Analogue Film: A True Love

'Ello

I'm excited to say that I'm taking a six week darkroom film class. It's something that is foreign to me but has always appealed to me. This feeling is similar to one I had back in August of 2010 when I moved to Charlotte, NC to focus on a degree that I knew little to nothing about. I've loved my time at school learning all the ins and outs of digital photography and listening to stories all about the different kinds of photographic processes. So here I am, 23 going on 24, embarking on a new adventure, to learn and develop a new skill.

Using film over digital is quite different. It's hard because you become accustomed to seeing your images instantly and now you have to think about it even more when you use film; and it can be frustrating. Though, that doesn't change the fact that I fell in love with it. All of it. The blindness you feel when you're loading the film into reels, the smell of the chemicals and the patience it takes to create negatives. I am so in love with this that I called my parents four times before I got an answer because I was bursting with excitement and needed to tell someone.

This week we only processed our negatives, next week we're actually developing the images. Below are some cellphone images taken from the place I photographed as well as from my class tonight.

images by Tiffany Dyer

images by Tiffany Dyer

A Metamorphosis

It's always good to visit a body of work and see what you can do to make it better, or expand it. I feel it's what can make or break a series. This particular work has taken almost a year to get where I'm at now. I don't think it's finished but it's getting closer to where I want it to be. Now if only I could settle on a title for the series I'd be satisfied.

For now here are the stages of "Untitled #1"

all images by Tiffany Dyer

Final Stretch.

I'm getting ready to graduate in March! Congrats to me but now I have to get serious (not that I wasn't before). But things are getting real. There are problems lurking in the shadows, obstacles around every corner and the sneaking fear of not being able to get everything that I need to done hovering over head waiting to storm down on me.

I need three big things for my final presentation.

1. business plan
2. portfolio
3. take - a - ways

BUSINESS PLAN
I'm rewriting mine...again. However, now I feel more confident about it. Silver lining! But I have a lot ahead of me in the next eight weeks. Better start working!

PORTFOLIO
I need to focus on two to three bodies I am proud of (which I do have). I then need to make the decision on if I should include a commercial portfolio with my fine art as well. If so, would that be two fine art and one commercial? There isn't a limit on how much I can present but I don't want to have so much that it can get a little confusing.

TAKE - A - WAYS
These are what we give away at our final presentation and then portfolio day (that's a day to show everyone, big wigs, parents, fellow students, what we've been working on our entire schooling). But what should mine be? I know I will have a business card and possibly another forum of contact in there as well. But what else? A matted print, stickers, a journal, what? I'm not sold on any of those ideas. I want to be creative and professional but not boring.

Now that I have presented that to you, internet world, I will leave you with an image. There is a body of work that has taken several months to get where I'm at today. When asked about how I would present these I had a hard time explaining how that would be. I had only printed them large because it was the requirement of the class but I wasn't impressed with it. After talking to some of my mentors, whom I cherish, a suggestion of adding a thick white boarder and softening the edges was given. I've been playing with that idea and have come up with this...for today. I like it and I wouldn't mind playing with this more and making it exactly where I want it.

image by Tiffany Dyer