Proper stuff

I have been known to been on the end of some doubt from time to time. Doubt in the main at the direction of my images. Not surprising since I am rather prone to veer off from the norm and produce disasters masquerading as 'art' - whatever that is. Take this image; please . [tis the first image of this collaboration] . I lost it really. My mind was elsewhere when I put that together using an old Soviet 13x18 plate camera, x-ray film and cyanotype print, toned and then sloshed with watercolour paint. What was I thinking of? I can't imagine but I blame it on tension at work.

In the meantime I went along to an interesting information packed Islands Book Trust lecture about Greenland by photo-lecturer Iain Roy. Afterwards I had a quick chatette with the man but, he was all full of words, the lecture and was rather preoccupied with signing books and getting out of the theatre before they turned the lights off. I mentioned another tographer who had taken some rather special snaps of Greenland but I didn't think it had been the right time to bring it up as it happens. I mean, Mr Roy still smiled at me, talked to me like I was intelligent but I could see in the back of his eyes that, it was not the right time. So I left.

However, in a flash of inspiration that comes to me from time to time, I emailed Mr Roy about Ragnar Axelsson and his work and to my pleasant surprise I received a lovely long and most interestinating reply detailing Mr Roy's delight in such imagary and a great deal besides. It's very pleasing that Mr Axelsson still uses film for his work - which I might add I love - and Mr Roy's used to use film too - 35mm, Medium Format and LF. Having said that Mr Roy has now gone over to the dark side and I am rather afraid I'm not so keen on the rather saturated colour and sharpened pictures that seem to be the result. I do like the man though and his B&W work.

Anyway, here's a proper snap from me; taken at Gress - just up the road - with the Kowa 6x6 and printed by own fair hand on Foma Varient. Which reminds me; I have a film fixing [hopefully] in hypo after development in Coffee/Soda crystals/Acetic acid mix.

And before I forget, one of the villagers reminded me of the TV programme 'Off Kilter' about the Isle of Lewis [Isle of Rust] is on Iplayer on the pooter at the moment. Brilliant stuff and well worth a look.