Rhett Redelings Photography

rhettredelings

2012-02-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

She's Lost Her Charm

2012-02-14T14:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines' Day everyone.

Dickens Christmas Fair - Coffee Table Book

2011-12-30T14:51:00.000-08:00

I know it's been awhile. I've been busy with photography just not so busy keeping my end up on this blog.

Anyway, if you're interested, I recently made this:

Dickens Christmas Fair - 2011 by Rhett Redelings | Make Your Own Book

Little Red Sisyphus

2011-04-25T12:35:00.001-07:00

little red sisyphus, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Where you're going and where you've been don't matter half as much as where you are right now.

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Lensbaby Composer
Canon Rebel T1i
DXO Filmpack 2

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T15:05:00.001-07:00

Happy Earth Day!, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

You'll never miss it 'til it's gone.

practice makes purple

2011-04-17T23:20:00.001-07:00

practice makes purple, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

For my birthday this year, my wife bought me a Lensbaby Composer. Unlike the lensbaby muse, which is what I was familiar with, it's a bit less intuitive to use but, again, unlike the muse, you can lock your setting and really fine tune it. This set represents my first steps using this special effect.

Pinning the Badge

2011-03-19T11:32:00.001-07:00

Pinning the badge, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Take a camera with you everywhere you go, including your place of work and eventually you'll find yourself shooting official events. And some not so official events.

What makes these kinds of photo opportunities different from my usual attempts at art is the hyper focus and exhilaration one gets when completely focused (no pun intended) on capturing glimpses of authenticity in the heat of the moment. Composition is important, as always but more important is being in the right place at the right time and anticipating, or allowing for, those slices of time when people forget to be "perfect" and allow themselves to be genuine, vulnerable and, every so often, truly remarkable. After all, it is our humanity that makes people love us, not our ability to hit the mark, no?

This kind of photography is like panning for gold with a stop watch going. There's no time to stand still or for taking a break; every moment is spent scanning for those opportunities (before they manifest) as events rush past like water. They are few and far between, particularly in official events but the promise of finding and capturing them is what keeps me going.

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These photos were taken during the official swearing in of new Sausalito Police Chief Jennifer Tejada on March 17, 2011
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What would the Federal Budget look like if you were in charge?

2011-03-13T15:11:00.001-07:00

a requiem for main street, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

I was able to make a balanced budget that would reduce the deficit and increase public services by adding just a tiny tax increase to people who make as much as I do or more and by bringing the military budget down to just 10 times what we spend on education (instead of more than 60 times the amount).

What would you do differently if you could?

http://public-consultation.org/exercise/

Lost in the dark

2011-03-11T15:55:00.001-08:00

Lost in the dark, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

A week or so ago my friend Anderspace (http://www.flickr.com/photos/anderspace/) brought over a Polaroid 230 Land Camera that he'd picked up at an estate sale. I finally got around to getting a 4.5v battery for it (actually 3 1.5v batteries) and set about loading a pack of "super speedy" Fuji FP-3000b film. Almost none of it came out. This shot, the best of 6, was taken in nearly broad daylight. For film this fast, that should have been far too much light, rather than too little so I obviously have some work to do getting this camera to work. Anyway, I thought the "negative" side of the image looked nicer than the positive, I darkened the scan a bit and here you go.

2011-03-10T20:24:00.001-08:00

I pledge subservience to the flag of the United Corporations of America and to the stock holders for which they stand, one market, under siege with tyranny and poverty for all.

From when we were happy

2011-03-07T19:19:00.001-08:00

When we were happy, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Did you ever think I'd stop hurting the one's I love? Only now I do it with a pure purpose and a heavy heart.

A unionized employee, a Tea Party member, and a CEO are sitting at a table....

2011-02-28T15:13:00.001-08:00

A unionized employee, a Tea Party member, and a CEO are sitting at a table...., originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

A unionized employee, a Tea Party member, and a CEO are sitting at a table. In the middle of the table is a plate with a dozen cookies on it. The CEO reaches for the plate, grabs 11 cookies and then turns to the Tea Party member and says, "Look out for that union guy; he wants a piece of your cookie."

some secrets must be shared

2011-01-01T17:33:00.001-08:00

some secrets must be shared, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Polaroid SX-70, Impossible Project PX-70 PUSH experimental film.

Bolinas, California.

Don't fence me in

2010-12-24T10:25:00.001-08:00

Mamiya C220, 80mm f2.8 'blue dot' lens, yellow filter
Ilford HP5 Plus medium format film

Happy Holidays

2010-12-20T11:07:00.001-08:00

holiday, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Polaroid SX-70, Impossible Project PX-70 "PUSH" experimental film
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Exposure wheel pushed all the way "white".
Tungsten light.

December Sunset at Rodeo Beach

2010-12-08T09:34:00.001-08:00

Fifteen minutes or so from where I work, this is one of my favorite places to watch the sunset; particularly after a hard day. Yesterday was such a day. I spent all day at my desk and I needed a break from the typing of words to watch something massively indifferent to my petty cares, brilliant and timeless in it's majesty. The sunset at Rodeo Beach was just what I needed.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair

2010-12-06T13:28:00.001-08:00

The ghost of Christmas present, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Usually when we go to Dickens, I take a film camera with the fastest lens I have (f1.8 on the Olympus OM-2n and f1.7 on the Canonet) and shoot Neopan 1600 to be able to use the available light. This usually results in grainy, moody black and white photos that delight me; which is great except sometimes I regret giving up color entirely. This year, I thought I'd try and see how the digital SLR would fair with the 50mm f1.4 lens I have for it.

I'm actually a bit blown away by how much it out performs film at the same ISO. Of course, unlike film, the digital images still need a bit of TLC to look good (at least to me). All images were shot using available light, processed as RAW images, "printed down" to JPG and treated with DXO Film Pack.

So I have a soft spot for sunsets.

2010-11-22T11:05:00.001-08:00

So I have a soft spot for sunsets., originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Bolinas, 11-21-2010
Canon EOS Rebel T1i, 18-55mm kit lens
ISO 100, pulled 2 stops

Progress

2010-11-15T12:14:00.001-08:00

progress, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Polaroid SX-70
expired Time Zero artistic film
ND filter
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The section of 101 nearest my house was jammed up this morning, so I took the longer, more scenic route to a point on the highway further south. I rounded a turn and this was the view from the side of the road. I pulled over in front of the No Parking Anytime sign and started down the slope that had a sign that read "Danger, No Trespassing." I wanted to get out from under the canopy of trees for a cleaner view of the horizon but got a little freaked out when I almost stepped into a pile of what I thought at first was branches and tree debris but was in fact a rather thoroughly chewed yet still somewhat fresh deer carcass. I'd have recognized it sooner but I was a bit blinded by the light coming off the water.

half dome in the rain

2010-11-09T20:11:00.001-08:00

half dome in the rain, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Edge of the world

2010-11-07T11:40:00.001-08:00

, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Yosemite, CA
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Polaroid SX-70
very expired Time Zero Artistic film

The ecstacy of gold

2010-11-01T12:01:00.001-07:00

The ecstacy of gold, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

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Bodie, California
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T1i
Process: CS3 RAW, DxO Film Pack - Infrared

Yosemite and Bodie by Polaroid

2010-10-23T13:30:00.001-07:00

Rain over Yosemite Valley, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Shot of the Day at Polanoid

2010-10-21T08:50:00.001-07:00

Polanoid front page, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Thank you.

flock

2010-10-20T13:00:00.001-07:00

flock, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

The last three miles of the road into Bodie is unpaved and very rough. To the right as you enter, you'll see herds of sheep and the dilapidated trailer homes where their shepherds live and, presumably, manage to make a meager living. The shepard for this flock was gracious and tolerant of our photography.

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Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T1i

All That Remains

2010-10-19T11:31:00.001-07:00

All That Remains, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings' SX-70 has died..

Bodie

Open your eyes

2010-10-18T16:02:00.001-07:00

Open your eyes, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings' SX-70 has died..

Wish you were here

2010-10-18T15:39:00.001-07:00

Wish you were here, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings' SX-70 has died..

Bodie

2010-10-15T18:42:00.001-07:00

Bodie, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings' SX-70 has died..

Firehouse, Bodie

2010-10-15T18:39:00.001-07:00

Firehouse, Bodie, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings' SX-70 has died..

Bodie

2010-10-15T18:28:00.001-07:00

Bodie, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings' SX-70 has died..

Shot of the Day at Polanoid.net

2010-09-29T11:56:00.001-07:00

Shot of the Day at Polanoid.net, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Fleeting as recognition is, it won't last (shot of the day and all) for the moment, it is golden. And, after spending the last two months so busy I could barely get enough sleep, let alone create anything, I was beginning to wonder if I ever would again. So, this is doubly gratifying.

http://polanoid.net

Resident

2010-09-23T17:15:00.001-07:00

Resident, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Someone, I think, is in my tree.

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Polaroid SX-70
Expired Time Zero Artistic film
Manipulated by hand
Desaturated by computer

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I call this tree "my tree" because I find myself returning to it over and over again. The wood is very nearly white, almost opalescent. It reflects so much light, it's hard to get a decent exposure. Expose normally, and the meter "thinks" it's a mid tone. Over expose and you lose detail. The time of day matters too. The tree faces west, so in the late afternoon it shines like a beacon but before noon, it's back lit. This was taken just after noon and deliberately under exposed. The idea wasn't to get a "good" exposure but to capture mostly the highlights; using the orientation of the sun to accent the contours of the wood and imply the detail. The bird was just a bonus.

I used clay working tools to manipulate the emulsion within an hour of the exposure.

I desaturated this in the computer, to give it a more dramatic look but I rather like the color version too:

Jeremy and Rachael's wedding

2010-08-11T11:09:00.001-07:00

The Groom, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Camera: modified Holga
Film: Kodak BW400CN color process black and white film

Jeremy and Rachael's wedding, August 8, 2010

spirit within

2010-08-09T07:56:00.001-07:00

spirit within, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Fred Sherrer makes some of the best wines in Northern California. His winery, a family run operation, is all function and no form. All of his efforts go into the wine, not into faux Tuscan ambiance or marketing gimmicks like multi-tiered wine clubs, celebrity endorsements or tour bus-appeal. As a result, he's kind of like the best kept secret of the local wine business. You can buy his wines either by appointment or by going to one of the few open house events he has each year. Just knowing about his winery gives going there an ultra exclusive, yet vaguely counter culture-like appeal. There are no billboards, no signs and when you drive up to the back what looks like a warehouse hidden in the country with stacks of pallets and a beaten up old work truck, you feel a little thrill of anxiety like you're about to buy something a little bit contraband and maybe, just maybe, shouldn't go through with it.

But when you get out of the car, all the other patrons smile at you because just being there means you know the good stuff when you taste it, you're willing to go out of your way to get it and you're already in the club. It's exclusive, inclusive and unpretentious at the same time. How to explain that?? You step inside and in the dim lighting, there are people sampling the most delicious wines and noshing on the best gourmet bites I've ever had. Beautiful watercolor art hangs on one wall, there are barrels for gathering and planning out your orders and Fred's family and staff are low key and friendly. One has to remember not to give treats to either of the two dogs or to trip over the odd chew toy one of them has left on the floor. If you're very observant, you can see the rock band (real band, not the video game) setup that shares Fred's office space.

Fred himself is tall and gracious with an intense passion for his wine and a barely visible air of whimsy that he keeps mostly in check. He doesn't talk down to his customers, assuming you know as much about wine as he does... or at least, that you appreciate all the different aspects of what wine can be, as much as he does. "There are," he said to me the first time I met him, "cheaper and easier ways to get a buzz on." His wine is more than his craft, it's his art. Some of it is the kind of subtle, sensual experience you want to share with only one other person, others are bold and fun; not meant to be taken too seriously but enjoyed in good company with good food.

I'll shut up now. Go check him out:
www.scherrerwinery.com

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Camera: Polaroid SX-70
Film: expired Polaroid Time Zero Artistic

The beginning point of Samsāra is not evident

2010-08-01T12:25:00.001-07:00

The beginning point of Samsāra is not evident, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Camera: Olympus XA, compact rangefinder
Film: Ilford HP5 Plus, pushed 1 stop to 800 ISO
Where: DeYoung Museum, San Francisco, CA

the act and art of reproduction

2010-07-17T11:34:00.001-07:00

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Camera: Polaroid SX-70
Film: The Impossible Project Silver Shade PX-100 (version 2) experimental film.

Marin County Fair

2010-07-16T16:20:00.001-07:00

Every year we go to the Marin County Fair, look at the photography exhibit (where, this year, I was awarded an honorable mention for one of my works), have a funnel cake, a turkey corn dog and take pictures. This year I took fewer than normal and was, at first, uncertain of their quality.

But since it's still county fair season (somewhere anyway), I thought I'd go ahead and post them anyway. I hope you like them.

At the risk of seeming shamelessly proud of myself:

Photo by Bosslady Browncoat

blades and silences

2010-07-12T10:10:00.001-07:00

blades and silences, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Polaroid SX-70
Expired Time Zero artistic film
Manipulated by hand.

Wistful

2010-07-12T10:09:00.001-07:00

wistful, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Polaroid SX-70
Expired Polaroid Time Zero artistic film

Sam Shillinglaw

2010-06-30T12:02:00.001-07:00

Sam, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

...is a better man than I am, by far. He suffers from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome which forces him to live in constant excruciating pain and yet he continues to create art, play music, support his friends and raise an excellent son with is wife.

I know I couldn't go through what he endures every day of his life with no clear solution or hope for relief in sight and still be as funny, generous or giving as he is. He's a good man and a damned fine artist and, unlike myself, he never falls into the traps of taking himself or his art too seriously.

This might be my favorite portrait ever.

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Camera: Polaroid SX-70
Film: Impossible Project Silver Shade PX100 First Flush experimental film

Monster Abduction is Real

2010-06-22T12:07:00.001-07:00

Monster Abduction is real poster, originally uploaded by SteamCrow.

The best traditions are the ones you have to make up on your own. One of ours is that whenever Heather or I see Daniel from Steam Crow at a convention, we make a point of taking a black and white photo of him with one of our low fidelity cameras. This year, it was the Vignette app for Android, which I like very much. It's a weird tradition but we're strange and he's strange but, better than anything, he's also gracious, amiable and, of course, wickedly talented. I didn't include the source photo in the initial upload because we both liked his happier/manic expression better. I've since discovered that he created an excellent piece of original SteamCrow art with it (I was in Paris when he did it so I've only now discovered it), I'm posting it on my flickr stream along with a few other outtakes that, in retrospect, I think may deserve to see the light of day.

Go to SteamCrow.com for his unbelievably cool comics and art.

Time=Zero

2010-06-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

This self portrait was one of my earliest attempts at manipulating a Time Zero image. I really didn't have a grasp of how the emulsion would actually move under the transparent top layer of mylar, so it's quite crude. I didn't think much of it at the time but I scanned it and put it away only to rediscover it the other day and found that the image continued to change and morph long after I put it away. This quality of impermanence is daunting because it means that if I like my results, I'd better scan them as soon as possible as they may very well morph into something I don't want later. On the other hand, knowing the images keep changing with a life of their own is kind of exciting. Who knows what yesterday's images will look like tomorrow?

I glide with you. And draw you with coal...

2010-05-23T12:49:00.001-07:00

I glide with you. And draw you with coal..., originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

...you paint the river
I am not alone

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Camera: Polaroid SX-70
Film: very expired Polaroid Time Zero Artistic film
Treatment: Manipulated with blunt instruments.

I trace your feet like transparent thrones

2010-05-23T12:48:00.001-07:00

I trace your feet like transparent thrones, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

I dream of your clinging

I am not alone

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Camera: Polaroid SX-70
Film: very expired Polaroid Time Zero Artistic film
Treatment: Manipulated with blunt instruments.

Tea garden bridge at sunset

2010-05-23T09:01:00.001-07:00

tea garden bridge at sunset, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Camera: Polaroid SX-70
Film: very expired Polaroid Time Zero Artistic film
Treatment: Manipulated with blunt instruments.

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Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Inspired in no small part by The Birth of Impressionism exhibition of D'Orsay masterpieces at the De Young museum.

Proof of concept: Polaroid emulsion lift

2010-05-22T15:03:00.001-07:00

Proof of concept: Time Zero emulsion lift.

Once lifted from the mylar front of the Polaroid, it took two of us to get the emulsion and the paper backing out of the water together but for a first attempt at the technique, this isn't terrible. Not a great shot to begin with, of course, but that's what made it a perfect candidate for this test.

What I did (right or wrong):

Put Polaroid in a bowl of 130 degree (F) water for 30-45 minutes. Remove, dry gently with a paper towel.

Cut the edges of the Polaroid and peal the front from the back. Put front (the part with the clear mylar) into the water, emulsion side up until it starts to show signs of peeling away from th mylar front (bubbling).

Use a short, soft water color brush and gently, painstakingly nudge the four corners toward the center of the image until the image "lifts" away from the mylar front. Carefully remove the mylar from the water, putting paper (or whatever you'll be adhering the lifted emulsion to) under the emulsion in the water. Very carefully flip the emulsion so it's now picture-side-up with the paint brush. Carefully push it down on to the paper and pull the paper/emulsion combo out of the water while making sure the emulsion doesn't slip off and back in.

Dry flat.

Take breath.

The Moulin de la Galette

2010-05-21T09:02:00.001-07:00

The Moulin de la Galette, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Camera: Polaroid SX-70
Film: expired Polaroid Time Zero artistic
Treatment: Manipulated by hand

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Montmarte, Paris, France

Polaroid Impression: J'entends ton coeur

2010-05-12T12:14:00.001-07:00

, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Camera: Polaroid SX-70
Film: expired Time Zero artistic
Manipulated by hand with contrast adjusted in the computer.

Paris, Je T'aime!

2010-05-07T13:46:00.001-07:00

Ah, Paris!, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Camera: Olympus XA
Film: Fuji Neopan 400, pushed 1 stop

Tulips at Pere Lachaise

2010-05-03T08:23:00.001-07:00

Tulips at Pere Lachaise, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Camera: Polaroid SX-70
Film: expired Polaroid Fade to Black film

Pere Lachaise cemetary, Paris

Monet, fauxnet

2010-05-01T11:04:00.001-07:00

, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Camera: Polaroid SX-70
Film: Expired Polaroid Time Zero artistic, manipulated with knitting needles in the Musée d'Orsay

forest of secrets

2010-05-01T10:59:00.001-07:00

forest of secrets, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

... where only the darkest secrets are shared and large, heavily armed men protect trays of sandwiches.

No, really. I couldn't make that up. The problem is, I also couldn't take pictures of it.

Sorry, you'll have to make do with this.

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Taken somewhere in France, April 2010
Camera: Polaroid SX-70
Film: (expired) Polaroid Time Zero Artistic, manipulated with knitting needles on a bus from nowhere to Paris.

April in Paris...

2010-04-17T02:05:00.001-07:00

... and Dijon.

sweet, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

More here as we continue our travels: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rhett-Redelings-Photography/301567642669

Emerald City

2010-04-08T15:57:00.001-07:00

The Emerald City, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Camera: SX-70
Film: Expired Time Zero Artistic, manipulated by hand

2010-04-05T13:45:00.001-07:00

, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Wonder

2010-04-03T15:08:00.001-07:00

True Blood @ WonderCon

2010-04-03T14:56:00.005-07:00

Daniel from Steam Crow

2010-04-03T14:56:00.001-07:00

Point Bonita

2010-03-17T10:42:00.001-07:00

Point Bonita, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

On Monday, my wife unexpectedly found herself with had a free hour or two in the afternoon so we got a late picnic lunch together and drove up to the Marin Headlands to nosh overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. No matter how long you live here, that just never gets old. The weather was warm, the view was hazy but spectacular and it was just getting into the beautiful afternoon sunlight that makes that particular view so amazing. We decided to head back to Sausalito "the long way", by going deeper into the headlands, past the lighthouse at Point Bonita and back through the 5 minute tunnel. On a lark, we decided to see if the lighthouse was open (you can't even get to it if it's closed) and it was. We weren't prepared for photography, we just went with the moment.

Being me, I got the bug to shoot anyway. The camera in the Droid is probably the only real disappointment with an otherwise amazing smart phone but I've been having good luck with the Vignette App which, unlike other apps on the Android platform, doesn't treat the photograph after the fact but, like a real toy camera, gives you random artifacts in real time. There is no preview of what the app will do to the image nor is there an Undo option if you don't like the results. And the results are rarely what I expect. This makes it actually fun and challenging to shoot with. Like a real toy camera.

Anyway, I'm pretty happy with what I got using my phone on a spur of the moment adventure.

I posted this image last week on flickr but as it's on theme:

East India Cocktail

2010-03-09T21:43:00.001-08:00

According to Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, the East India Cocktail dates back as far as the pre-prohibition era when it was first published in The New and Improved Bartender's Manual of 1882.

The East India Cocktail is:

3 oz. brandy (use a decent cognac)
. 5 oz. raspberry gum syrup (I use Small Hand Foods excellent gum syrup and so should you)
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 teaspoon orange curacao (I used Grand Marnier)
1 teaspoon maraschino liqueur (Luxardo)

Stir with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry. (The book says to shake it but I like my clear drinks stirred. The choice is yours, of course.)

You don't have to agree with the British occupation of India, the shape of it's demise or the historical consequences on the present day to appreciate this delightfully satisfying and pleasantly sophisticated cocktail. Small Hand Foods' raspberry gum syrup makes this drink infinitely smoother than it's spirit-forward contents would suggest; so if you can get your hands on some, it's well worth it. Raspberry syrup would do in a pinch but it's worth it to get the good stuff. The maraschino dominates the flavor profile but only just. A cognac or strong brandy will help offset it's dominance and the raspberry gum syrup/Grand Marnier combination work wonders to smooth out and lend interest to the finish.

Missing Mary Pickford - Still more experiments in Polaroid manipulation

2010-03-08T17:52:00.001-08:00

Missing Mary Pickford (alt), originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

This image was cut open 35 minutes after exposure. I brushed the emulsion with hot water and two watercolor brushes. I scanned it on a flatbed scanner as a reflective (opaque) image.

The second image is from the same piece of film shot against a light source (in this case, a table lamp in my living room) as a transparency.

While I prefer the subtle brush strokes, color and detail retained by the opaque scan, there is something exciting and slightly offensive about the bolder strokes and relative loss of contrast present in the transparency scan:

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Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Land camera
Film: Polaroid Time Zero Artistic film (expired)

As to the title, it was inspired by the following blog entry where I saw this photograph and quote (which was quoted and I had always thought, written by Marillion in the song 'Rich'):

"If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down."
architectdesign.blogspot.com/2008/10/quote-of-day.html

Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty excited about this Alice in Wonderland movie:

In case the video doesn't play automatically: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeIXfdogJbA

TIME ZERO: the last year of Polaroid film

2010-03-03T14:52:00.001-08:00

I can't wait to see this film.

Anticipatory

2010-03-03T13:19:00.001-08:00

Anticipatory, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

More Polapainting experiments.

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Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera
Film: Polaroid Artistic Time Zero (expired)

Wetland - More experimentation with Pola-painting

2010-03-01T20:47:00.001-08:00

wetland, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

The first image (above) was cut apart 40 minutes after exposure, so I could pull the transparent front of the Polaroid away from the black backing without stripping the emulsion off or bubbling. This was, for the most part, successful (the pockmarks you see are not bubbling but artifacts in the film itself). The point of this was to use a water color brush and hot water to brush away the emulsion in places, soften the image and make it look more like a painting. This was my first attempt at this technique and was only marginally successful, in my opinion.

This second image is a more traditional pressure-painting technique, using various sizes of crochet needles to push the emulsion around before it hardens. After an hour or so, it starts to crack where pushed, which I think is what helps create those wonderful "Van Gogh" circles.

"After six, I'm 'Lola'."

2010-02-27T11:53:00.001-08:00

"After six, I'm 'Lola'.", originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Being kind of new to bar culture, I think I've decided that I love it. In no other public setting is it so acceptable for complete strangers to just kind of bleed into each others conversations. And we're all there for different reasons. Last night, my wife and I stopped off on the way home at one of our favorite local restaurant bars to see our favorite bartender and to relax a bit before going home. The woman two bar stools down from me was alone, clearly lonely and spent her evening chatting up everyone who was either too polite or too handicapped to walk away, telling whoever would listen that "after six", she was "Lola". To our left were two very straight-looking men ordering French Twists and talking baseball.

What I love about it though, is how friendly it is. We smile at each other, ask what others are drinking, we chat up the bartenders and we compliment each other freely. And, most perversely wonderful of all, it's understood that none of it is necessarily real. Oh, sure, people do make friends at the bar (our favorite bartender, for example, will hopefully come by the house at some point) but it's not assumed that any of it is genuine. It really is the thought that counts and if you care enough to lie, then that's good enough.

This contrasts sharply with how I insist my real personal life be conducted. In my "real life", if you're my friend and you lie to me, we might very well be over. It's a sign of disrespect. But if you lie to me at the bar, the rules are inverted and, for the short space of a drink or two, we can flirt, joke, tell tales and help each other pretend that the years have been kind and we're not really alone in the world.

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Camera: Motorola Droid
Treatment: Beta version of the Vignette app.

Still life in mobile phones

2010-02-23T13:55:00.001-08:00

Still life in mobile phones, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Realizing that the only reason I was hanging on to my once beloved Samsung Omnia mobile phone was it's surprisingly good (for a phone) digital camera, I finally replaced it with a Motorola Droid. While the Droid is an amazing collection of technologies, I'm very disappointed with the camera. It is, quite frankly, terrible. Which, of course, made me think maybe I could do something cool and funky with it.

Anyway, these are a few early attempts. They're too low resolution to print but I'm enjoying them anyway.

How far is too far?

2010-02-18T12:06:00.001-08:00

How far is too far?, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

This was an experiment in pulling apart the Polaroid and manipulating the emulsion directly. I think it goes too far but it was worth doing, if only for educational purposes.

view large and on black

The original image is here:

Time Zero

2010-02-16T16:03:00.001-08:00

Gate 6, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

More experiments with manipulation of expired Polaroid Time Zero film.

These were shot using an old Polaroid SX-70, manipulated by hand with various blunt objects and scanned. Strangely, these seem to be alienating, or perhaps simply boring, much of my film photography friends as well as the new friends I've made recently while shooting digital. I wonder if there's a sense that these cease to be photographs once I start pushing the emulsion around? Or maybe they just have a really limited appeal. I suppose the fact that I like them at all, should be enough.

Bo's world

2010-02-12T00:08:00.001-08:00

Bo's world, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Bo is what we who have homes and jobs and a respectable place in respectable society, politely call "homeless". He's also, what, in "homeless people," one might call "mad". He's one of the local street characters that I've seen on an almost daily basis since I started working in Sausalito, 8 years ago.

Somewhere in those years, Bo started painting. At first, his canvases were very crude and I didn't think much of them, or to be shamefully honest, of him. Then, after awhile, his paintings started looking less like an affectation and like art. And he was not only painting more varied subjects with more and more advanced techniques but he was selling his work. Now, six years after he first asked me for some spare change, "Van" Bo, as he prefers to be called, is known as a local artist and his work hangs all over town. He is still homeless, though he has a car, a boat, a bicycle, a portable keyboard and painting supplies he stashes all over town. He shows in the local Art Walk and has openings, customers and fans.

In March, when I first got my Lomo, I asked if I could take his picture. I photographed him working and gave him prints a few days later. Now, when he sees me with a camera, he calls me "young man" and he tells me to photograph him so one of us will be famous. We both know he means him. I took this and a few others a few weeks ago during one such encounter, before he got bored with me. I printed them and gave them to him on what turned out to be his birthday. He called them his birthday present to himself and said he sent one to his mom so she'd see he didn't look so old and, I think, so she'd see that he is, despite whatever he's had to endure, not a victim or a bum or someone easily dismissed as "homeless" or "mad" but that he has redefined himself as a working artist and he is, if not thriving, surviving because of it.

When I have a "new" camera, I ask if I can "try it out on him". He's always willing, always friendly and always gracious. Today he gave me one of his paintings for giving him one of the Polaroids I took of him.

This one is deliberately manipulated, by hand; using Polaroid Time Zero film. No Photoshop. I was trying to capture the rather chunky, deliberate and somewhat crude brush strokes of Bo's work and, what I imagine, might be how he perceives the world. Hubris, I know, but what is art if not experience as filtered through imagination, longing and hubris?

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Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Land camera
Film: Polaroid Time Zero film, manipulated by hand with a blunt object.

More of my photos of Van Bo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhettredelings/sets/72157603727419982/

http://www.jpgmag.com/photos/287695

Oh yes!

2010-02-10T19:06:00.001-08:00

Oh yes!, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

I love this time of year

2010-02-09T15:38:00.001-08:00

, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Canon EOS Rebel T1i
Canon 50mm USM f1.4

All the world's a stage

2010-02-09T13:58:00.001-08:00

All the world's a stage, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

I've got to hand it him, using the front of Molly Stone's grocery store in Sausalito as a stage is an unusual and gutsy thing to do. Thankfully he's actually a good player and singer. Have to wonder why he isn't doing shows but maybe this is more his thing?

decluttr

Entity

2010-02-09T12:24:00.001-08:00

entity, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Fantastic and wondrous how they move together as one, constantly moving, constantly changing shape, speeding up and slowing down, coming apart and back together again. They are beautiful and no single lens can do them justice.

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Canon EOS Rebel T1i
Canon 70-250mm IS

Audience watching audience

2010-01-31T18:18:00.001-08:00

Audience watching audience, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Waiting for the worldwide live broadcast to start of Nation by Terry Pratchett.

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Samsung Omnia camera phone

Watercolor

2010-01-28T12:36:00.001-08:00

watercolor, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Camera: Olympus XA, compact 35mm rangefinder
China Camp National Park

You are the one to make me cry

2010-01-26T15:58:00.001-08:00

You are the one to make me cry, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

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Camera: Olympus XA, compact rangefinder
Film: Fuji Superia XTRA 400 35mm film

I'm never going back there

2010-01-26T15:55:00.001-08:00

I'm never going back there, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

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Camera: Olympus XA, compact rangefinder
Film: Fuji Superia XTRA 400 35mm film

Do you really think you go to hell for having love?

2010-01-26T15:53:00.001-08:00

do you really think you go to hell for having love?, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

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Camera: Olympus XA, compact rangefinder
Film: Fuji Superia XTRA 400 35mm film

Footprint

2010-01-26T14:02:00.001-08:00

footprint, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

I FINALLY got some of the film I've been shooting for months to and back from the lab. Feels good to post something that started out as a piece of film.

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Camera: Olympus XA, compact rangefinder
Film: Fuji Superia XTRA 400 35mm film

Idiot slow down

2010-01-13T13:04:00.001-08:00

Idiot slow down, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

I got out of the car to take this photo, thinking of the title as I did so. No sooner had I positioned myself to take the shot than a Ford Mustang came into the parking lot and toward at what seemed like closer to 25mph than 10. The car was pointed at the big empty space at the left of the photo but the driver swerved toward me and I had to quickly back out of the way to avoid being run down. I looked in the driver side window as it passed and the driver, a guy in his 20's was so busy operating his cell phone he never even noticed me.

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Camera: Samsung Omnia camera phone

fortune favors the prepared

2010-01-04T18:00:00.001-08:00

Sausalito dog, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Ever since I tried my first cross processing experiment and ruined what would have otherwise been this cool shot of a dog galloping across the divide between these two rows of lockers down on the docks in Sausalito, I've wished I could get another chance to grab the shot. Today, I decided I'd just settle for a shot of the lockers and before I knew it, I heard that dog again. I got down on my belly and waited for him to come into frame and snapped my picture. Of course, once he noticed me, he decided I looked like prey and charged me...

I'm sorry I didn't have the nerve to wait until he got closer before snapping the second shot.

I wish, just sometimes, I could turn my brain on and off at will

2009-12-31T19:31:00.001-08:00

I wish, just sometimes, I could turn my brain on and off at will, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

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Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T1i
Lens: Canon 50mm f1.4 USM

Christmas eve

2009-12-25T11:18:00.001-08:00

Christmas eve, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T1i
Lens: Canon 50mm f1.4 USM

funny time of year

2009-12-22T13:01:00.001-08:00

funny time of year, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

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Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T1i
Lens: 50mm f1.4 USM

All wound up

2009-12-19T12:07:00.001-08:00

Wound up, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Dickens Faire

Time out

2009-12-19T12:05:00.001-08:00

Time out, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Dickens

Happy the man...

2009-12-14T16:40:00.001-08:00

Snowman army, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

I took this photo a couple of years ago. To me, it symbolizes the kind of mad, manufactured and relentlessly ubiquitous cheerfulness that seems to blanket our part of the world at Christmas time. Not that I'm a holiday hater. I'm not. Well, I was but I'm in recovery. Now, having made some brutally hard choices about how my holidays are going to be, I'm actually working my way around to a kind of happiness and holiday cheer. My holiday cheer, however, doesn't conform to the seemingly endless grand parade of lifeless packaging that symbolize the holidays for most folks. Again, not a hater. In fact, the strangeness is fascinating for me and I wouldn't miss it.

So, truly, happy holidays. I hope how you choose to spend yours will bring you peace and joy.

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Camera: LOMO LC-A
Film: Kodak Tri-X 400
Notes: Negative damaged during development

Scottish Rites Theater, Oakland, CA. Revels 2009

2009-12-12T14:11:00.001-08:00

Scottish Rites Theater, Oakland, CA. Revels 2009, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

It's that time of year again.

My winter

2009-12-10T12:28:00.001-08:00

my winter, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Waiting for my car to warm up enough to defrost the windows this morning, I found the tree outside, as refracted through the thin layer of ice on the glass, beautiful. I adjusted the contrast a bit after the fact. Encouraged by some early feedback, I'm posting it on the blog.

My winter

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Camera: Samsung Omnia camera phone

Campsite Rule cocktail

2009-12-08T21:36:00.000-08:00

What do you do when the bug to create something hits you and the contents of your bar are packed in boxes and it's like you're camping in your own house? Improvise, of course!

Here's what I had, so here's what I did:

1 oz. Myer's Dark Rum (I'm certain a better rum would be better but this is what I had)
1 oz. Dom B&B (or, alternatively, .5 oz. Benedictine with .5 oz. Brandy)
.75 oz. dry Fino sherry
.5 oz. gum syrup (from Small Hand Foods, although simple syrup would work, their gum syrup is amazing)
.5 tsp home-made chocolate "bitters" (totally optional)
2 dashes Angostura (or other) aromatic bitters
1 splash (whatever that means to you) club soda
crushed ice

Stir all the ingredients in a glass, fill another glass with crushed ice, add mixture and stir until glass develops a layer of ice around it. Add a splash of club soda, insert a straw and smile. You could garnish this drink, of course, but given the bare bones essentials quality, I'd suggest you just go with whatever you have. If you have nothing, use that.

The Benedictine in the B&B plays a starring role in this cocktail, the brandy and rum collaborate to give it friendliness and meaning while the sherry keeps it all under control, never letting it get too sweet, cloying or obsequious. The soda and gum syrup open it up while the bitters lend a spicy interest and complexity to the finish. Heather said it was a drink worthy of Forbidden Island. I'm pretty sure that's not actually the case but I love her for saying it!

The name is an homage to Dan Savage and his campsite rule. I can't be sure if this drink will leave you better off than before you had one but I'm pretty sure that (in moderation) it couldn't hurt.

Cheers!

watercolor

2009-12-04T13:30:00.001-08:00

, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

The fog (or marine layer) was unusually thick this morning. I didn't plan to take pictures of any kind, so I didn't have much in the way of cameras with me but I grabbed a few shots with my phone. This is not actually my daily commute but I thought a little detour was a good way to enjoy the weather. I can't believe I get to live in this beautiful part of the world. What a pleasure!

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Camera: Samsung Omnia camera phone.

Bon Tempe Lake

2009-11-30T09:51:00.001-08:00

Bon Tempe Lake, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Last Spring, right before we went to the Salton Sea for my birthday, Heather found an old compact Kodak Brownie 620 for sale at Seawood Photo. She likes funky old vintage cameras even more than I do, (particularly if their 620 (which requires me to re-spool a roll of 120 on to a 620 spool for her) so she bought it to take on our trip. While there, she only shot about half the roll. One day in July, thinking I'd take the camera up to Bon Tempe Lake for my hike, I discovered it still had film in it (by opening the back... very bad), so I took the liberty of finishing the roll.

It's clearly got some issues with the film path as a number of the images have a hairline scratch in them, as this one does. Also, there are a number of images that show what looks like a light leak coming from the back of the camera, making a red colored streak on the film (of course, this could have been the result of me opening the camera while it still had film in!). What I particularly enjoy however, is the cool, vintage-looking color drift most of the images have. Also? The images on the negative are HUGE! Fully 6 centimeters by 9. That's a single image bigger than your iphone! I could print this sucker up to poster size, if I wanted to.

Now I just gotta spool up another roll of film...

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Camera: Kodak Brownie 620 (circa 1933)
Film: Fuji Pro H 400

I put this moment here

2009-11-24T07:43:00.001-08:00

---, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

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Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T1i
Lens: Canon 50mm f1.4 USM

two by two

2009-11-20T21:10:00.001-08:00

two by two, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Palm desert, April 2009 at the business end of a sand storm (don't do this).
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Camera: Olympus OM-2n
Lens: Zuiko 28mm f/2.8
Film: Fuji Velvia 100

American

2009-11-19T23:14:00.001-08:00

American, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Camera: Lomo LC-A
Film: Fuji Superia XTRA 400
Taken July 4, 2009 in Bolinas, CA

Homemade chocolate bitters

2009-11-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, when I had my first Black Manhattan at Bourbon and Branch, I incorrectly remembered it as being a drink with house-made chocolate and cherry bitters (it's actually a coffee/cherry bitters). Since I already had cherry bitters from Fee Brothers, I felt I only needed to acquire chocolate bitters and an approximation of that delightful drink would be mine. It all seemed so simple.

Unfortunately, the only pure chocolate bitters I could find at the time were by the folks at The Bitter Truth and they don't sell them to the public (they do sell Xocolatl Mole Bitters but that's not what I was looking for). I bought a bottle of Fee Brother's Aztec Chocolate Bitters but while they are perfectly lovely aromatic bitters with a pleasing chocolate undertone, they left me a little underwhelmed in the chocolate department. I had yet to discover Scrappy's Chocolate Bitters (thanks Kim!), which are actually quite lovely, if a less than really bitter and, perhaps, just little vanilla-forward for my tastes.

So I set about to make my own chocolate bitters (or are they "tinctures"? The definitions seem elusive). Sometimes not knowing just how hard a thing is, is what makes it possible.

My first attempt using powdered unsweetened baking chocolate created delicious smelling brown sludge. It was ugly and disheartening. The less we say about that, the better. Let's move on.

My second attempt was more successful:

1 cup of toasted cocao nibs (you'll need to toast them yourself)
2 whole vanilla pods (sliced lengthwise so the seeds inside are exposed)
1 tsp espresso powder
2 tbsp chopped solid (not powdered) unsweetened baking chocolate
1 to 2 tsp demerara sugar to taste (dissolve completely in .5 oz or less water before adding to the mixture)
1.5 cups Everclear

Macerate at room temperature in a glass jar for 2 weeks, stirring or agitating a couple times each day. The cocao nibs will noticeably start to absorb the liquid and break down.
At the end of the two weeks, strain out the solids. I used cheese cloth so I could squeeze any remaining liquid out of the cocao nibs before discarding them.

Add:

1.5 cups water
1 oz. dark rum (Gosling's or better)
1/8 tsp of spice bitters (this is absolutely optional)

I used Everclear (151 proof) because I wanted the most destructive power known to man or beast in the form of alcohol, to extract as much flavor as possible from the ingredients without imparting it's own flavor. Also, I knew I'd be adding an equal amount of water and I wanted the resulting mixture to still be high proof. The vanilla pods, espresso powder, sugar and small amount of rum are there to make what would otherwise be a cocao nib extract, smell and taste like chocolate. The nibs are fairly bitter on their own, even with the small amount of sugar and I didn't find the mixture needed anything more. I did, briefly, contemplate sourcing some gentian or wormwood to give it all a really bitter quality but I really don't think it's required. In fact, my mixture tastes quite a bit darker and more chocolaty than either the Fee Brother's Aztec chocolate bitters or Scrappy's chocolate bitters although, to be fair, I've yet to really road test mine in a cocktail. The spice bitters I added are there to add a hint of complexity to help it all blend with spicier spirits (brandies, whiskeys and the like) but I'm not sure they're required, given the small amount I used.

Should you want to create the spice bitters, you can find them in the recipe for the Muad'Dib cocktail.

As always, if you recreate these recipes, use them in cocktails, improve upon them or have better recipes of your own, I'd love to hear from you.

Cheers!

I suppose, when it's all said and done, I prefer this aching loneliness to the damage we might otherwise do one another

2009-11-13T11:45:00.001-08:00

I suppose, when it's all said and done, I prefer this aching loneliness to the damage we might otherwise do one another, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

Camera: Polaroid SX-70 with a 2 stop ND filter
Film: Expired Polaroid 600 film, sold or given me by Sol Exposure, who's amazing.

The in-between

2009-11-08T11:56:00.001-08:00

The in-between, originally uploaded by Rhett Redelings.

I saw her as we drove by. I pulled over sharply, starting an argument. I wandered into the night at f.5.6, far too slow for this kind of thing; wishing I'd been smart enough to buy a better lens. Their boredom was palpable and I'm thrilled I got to share a little of it.

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Lark Theater, Larkspur, CA

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T1i
Lens: 55-250mm

Rhett Redelings Photography

rhettredelings

She's Lost Her Charm

Dickens Christmas Fair - Coffee Table Book

Little Red Sisyphus

Happy Earth Day!

practice makes purple

Pinning the Badge

What would the Federal Budget look like if *you* were in charge?

Lost in the dark

I pledge subservience to the flag of the United Corporations of America and to the stock holders for which they stand, one market, under siege with tyranny and poverty for all.

From when we were happy

A unionized employee, a Tea Party member, and a CEO are sitting at a table....

some secrets must be shared

Don't fence me in

Happy Holidays

December Sunset at Rodeo Beach

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair

So I have a soft spot for sunsets.

Progress

half dome in the rain

Edge of the world

The ecstacy of gold

Yosemite and Bodie by Polaroid

Shot of the Day at Polanoid

flock

All That Remains

Open your eyes

Wish you were here

Bodie

Firehouse, Bodie

Bodie

Shot of the Day at Polanoid.net

Resident

Jeremy and Rachael's wedding

spirit within

The beginning point of Samsāra is not evident

the act and art of reproduction

Marin County Fair

blades and silences

Wistful

Sam Shillinglaw

Monster Abduction is Real

Time=Zero

I glide with you. And draw you with coal...

I trace your feet like transparent thrones

Tea garden bridge at sunset

Proof of concept: Polaroid emulsion lift

The Moulin de la Galette

Polaroid Impression: J'entends ton coeur

Paris, Je T'aime!

Tulips at Pere Lachaise

Monet, fauxnet

forest of secrets

April in Paris...

Emerald City

Wonder

True Blood @ WonderCon

Daniel from Steam Crow

Point Bonita

East India Cocktail

Missing Mary Pickford - Still more experiments in Polaroid manipulation

Alice in Wonderland

TIME ZERO: the last year of Polaroid film

Anticipatory

Wetland - More experimentation with Pola-painting

"After six, I'm 'Lola'."

Still life in mobile phones

How far is too far?

Time Zero

Bo's world

Oh yes!

I love this time of year

All the world's a stage

Entity

Audience watching audience

Watercolor

You are the one to make me cry

I'm never going back there

Do you really think you go to hell for having love?

What would the Federal Budget look like if you were in charge?