Zenza Bronica – Kodak Portra 400

I paid a visit to the framing gallery this week to drop off some of my ‘Pictures from an exhibition’ series for mounting. They are going into the forthcoming Freudian Sheep exhibition ‘Small World’. Whilst I was at it, I decided to get this image taken at Felixstowe in early winter 2013 as an end of day shoot for Edgelands, framed. I have blogged about this image before as it suffered from some C41 processing issues as this was shot on 220 film and the tightness of the spirals had some effect on the lag that developer had on draining from the emulsion. I have to admit some degree of CS6 Photoshop to remove the yellow cast and as it was a post sunset, a twilight image, I thought I could get away with the resultant effect. A significant cost but nothing like my £300 plus per frame costs that this gallery made for my Free Range large format work. I’m looking for this one becoming a popular seller.

One of the age old issues for photographers is that images can lay for years as the original negative or as some bundles of bits on some magnetic or optical media never to be seen unless the original photographer roots around looking for something and discovers hidden treasure or as in the case of Vivian Maier, a treasure trove of film , negatives and prints are discovered whilst the vultures of the human world scavenge upon the remains whilst seeking a quick buck or two to repay their investment in buying up a lot at auction.

Buying up lots at auction was something new to me this time last year as mother-in-law’s household effects were put that ignominious process of an auction house to help fund her incarceration in a dementia care home. I described those vultures as anacondas then and still do. I can still see their little piggy eyes gleaming with delight as the trove was unpacked and assessed by the auctioneer. I often wonder at what sort of feeding frenzy there will be here when my time comes. We have no one to leave stuff to and I will plan to make sure as much as is left after our welfare is catered for finds its way to a suitable recipient rather than some faceless vultures or piggy-eyed anaconda types feast on my photographic history. That goes for HMG also.

I’d like to think a few eyebrows might be raised and a few diamonds discovered. Who knows? I am no Vivian.

Landguard terminal at dusk 20131202
Landguard terminal at dusk 20131202 Kodak Portra 400

 

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