Mount Rainier and Mount Tahoma Trail Weekend

 

Colorado in Film

12 sets of negatives sit coiled on my shelf.  

My friend Matthew recently lent me his film scanner to help me digitize my ever-growing film library.   I will be posting examples of my work as I get them scanned and edited.    All shots were made with my Rolleiflex on expired film (circa 1996-2001) donated to me by friends and mentors.   The results are unique and unexpected.

Below are a few photographs taken on a drive from Grand Junction to Telluride, CO in September of 2011.   I was on my way to attend and volunteer with the 2011 Telluride Photo Festival.   The festival was incredible and I was excited to have the opportunity to spend a day capturing a bit of my roadside journey.   Also, it happened to be my 27th birthday.   I highly recommend celebrating your birthday with an adventure visiting strangers in a beautiful location.

 

Beaver Creek Ranch

Branding Cattle at the Reunion

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waiting

Waiting for the ferry after the Doe Bay Festival.   

 

Portraits: Bryan John Appleby and Band

In February I found myself sitting on a bench next to Bryan Appleby outside of the Conor Byrne Pub.   I had a new camera, a 1938 Rolleiflex Automat 6x6, and was looking to start shooting portraits.    I asked, he agreed and four and a half months later I stopped by their house to shoot six rolls of black & white Kodak Tri-X pan film ISO 320, expiration date 1996.


The day was overcast and it was around 6:30 - 7pm.   We shot in natural light using their house and shack as backdrops.    The portraits were shot at f-3.5 and 1/50 hand held.   I over-processed the negatives by two minutes to bring out more tone and grain.   

Group shot original scan.   Bryan and I discussed the overall look of the final prints.   He was looking for something with a bit of contrast and grain.    To work within time constraints I scanned the film and worked with digital files.   I tried to keep the post production in Lightroom true to what I could have achieved in a darkroom using filters, dodging and burning.     I intentionally kept some of the dust on the negatives to reflect the feeling and mood of their vinyl album which includes pops and crackles in the background of their songs.


 The final prints:

Thank you to Bryan John Appleby, Cole Mauro, Joe Ruppert, Kyle Zantos, and Luke Messimer.
 

You can check out their music here:
Fire on the Vine
Facebook Band Page 


Also, BIG thanks to Vanja Horonic and Matthew Corcoran for the use of their film scanners.  

Also, also, to Drake Hokanson who gave me the film years ago.  Not only for his generosity of bestowing 60 rolls of film on me but for the constant inspiration and guidance he and Carol have given me.