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June: Abstraction

©Crystaline Randazzo Photography. All Rights Reserves

As I prepare to leave Rwanda, I am reminded how alike abstraction is to my memory. In a few months, I won’t remember exactly how the curve of the ivy grew over the painted white brick in my yard. Or the details in the leaves of the succulent that lives in the pot on my porch. I will vaguely recall the lush, green landscape that I once looked at daily. And yet the beauty will remain with or without the crisp detail.

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The Camera-less Photography 

I was really looking forward to this challenge. I really was. But then other things got in the way (its good to be busy -right?!?!?!) and here I am - very late again.

When thinking how to tackle this challenge and create an image with light but  without using camera I thought of an experiment I tried with few class mates while studying a couple of years ago. While working in b/w darkroom we began exposing photographic paper with an iPad displaying an image converted to a negative. It was great fun and the results were surprisingly good. I was wondering how could I replicate this process at home without actual darkroom. Of course at this point I realised that as much as it is alternative process it still involves actual camera, even if it is a phone or a tablet camera. But it led me to buying a photosensitive paper (which can be used for so called “sunography”) and try it anyway. My experiment failed.

Without any alternative idea and well behind the schedule I used couple of sheets as they supposed to be used - by placing objects on them and exposing to the bright sunlight for few minutes. As I don’t really like the shade and intensity of blue colour of this paper I scanned the images and post processed them by converting to b/w and increasing the contrast.

Now off to take some photos for this month challenge! Wish me luck :) 

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May: Camera-less Photography

Inspired by Crystal’s beautiful composition earlier in the month, I sat down this morning at the scanner to complete the May challenge. (Better late than never, right?) 

At first nothing was working the way I wanted it to – even though, truthfully, I had no idea what I wanted. I knew I had a limited amount of time to devote to this challenge, I was already a month late in completing it and was focused on all the other things I had to do. I was not in a creative space and it showed in boring scan after boring scan. 

I was grasping at anything I could find, I even scanned my dog. Yeah, I know…let’s just say, she was NOT amused. 

Then I remembered: I photograph water. Why not scan it? 

I added my favorite flower and finally I had something I liked. I started off so focused on the “I need to get this done” and not on the creative opportunity it was giving me. Once I finally focused on the goals of this project, my mind clicked into creative mode and I had fun. 

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©Magda Rakita. All rights reserved.

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March: A Photo I Love

In March, we were challenged to choose a photograph we made during the month that we love and discuss why we love it. 

One of the hardest parts of pet ownership is caring for them as they start to fade away. Sadly, sometimes when pets get old they are abandoned at shelters, left to die in loud, confusing places. Kacey, the senior beagle, was saved from a shelter in southwest Virginia in January by a Washington DC based dog rescue organization. Sadly, shortly after arriving in DC, Kacey came down is a debilitating cough that turned out to be caused by an advanced form of cancer. Since she can’t be adopted, her foster family has decided to care for her in her final months. Even though Kacey has only been with them a short time, their fondness and love for her grows day by day. 

I chose this photograph because I feel that it represents the bond humans can share with animals. As someone with an aging dog of my own, I share the feeling of love and heartbreak Karen (Kacey’s foster mom) displays in this picture. 

©Hannele Lahti

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