Discusson Group Notes August 14, 2009
This night we had six unstoppable f-stoppers with questions, stories, and photos to share.
Deborah started it off by showing some prints of her tabletop work with uranium glass as the subject. Uranium glass, often referred to as Depression Glass or sometimes Vaseline Glass, uses a form of uranium to enhance its looks. It's usually green but may be yellow and seems to have an inner glow. If fact, under black light, it does glow which is probably where the movies got the idea of showing uranium as a glowing green blob. Anyway, I have three pieces but have only found the bowl so far. Deborah placed it in a light tent, on a piece of glass, on black construction paper with a hole in it to let the black light come up from underneath. She also experimented with black light from sources above as well as other types of lights to get some interesting images.
photo by Deborah Adkins
This led Phil, Donna, and I into a discussion of the history of uranium glass and some of the problems that occur with having it around.
Deborah and Art discussed her tabletop photos including one with a wine glass, an oversized crystal (made of glass), and a ring.
photo by Deborah Adkins
Phil and Donna are planning a trip to Seattle and asked for recommendations for a route that would give them some good photo opportunities. I think it was Art who recommended the central California coast. I recommended the Northern Oregon coast with special emphasis on the Astoria area because of its fishing fleet, lighthouse, and other picturesque sights. Bonnie went there a while back and got some great photos. I also recommended the Multnomah falls area West of Portland which includes several beautiful water falls. And then, the Washington coast is always beautiful.
I brought up the subject of some unusual frames used by someone at the fair to mount their photos. The frames were about 1" thick artist's wood frames. The photographer had printed the images on canvas then wrapped them on the wood frame like a painter's canvas. Phil and I discussed the merits of using insulating foam sheets (4' x 8', varying thicknesses) from a hardware store versus the usual foamboard. This stuff is cheaper, stiffer and can be used in a variety of ways that foamboard can't. They will probably hang better in the house also. As soon as I get a chance to mount a photo on one I'll bring it in one Friday evening.
We talked again about the Ovation channel on cable/satellite. Ovation is dedicated to art in general, with photography being only one part. However, I was watching a show on the use of minimal light in some movies of the 40's and 50's and how some of the cinematographers were able to create mood, aprehension, and excitement with a mostly black screen. In one scene, a man was sneaking up on someone in a dark alley and only part of the wall and his face showed. I've seen this technique used in photography to great effect.
We spent some time talking about the evolution of photography and darkrooms. I relayed the story Dave had told me of his days in the darkroom where the photographers would make several layers of negatives, dodging and burning each, and even cutting out parts, until they got the results they wanted. So, when he started using photoshop, the idea of layers was already familiar to him.
I showed some of my photos from Lake Isabella and Devil's Punchbowl, though it was getting late and we didn't have time to discuss any of them at length. These included Kite sailers, Lake Isabella, Julia with an Owl, scenic backdrops, and more. Here is a sample of those photos.
photos by Glenn Olson
If you can, please join us each Friday evening at Denny's at the corner of Ave K and 20th West. We begin about 6:30 PM and usually go to at least 8:30 PM. You can drop by at anytime and stay for as long as you like (you don't even have to buy anything). Denny's has graciously provided us a section to ourselves and the service is great.
All photography related subjects are fair game and there's never a planned agenda. You can bring in your questions, your stories, your equipment, your photos (paper or digital), or even just yourself to sit, listen, and/or talk. Here, there's time enough.
You are welcome to visit the LPA forum and leave your comments......
Glenn Olson
Coordinator and Moderator
glenn@glenn-olson.com
816-8278
