The miracle of Delicate Arch has remained with me to this day, as well as the hike to it. Never thought that hiking with my camera equipment was a big deal, until I was resting now and then on my way up. In the end this print makes it all worth it.
PS This negative was exposed in 2016 with a Hasselblad 501CM/100mm combination and printed in the darkroom to 11x14.
This young girl lives is a most difficult environment, and holds true to her traditional culture. Even though you'll see very few other Ethiopians in her area, vans of tourists stop now and then. Each time a group of tourists step out and walk into the village. Once they do the community walks over to them in order to try and earn a living with their goods, mainly the lip and ear plates as well as woven baskets. They also earn a living by being photographed, as each tourist pays a certain amount for a photograph.
The grandeur of Monument Valley sticks with me to this day. In 2016 I was blessed to have visited this space thanks to a work assignment in Salt Lake City. On the weekends it was time to visit the national parks, with Monument Valley being high on my list. I just couldn't believe that I was that close to a most iconic space. Having this image on film and printing it in the darkroom was a treat.
PS This negative was exposed in 2016 with a Hasselblad 501CM/100mm combination and printed in the darkroom to 11x14.
During my quarantine in Rajasthan for the early part of 2020, the birds were my companions while walking in the fields. My host family welcomed me without question and gave me a room in which to stay for six weeks until my return home. So I would set up the camera on the tripod in the middle of the field and walk around and around. Once the moon was just right and birds started to fly, I would cross over to the center of the field to release the shutter. So this image has immense meaning for me, and I am thankful to have had such friends both on the ground and in the sky.
I remember this image like it was yesterday. We had driven out to the eastern part of the island and were concentrating on a family living in the city for the photography. We also were able to drive to the countryside and meet some wonderful people. This young boy actually lived in the city but liked to visit his grandparents in the countryside. Alejandro was able to pull up within 100 meters or so of the house, but was limited due to the muddy path.
So I decided to get out and walk the rest of the way to speak with the family. They were very kind and welcomed me onto their property. Their home was a traditional one, constructed of wood. Their grandson showed interest in the camera and so we decided to play around, as he grabbed this tool and headed into the rice field. It was a great experience and one for which I am forever grateful. This is what the island means to me, incredible people and honest interactions.
It’s time to get back to the portraits, just had a lot of fun with the landscapes. While working my first corporate gig a few years ago, I had the opportunity to travel the States and bring my camera along. This landscape is from Zion National Park in magnificent Utah.
PS This negative was exposed in 2016 with a Hasselblad 501CM/100mm combination and printed in the darkroom to 11x14.
Note: this frame was made with a Hasselblad V System and a 100mm C lens.
Thanks to Yudel Contreras and Gysleda with ModaEgos for helping me a better photographer, and for enabling this series. The dresses of Yudel are just magnificent, and Gysleda's vision is incomparable. More than 14 years have passed since we first met at ModaEgos and the relationship continues building to this day. My hope is that 2023 sees us collaborating once again in the streets of that incredible city, La Habana.
Thank you Patricia for that great morning with you in the streets of your beautiful city!
PS Negative exposed with a Hasselblad 503CW/180mm combination.
PS This negative was exposed in 2019 with a Hasselblad 501CM/100mm combination onto Ilford Delta 100 film. It was printed in the darkroom onto Ilford's MGIVWTFB 11x14, toned in selenium for permanence.
PS This negative was exposed in 2016 with a Hasselblad 501CM/100mm combination and printed in the darkroom to 11x14 just.
PS This negative was exposed in 2019 with a Hasselblad 501CM/60mm combination and printed in the darkroom to 11x14 just yesterday.
This is a silver gelatin print of a young student made by me, the photographer, in my darkroom. It is printed on Ilford MGIVWT glossy fiber 11x14 paper, and toned in selenium for permanence. It is processed in a Zone VI washer to archival standards, and allowed to dry overnight on a screen. The camera/lens combination was a Hasselblad 501CM/100mm, and the frame was exposed onto Kodak's fabulous Tri-X film. This portrait is from a library of well over 300,000 negatives exposed over the last 24 years, from four continents and a dozen countries. Every person is spoken with prior to the portrait, and the process is explained fully. Most of my work is on film, and the countries are revisited year after year in order to continue the documentation of the same families, of the same communities.
This young girl attends a religious school six days a week, and endures a most conservative society day to day. We have worked with her school for the past eight years and hope to support her headmaster with his vision to bring a more rounded curriculum to his school. Their headmaster is a wonderful man and hopes to expand the curriculum past the existing one based on religion only. Her village is quite a ways from the main road, tiny and incredibly serene. This is the only world she knows.
The purpose of selling these portraits on Etsy is to support the social work being accomplished through my photography. Presently we have six sewing centers in two states of India, serving both the Hindu and the Muslim communities. In these sewing centers, young women learn a trade while also making clothing for their families. The centers are located in the rural areas, where young women have only one option normally, marriage and a family. At this moment, due to COVID-19, the work is on hold. However, we plan to restart the centers in 2022 and the funds from the sale of these portraits will be applied to the work in India.
As a side note, my belief is that you will be very pleased with the print in person, as the tones of a silver gelatin print are difficult to represent through the screen. One may sense the surface of the print by looking at the gloss in certain areas of the print's surface. In the end, the print you will receive will be slightly different than the one represented on the screen, both in tone and in emotional impact... different in the best sense of the word. Every print is an original, and my hope is that it finds a good space in your home.
Each print will be signed and dated by me, the photographer, and numbered to a maximum of 50 prints (11x14) per negative.
Thank you @modaegos and team!
This is a silver gelatin print of a man from the Mursi Community. It is made by me, the photographer, in my darkroom. It is printed on Ilford MGIVWT glossy fiber 11x14 paper, and toned in selenium for permanence. It is processed in a Zone VI washer to archival standards, and allowed to dry overnight on a screen. This young man lives is a most difficult environment, and holds true to his traditional culture. Even though you'll see very few other Ethiopians in her area, vans of tourists stop now and then. Each time the tourists step out and walk into the village. Once they do the community walks over to them in order to try and earn a living with their goods, mainly the lip and ear plates as well as woven baskets. They also earn a living by being photographed, as each tourist pays a certain amount for a photograph.
Monument Valley inspired me to continue with landscape as a subject, in addition to my portraiture. The place is otherworldly, and I am so grateful for having had a little bit of my life in that space.
The purpose of selling these prints on Etsy is to support the social work being accomplished through my photography. Presently we have six sewing centers in two states of India, serving both the Hindu and the Muslim communities. In these sewing centers, young women learn a trade while also making clothing for their families. The centers are located in the rural areas, where young women have only one option normally, marriage and a family. At this moment, due to COVID-19, the work is on hold. However, we plan to restart the centers in 2022 and the funds from the sale of these portraits will be applied to the work in India.
This is a silver gelatin print made by me, the photographer, in my own darkroom. It is printed on Ilford MGIVWT glossy fiber 11x14 paper, and toned in selenium for permanence. It is processed in a Zone VI washer to archival standards, and allowed to dry overnight on a screen. The camera/lens combination was a Hasselblad 501CM/100mm, and the frame was exposed onto Ilford Delta 100 using natural light.
Each print will be signed and dated by me, the photographer, and numbered to a maximum of 50 prints (11x14) per negative.
Here we are privileged to witness @cafemullerart on the rooftop of a university building, a spontaneous session with her and her friends!
