through 1/3 of a great B&W project I have in mind. Being the perfectionist I am, it will take a couple years to complete.

 

[lorirfrommontana]

Wow! Sounds ambitious! I think that my Resolution this year will be to take a night ed photography class. And to try and spend more time in the darkroom. Nothing quite so specific.

 

[trexx]

1)Shoot ONLY film in 2010. Period - No DSLR - absolutely none.

Film and digital are tools. I like my first choice too of film but digital has it's place, albeit small for me

2)Shoot at least one decent frame a day - no cheating like picking up your camera and firing off a frame without leaving the same room.

This is a good goal and good luck, One I have broken over the years

3)Make one really good print per week - no exceptions.

Excellent! I at least make the effort when in town and not out shooting

4)Finish at least one big project. Finished means all of the negatives shot, processed and the final prints done. Finished means that there is at least one planned and executed exposure of those prints to the intended audience.

Again a worthy goal hat should not be let to slip.

5)Use every single piece of analog gear that I own to make at least one good print. No buying anything in terms of equipment until that is either done or the unused gear is gone.

My wife will like this one too. and it is good to keep a hand on the equipment you own. I'll add if I don't use it I put it up for sale to some up and comer

6)Shoot every single sheet or roll of film in my possession prior to buying any more. Of course I can order some if I am actually going to run out but no skipping the stuff that I don't feel like shooting.

I have too much tech-pan t use up, but yeah get rid of what you won't use or by again

7)Make some sort of scanning commitment and stick to it - this one is tough - maybe one LF sheet or one roll of film every single solitary time I sit down to do anything at the computer.

I avoid scanning , as I spend 10 hours at work in frount of a computer

8)Take at least one good image of a member of my family and extended family every month. AND make a good print for me and for them.

An other fine goal, hope we both make this one!

9)Try to make at least one good exposure and one good print of a subject or situation that I "know" is not going to work every month - make it work.

not sure I follow

10)No more "maybe" prints laying around - make a commitment on a print one way or another. Either print a final print and be done with it or trash the "tests" and "proofs" that are piling up everywhere. I am not saying to rush anything - live with a couple of tests or proofs - decide what to do and print. No more of the half way half assed copouts so that you can be on the fence when showing someone your "maybe" proofs. This is the biggest laziest copout strategy that I have - prints that are only work prints and not "finished"

I have three type of prints
work: To show how to reprint, burn & dodge information time deve etc.
fine: A finished product worthy of sale or gift
trash: the type says it all , as in; in the trash

 

[Existing Light]

RB, I know how you feel witn #10. I like to keep "testing" and "trying out" things with a print. I tend to do it because my print never looks "good enough." I'm all for finding the best way to print a neg, but I end up trying so many things that I get tired of the negative and move on to another one and do the same damn thing with it! I'm like "That looks good, but what if I adjust the exposure a little and burn in this or dodge that? That looks better, but what if I sepia tone it? Sepia toned looks good, but what about selenium toned?" It never looks good enough when I'm printing, but a few days alter, I'm amazed that I have 5 prints of the same negative that I think all look really good. Then I have to decide which one is the best so that I can matte and frame it.

I know why I do that. It's because I want the print to be printed to my satisfaction the first time I print it in the darkroom. I think I'd be better off making a test print of each negative I like and then study them for a few days. Make notes on the print like "Burn this. Dodge this. Crop this beer can in the corner." maybe scan it in the computer and try doing dodging and burning and toning in the method we dont speak of to give me an idea of what it'll look like if I just absolutely need to.

After reading this, I've decided one resolution is to stop printing 17 different versions of a print. Instead I'll study the print and come back only after I know what I want to do with it.

My second resolution is to start on my pinhole camera project that i've been wanting to do for like a year and a half. I've almost got it finished and I have a box of 5x7 film waiting in my freestyle shopping cart. I'd like to have it finished by this time next year. By finished, I mean final prints made, matted, framed, and have a showing by the end of the year. At the least, have one lined up for January or February of the next year

 

[rphenning]

haha damn that is quite a list. I think just making some good photos and getting into a good school are mine.

 

[rwboyer]

Trexx,

Goal number 9 - a little background. I did commercial projects for so long that my primary mode of operation was to absolutely positively make sure that the project succeeded. Everything - no chances. Plan A through plan H for every aspect of every shot. Model, lighting plan, contrast, film, set, location, everything - If I was not absolutely sure I could make it work and work exactly like I need it to it was out.

For my personal work running things like that is very limiting and it still rears its ugly limiting head for what I will point my camera at. I guess if you shoot just for personal work you may not identify with that at all but... I actually did not pick up a camera for a long time after I semi-retired for many reasons - that being one. Even though I shoot much more with a devil may care attitude and in a very simple style there are a lot of things that I avoid because of this attitude - The reality is not shooting them because "they will not work" is not true it is more like "I cannot absolutely be sure that they will work".

Hope that now makes some sense.

RB

 

[removed-user-1]

I have only two photo-related resolutions for 2010.

1) Process the 50+ rolls of film from 2009 I still have sitting around.

2) Make a concerted effort to do photography and imaging for a living, full time.

 

[Alex Bishop-Thorpe]

New years resolution? 150 lines per mm...

Start, work on solidly, and finish my senior year project. Exhibit, and graduate. Doesn't look hard in writing, but we'll see.

 

[modafoto]

- Shoot way more Holga than I do at the moment
- Use my OM-1 way more
- Shoot more models in 2010 that in 2009

 

[Steve Smith]

Here are a couple of New Years resolutions

So a couple means ten where you come from?!!!


Steve.

 

[markbarendt]

Are any of these worthwhile, dangerous, sound familiar?

RB

Very worthwhile, I may be a copy-cat.

 

[Rick A]

This year my resolution is the same as every year--To commit more acts of random kindness. Its a very easy resolution to carry out, It seems to be the only one I've been able to succede at, and I recommend it highly that everyone try it.
Pax vobiscum

Rick

 

[hoffy]

I am thinking of resolutions I can stick too.

Put on a few more pounds
Only get at most 6 hours sleep a night.
Half start a few projects and not complete any of them


OK, If I were to make some Photography new years resolutions:
Spend more time in the darkroom then the Computer
Stop being a jack of all trades and start heading down one path.

 

[michaelbsc]

I am thinking of resolutions I can stick too.

Put on a few more pounds
Only get at most 6 hours sleep a night.
Half start a few projects and not complete any of them

Now, here is a fellow after my own heart!!

 

[Steve Smith]

Only get at most 6 hours sleep a night.
Half start a few projects and not complete any of them.

You're talking my language with those two!



Steve.

 

[Sim2]

Oooo, resolutions..... tend to lead to disappoinments however;

Having spent most of 2009 upgrading equipment 2010 should be the year of using them!

Shoot with my new (secondhand) Hasselblad - optimizing for the square format;
Create and finish i.e. print, tone, matte and frame one folio quality picture a week for my flowers project (52 pics by Dec 2010)
Shoot some fashion type portraits.

More prosaicaly;
Accept that innovative ideas have no place in the modern workplace - until someone else does it first, then it's the new way forward. :rolleyes:

Sim2.

 

[mts]

print contact sheets of my big stack of negatives from '09...and '08, and '07, and...

 

[Jim Taylor]

Wow! What a plan! Resolution 10 sounds really familiar to me. I've been toying with the idea of doing what you are planning in #'s 2, 3 and 4. Unfortunately, found out a couple of days ago that I might be out of a job by the end of Jan - priorities will have to be reconsidered if this happens, methinks! Good luck with whatever you decide to go with - post lots of pics so we can see how you're getting on!

 

[wogster]

Here are a couple of New Years resolutions that I am considering. I say considering because I am a bit single minded when it comes to these kinds of commitments. I usually stick to them life or death.

1)Shoot ONLY film in 2010. Period - No DSLR - absolutely none.

2)Shoot at least one decent frame a day - no cheating like picking up your camera and firing off a frame without leaving the same room.

3)Make one really good print per week - no exceptions.

4)Finish at least one big project. Finished means all of the negatives shot, processed and the final prints done. Finished means that there is at least one planned and executed exposure of those prints to the intended audience.

5)Use every single piece of analog gear that I own to make at least one good print. No buying anything in terms of equipment until that is either done or the unused gear is gone.

6)Shoot every single sheet or roll of film in my possession prior to buying any more. Of course I can order some if I am actually going to run out but no skipping the stuff that I don't feel like shooting.

7)Make some sort of scanning commitment and stick to it - this one is tough - maybe one LF sheet or one roll of film every single solitary time I sit down to do anything at the computer.

8)Take at least one good image of a member of my family and extended family every month. AND make a good print for me and for them.

9)Try to make at least one good exposure and one good print of a subject or situation that I "know" is not going to work every month - make it work.

10)No more "maybe" prints laying around - make a commitment on a print one way or another. Either print a final print and be done with it or trash the "tests" and "proofs" that are piling up everywhere. I am not saying to rush anything - live with a couple of tests or proofs - decide what to do and print. No more of the half way half assed copouts so that you can be on the fence when showing someone your "maybe" proofs. This is the biggest laziest copout strategy that I have - prints that are only work prints and not "finished"

Are any of these worthwhile, dangerous, sound familiar?

RB

Some of those are quite aggressive, my own resolutions, are to do the following:

1) Actually come near my planned cycling distance this year, last year the plan was 4500km, the total was 1103, so I fell a little short. :rolleyes:

2) Take more pix of all kinds, now that Christmas is done, I need to get the DSLR sensor cleaned, now that I can actually not use it for a while.

3) Finish the film testing project I started last year, to see if T-grain type films would work good enough for my B&W work. I need to get a few rolls, I figure a couple of rolls of Delta 400 and a couple of rolls of TMax 400 should take care of the last of the Christmas cash

4) Change jobs, I currently work nights, I hate working nights, need a day job.

5) Put together a set of gallery prints, matted and framed and get them displayed somewhere.

6) Continue the scanning project, I think I stopped at 1979, this is a winter project, so whatever I can do before the end of March. Interestingly the B&W parts worked very well so far, the colour, well, looking at the negatives from 1978, I know why I prefer traditional silver films. I hope to get into the 1980's this year.

 

[naugastyle]

#2 seems a bit aggressive to me. How can you not "cheat?" There isn't always something worth shooting. Or I guess I should ask, how do you define "decent?" Actually #8 would be aggressive for me as well, since I don't see my family every month. Even if I substitute "friends" for "family" I don't think I can commit to always bringing my camera when we hang out (and there isn't as much drive to document my friends on a monthly basis, I suppose).

I guess my more vague resolutions would be:

1) fewer tests in the darkroom--I'm probably using more paper than I should and am usually not too surprised at the results anymore

2) MORE tests on film developing

3) Put effort into getting a show, which for me involves a lot of fantasizing because I'm not good at marketing myself

4) Start another documentary project, which takes more courage for me than I'd like to admit...sometimes I hate talking to strangers, and doing the initial pitch freaks me out a bit.

Put on a few more pounds
Only get at most 6 hours sleep a night.
Half start a few projects and not complete any of them

But these work for me as well.

 

[rwboyer]

#2 seems a bit aggressive to me. How can you not "cheat?" There isn't always something worth shooting. Or I guess I should ask, how do you define "decent?" Actually #8 would be aggressive for me as well, since I don't see my family every month. Even if I substitute "friends" for "family" I don't think I can commit to always bringing my camera when we hang out (and there isn't as much drive to document my friends on a monthly basis, I suppose).

I guess my more vague resolutions would be:

1) fewer tests in the darkroom--I'm probably using more paper than I should and am usually not too surprised at the results anymore

2) MORE tests on film developing

3) Put effort into getting a show, which for me involves a lot of fantasizing because I'm not good at marketing myself

4) Start another documentary project, which takes more courage for me than I'd like to admit...sometimes I hate talking to strangers, and doing the initial pitch freaks me out a bit.



But these work for me as well.

I am on Day number 4 of 2010 and I trying to do at least one decent image per day. Decent being defined as a well exposed well "thought" image, even if it is an experiment - something that I would be comfortable making a print of and sharing with others that are critical.

That few tests things is a double edged sword - I generally agree but sometimes it can get you into a rut either way. From a materials stand point I agree but I pursue it more as NO MATERIALS TEST until... or ONLY ONE MATERIALS TEST EVERY X MONTHS. (personally I just found a new paper I love but am glad that I am not distracted testing new materials every day)

your #3 - good luck - I know how you feel. I would be perfectly comfortable if someone knocked on my door and asked but when I have to go knocking - not so good.

your #4 - This is no big deal even for the most shy, the only way to get over it is get over it. I used to have a big problem with this. then.... some how in a previous life tripped and ended up shooting for a bunch of fetishwear magazines and catalogs and now there is just about no situation that I shy away from. It is a matter of getting over the initial hump.

RB