A photo of a photo of a photo

Project printed and matted. Now I just need to put together 12 frames.

Workin' Hard

"Nash, 2011"

Lots of new work being produced here in Bozeman. This is one of my early images for my thesis project, and though things are evolving rapidly in the project, I thought I'd post something.

Summer Disposables

Since I have no interest in owning a digital camera, I have been carrying around disposables to summer events and nights out on the town. There really is nothing like sitting down and showing little prints to friends after an event, rather than uploading hundreds of photos onto facebook directly from your digital camera. These were scanned from the negs directly, no dusting, no color correcting, just some good ol' plastic camera fun.

Mystic Lake contact sheets

Made it to the lake on Friday with the intentions of staying the night and photographing. After photographing for what felt like hours, I looked at my watch and it was only 5:30. I had already taken 3 rolls of film and was feeling good about the images I took, so I decided to walk out before it got dark. Long day with a very heavy back pack, but it was a good trip.

"ALL OF THE LIGHTS!!" -Kanye West

Congrats to my cousin Elicia and her husband Luis Ruiz! Beautiful wedding, great food, and a tequila fountain made for an unforgettable night. It was fun to see my friends Elizabeth Wilmerding and Heather McKenney photographing the event, I am sure the images look great!

NEW SCANNER!!

"Park Avenue, 2011"

Brand new scanner came today!! This is the first scan off of this machine and it works like a dream.

Rainy Week

I was able to make it to Mystic lake earlier this week and snapped a few images. I am making a 2 night trip next weekend rain or shine, I just hope the weather isn't quite like this.

Mystic Lake Recon Mission

On Saturday, my friend Mark Lee and I went on a reconnaissance mission up to Mystic Lake in the rain armed with a couple holgas. This was mainly an attempt to see what was happening up there in preparation for my grant this summer. It turns out, as shown in the last image, the trail was washed out by the stream about a mile from the lake. We found this out after trekking 4 miles up the trail, 2 of which was snow pack, in our Chacos. Give it 2 weeks, hopefully most of the snow will be gone by then and I will be able to get to start on my grant work. Till then, I think I can survive a couple more Chaco snow adventures!

Friday Night Special

"Mark Spencer's Pull Out, Portland. 2011"

Because friday nights were made to stay in and go to bed early, I thought this would be appropriate. My side of the bed in the Mark Spencer Hotel in Portland, Oregon for Photolucida. Now off for a night of "staying in," and "going to bed early."

Semester Recap

This post is just a recap on my Spring 2011 semester. All I have to say is, "what a semester!" Portraiture, Alternative process, recent photo history, and TAing for Alexis Pike's color class as well as working 32 hours a week on the night shift almost killed me. But this semester was one of incredible growth and clarity in my blossoming photographic career. It started with a trip to Atlanta for the SPE national conference. This was the first time I was able to really listen to contemporary art photographers talk at length about their work. To hear their influences and thoughts behind their imagery really made me think critically about my own work. Then there was Personal Vision, the juried University photo show put on by MSU. A lot of good work was shown by a lot of great photographers and friends. I was fortunate enough to be chosen for the grand prize with my image "7th and Dickerson", a diptych I made for my portraiture final. My parents were there for the opening, and my friends and I celebrated responsibly afterwards. The most memorable experience by far though has to be the trip to Portland for Photolucida. Collin Avery, Megan Dunbar, Libbie Anderson and myself were chosen by a portfolio submission to volunteer, and the school would pay for everything but food. I can't explain how amazing it was to be surrounded by some of the biggest names in contemporary art photography. Everyone was super nice, friendly, and easy to talk to. It was great to meet people I have only been able to talk to over e-mails, and to make new connections with people who are intelligent, thoughtful image makers. After Photolucida it was an all out assault on final projects that included 2 all nighters and on average less than 4 hours of sleep a night till last week. But everything got finished, and now it is summer.

THE FUTURE!! I applied for, and received, a USP grant from MSU to photograph up by Mystic Lake and document the area that would be flooded by the proposed dam if it were to be built. I will be spending a couple weekends a month camping up there and photographing as much as possible with my Pentax 6x7. (the big camera in the image above) As this body of work grows, I am hoping to promote it to various galleries around town and to environmental groups. I am also planning on donating it to the Bozeman Survey Project in the fall. Other than that, I will just be carrying my Minox (tiny camera in the picture) everywhere I go, and enjoying what might be my last summer in Bozeman for a while.

The Ribbon

As shot for my Portraiture final

2 dudes having a good time

"Two Chefs, 2011"

Portland, OR.

Alternative Process Work

A snippet from my current alternative process project. Honestly, who doesn't love color theory.

Tri-Layer Gum Bichromate Print

Photographing Photographers

Outside of Portland Oregon.

New Teaser

Still making things in the Photoshop. The next week and a half will be crazy with 2 final projects, and a final test. I will try and keep this blog up to date while it is all happening.

Leaf and Bean

Some of my work is up in the Leaf and Bean in Downtown Bozeman! It will be up till the end of April, stop by and check it out if you get a chance!

ATLANTA on Forced Development

"Unknown Man, 2011"

See this image as well as others by me and other MSU students on Forced Development!

Megan

Megan Dunbar at the Atlanta Airport on the way back from SPE.

Pentax 6x7, 105mm 2.4, Kodak 160 nc

Gum Printing

My first gum print. This process is what I will be doing my final with. Starting on that project next week. More to come

ATLANTA on Forced Development

Next week is the opening of "Atlanta" on Forced Development. Atlanta is an online collection of images by Mark Lee, Megan E. Dunbar, Stephanie Obernesser, Gwendolyn Courtney, and John Schlepp taken during SPE weekend. Opening is Monday, April 4th. See you there!

Atlanta

"Vent, 2011"

"Plaid Pants, 2011"

Hotel Room

"11th Floor, 2011"

I have begun editing images from SPE in Atlanta Georgia. This was taken in the hotel room after 6 of us crammed in for the night.

Teaser 2

Spending the next 2 nights in the shop, got to get shiz done for a crit on Thursday. Newest image being worked on as we speak

Personal Vision

Come see my image in the 19th Annual Personal Vision Jurried Show this Thursday at 5 pm. It will be great, I promise.

Saturday Morning

I have been frantically working to get a portfolio ready for my trip to Atlanta for SPE on Wednesday. In hopes of strengthening my portfolio I have been photographing like crazy. Here are 2 images I am printing today in the hopes of making my portfolio better.

The Obligatory Coffee Mug

"Coffee Mug, 2011"

Every good photo blog needs one, here is mine. Shot as a test of my 105mm f2.4 on my Pentax 6x7 wide open. Kodak Portra 160NC

Boxes and a Curtain

"Boxes, 2011"

Still in the PhotoShop

The first of my portraiture final images in the shop. Basic idea behind my project is breaking down the portrait into color, then making constructs based off those colors.

Five Horses

"Five Horses, 2010"

Tree Recycling

"Tree Recycling Belgrade, MT 2011"

Imacon vs MSU's v700

Imacon (left) @66.6%, v700 (right) @50% zoom.

This is my test on the Imacon vs MSU's v700. The image on the left was scanned with the Imacon and the one on the right the other scanner. The files are a different size (the right one is a little bigger) but as you can see, the Imacon clearly scans sharper than the v700. To be fair, the scanning tray for the v700 is broken so the film doesn't lay perfectly flat.

New Project!

New work is being produced! This is a screen shot of the beginning of my portraiture final. Keep an eye out for new images, there are a lot of them on the way!

105mm f2.4

New lens for my Pentax! These are just 2 random barely edited shots I took with it wide open. I think it should be a lot of fun

Back in the saddle!

Alright guys, the semester has begun and the initial "Oh my god I am so overwhelmed" has more or less past. (Except for Steve's paper and a final proposal for portraiture due this week) I am happily making images again.

New Gear as of yesterday:

105 mm f2.4 lens for my Pentax 6x7

10 rolls of Kodak 160NC 120 film

That's about all i need i guess. I just finished a roll testing out the new lens and I should be able to develop it tomorrow depending on how much snow Bridger Bowl gets. Either way I will be scanning negs this week and I hope to have a new image up by Friday. Keep an eye out this semester for images from my portraiture class, and i will try and be better about scanning in my alternative process work.

John

Photo by Callin Switzer

Forced Development

This break has been full of photography, but very little of it has been mine. I have started a new blog called Forced Development. It is an online photo gallery of student work. So far Jace Becker, Megan Dunbar, and Ryan Kirk have been showcased. My good friend Collin Avery's "Vend" series starts tomorrow. Check it out and tell your friends!

Well dang this break has been great!

But i am ready to start taking pictures again.

Scott Davidson, 2010