For me, the ‘hook’ within photography has always been it’s magic!
I have spent most of my life absorbing it’s secrets from many people.
First there were my parents. They gave me my first 127 roll film camera for Christmas when I was 7. That was also the year they gave me my first computer … a kit to build a binary, three digit 8-bit mechanical computer! Not bad for 1962. That’ll be another blog post, some day.
The technical aspects of processing and printing films in a darkroom were shared with me by my grandfather, John Hansell Caldwell the 2nd. He arranged and account at Bob’s Camera and guided me through my initiation into the darkroom when I was 10 in 1965. I will be sharing many of his photographs with you.
While teaching several photography classes at the local Community College, during the mid 1970’s, my interest in learning more about photography deepened and I decided to pursue a formal education in it.
I married Cookie in 1977. She has always supported my photographic art which has not always been an easy thing to do! She deserves the credit for constantly encouraging and supporting my artistic obsession.
Beginning in 1978, I majored in “Technological Media for the Arts” with a concentration in Photography. Alas, this program was cancelled by the University. I still managed to complete all of the classes and earn a BA degree.
I have since worked in many areas of professional photography from darkroom processing, to baby and child photography, to catalog work, to ebay advertisements, and most recently, pursuing my own ‘fine art’ photographic visions.
Most of my work changed from film to digital in 1997 but, I am currently constructing a darkroom for black and white film and print processing.
I recently purchased a Leicaflex SL 35mm film camera and it is the first non digital camera I’ve bought in more than a decade! I also purchased a 1 degree spot meter and plan to use both to once again, use Ansel Adam’s Zone System’s techniques of photographic contrast control.
The darkroom that I am constructing will include my grandfather’s 1950’s Kodak Precision Enlarger which I’ve modified to use a Zone VI cold light head.
I have always used Macintosh computers for my digital photographic work. Computer consulting has supported my photography habit/hobby for the past 24 years.
My early entry into the world of digital photography arose from a desire to digitize, preserve and share the thousands of negatives and slides that I inherited from my family. This also began my interest in genealogy.
Trained in the old school of film, paper and chemicals while exploring the new medium of digital photography gives me a unique understanding that I will share in this blog.
I will also share my genealogy projects and the techniques I’ve developed to preserve and share my family photographs with the world.
Recently, one of my photo montages of the recent Lunar eclipse was featured on Apple’s main web page and was linked back to a piece that I wrote for Derick Story’s, ‘Photographic, How I Did It’ website. It was this recognition and interest that prompted me to create this blog detailing my photographic explorations.
