Friday August 1st - Alternative Photography Show Opening!

"Wedding Night"
From the series "The Honeymoon Sacrament"
©Catherine Just 2008
This is a photograph taken with a pinhole camera and type 54 Polaroid film. It's an exposure that was taken all night long. Capturing traces of the sacred on our wedding night. This is one of a series of images I took on our honeymoon.


There are many layers to the sacred quality of this image:
1. It's our wedding night.
2. Most Religions deem the wedding night and sex within marriage as sacred.
3. The honeymoon only happens one time during the marriage and is something we cannot do over. It's a romantic bubble, merging the two of us as one.
4. Polaroid is no longer made. It's a nostalgic memory of my photography past.
5. The Polaroid was made into a copy negative and printed in the darkroom. The darkroom is considered a thing of the past. As digital takes over the photo world, A darkroom printed image is seen as "alternative", or precious.
6. The image was then toned with a sepia toner which gives it a warm brownish tone. Reminds you of those old fashioned images of the past. Again. you know - precious. Nostalgic.

The wedding night. romantic, sacred, honored, precious, sentimental, unique, merging, seen as a communion between the husband and wife and of the spiritual element of god of the energy of the universe.

sac·ra·ment
–noun
1. Ecclesiastical. a visible sign of an inward grace, esp. one of the solemn Christian rites considered to have been instituted by Jesus Christ to symbolize or confer grace: the sacraments of the Protestant churches are baptism and the Lord's Supper; the sacraments of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches are baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, matrimony, penance, holy orders, and extreme unction.
2. (often initial capital letter) Also called Holy Sacrament. the Eucharist or Lord's Supper.
3. the consecrated elements of the Eucharist, esp. the bread.
4. something regarded as possessing a sacred character or mysterious significance.
5. a sign, token, or symbol.
6. an oath; solemn pledge.


This image will be shown in an upcoming Juried Group Show called:

" Alternative Photography "
Julia Dean Gallery
801 Ocean Front Walk, Studio 8
Venice beach, CA
Friday August 1st 6-9pm

19 photographers will be showing all types of alternative photography. Toy camera, Lensbaby, Platinum & Palladium, Collodion, and more.

Come on by and view all the work!

**A big thank you to John Matkowsky at DRKRM Gallery for the copy negative, printing, and toning.

Quote for the day:

“Every human is an artist. The dream of your life is to make beautiful art.”
Miguel Ruiz

Thursday check in!

Hi friends, Here is another view from the lake.
a polaroid that was scanned in.

I'm still in denial that polaroid is a thing of the past....

Not much to say - just felt it was time to post another image from the vaults and to wave hello.

My photography work is changing. I think that the lack of drama and chaos in my life in general - creates a different palate to draw from. I know that wonderful work comes from pain and suffering - like alanis morissette's "you outta know" song. WOW what a gut wrenching and honest angry song. My work used to come from that place. But now. My work is a bit more quiet. Still looking and digging underneath the surface of everyday life - and finding something more like a Pink Martini Song, or meditative music like Dead Can Dance. Oh how I love that sound.

Tomorrow I take a photo of that tree out front. I will only have one more to take after that one and the series will be done....however I think it is the beginning of another tree series. one with my pinhole camera and 4x5 film.


Quote for the day:

" Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out your horn. " - Charlie Parker

days are rolling together into one...

My days are moving swiftly past me even though they are filled with rest, day dreaming, napping, and yes a little work too. I'm checking in because it's been a week and I figured I should keep this blog moving along. Today I bought new yarn to start knitting a blanket, and going to the yarn store is always an adventure for me. My favorite one is in Santa Monica so it's more like a day trip. They have the best variety and colors.
I brought a big bag home and haven't started it yet - but plan to this evening. Sage green, deep forrest green, eggplant, and fusia. these are the colors that called to me.
Today I received a package in the mail that holds the key to starting a new photography project that's been in my head for months now.
Yes - I bought black sheets from target to be my black backdrop for the next series of images. I thought that was quite clever of me. Instead of buying a roll of black seamless that I have to keep in a roll, THis I can just fold up and put in a drawer when it's not being used. And it will be easy to set up and take down. Lucky me - I married a photographer who has some much needed photo stands and lighting in the garage! I'll be breaking it all out tomorrow on my big photo shoot day.
Lucky for Jerry he will be at work all day while I tear apart the living room and make it a photo studio!

Actually - I'll be working on 2 different projects.
one is inspired by my new "role" as a wife.
the other is about my new life being married.
Both are hot topics since I'm a newlywed. I love my new life and my lovely husband.
GO TEAM!

listening

I'm listening more inward lately then outward. I haven't wanted to download all the photos I've been taking to get them on to my blog. I've been reading more, resting more, and allowing myself more time "off". It's been very necessary lately to give myself that time. I'm still working on a few photo projects, but allowing myself to stop the race and take my time.

This photo was taken in Arizona when I was there visiting a friend of mine.
I sat there - holding the pinhole camera and felt myself breathing and my breath gently moved the camera as the trees swayed in the breeze of the wind. When I take photos like this I feel like all of "us" have merged for those moments during the exposure on the film.

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Quote for the day:

" The mind of the beginner is empty, free of the habits of the expert, ready to accept, to doubt, and open to all the possibilities."
-Richard Baker
From the introduction to Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryo Suzuki

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" If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get."
- Frank A Clark.

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