Kosoff interview @ Susan Burnstine Blog

[Brian K]

I was asked yesterday by Ken Lee for the names of some good web sites. Well here is the blog of a great photographer Susan Burnstine. And coincidently my full, un-edited interview for UK B&W magazine was just released on her site.

http://blog.susanburnstine.com/post/13443862065

[vorgonyi]

Optical diffusion in the darkroom. How do you do it?

[Jay DeFehr]

Brian,

Can you elaborate on your development methods?


BK: I shoot T-Max100 and Fuji Acros. I develop them using split development. The first half of development using Xtol 1:1, then three vigorous rinses and the second half using D-76 1:1. While being more costly and inconvenient, it gives me finer grain, better acutance and high film speed, the best of both developers.

[Ken Lee]

Very nicely done. Interesting blog too. Thanks !

[Brian K]

Optical diffusion in the darkroom. How do you do it?

Vorgonyi, it would be too long to recount here. But I was asked by a magazine a few years ago to write about my diffusion technique. So for those who's plumbers can't advise them on this, here's a link.

http://www.shutterbug.com/content/personal-project-modern-pictorialism-printing-techniques-smooth-tonality

[Robert Brummitt]

Great read. Now that I know which issue of B&W it's in, I'll buy a copy to read the full interview. Thanks for sharing.

[Kirk Gittings]

Great interview. You are a rare talent having been both a successful commercial photographer and artist-very unusual.

[Brian K]

Robert the B&W issue has an abridged interview. Susan posted the complete version. But it's still a good copy to have, it has a feature on Michael Kenna.

Thanks Kirk, that's extremely kind of you to say and I agree with you 1000%. :) You could say the same things about yourself with complete justification. But again, thanks.

[dasBlute]

Very nice work. I'd seen some examples of diffusion in the darkroom, but you've mentioned some intriguing twists. I can see how it would add a special glow to certain prints, when used with discretion. Thanks for sharing.

[Richard Wasserman]

Wonderful interview Brian, thanks for sharing. I find your work very beautiful and emotionally moving.

[Kirk Gittings]

Thanks Kirk, that's extremely kind of you to say and I agree with you 1000%. You could say the same things about yourself with complete justification. But again, thanks.

Thanks Brian. For me it has always been a dual career since the 70's, which sometimes feels like I have been working two full time jobs-hard to juggle at times but very stimulating.

[Robert Brummitt]

Robert the B&W issue has an abridged interview. Susan posted the complete version. But it's still a good copy to have, it has a feature on Michael Kenna.

Thanks Kirk, that's extremely kind of you to say and I agree with you 1000%. :) You could say the same things about yourself with complete justification. But again, thanks.

I get a free issue for my Ipad. Thanks for letting me know which issue. I would love to see more of your color work as well!

[vorgonyi]

Thank you Brian.

Very interesting and great photography.
best

Viktor

[Robert Brummitt]

Say Brian, what position did you play in softball? Do you like fast or slow pitch?

[Heroique]

So for those who's plumbers can't advise them on this...

My plumber visited this morning when I was online, and I showed him the Burnstine link!

There was only a moment or two for a quick glance, but I thought his brief, “nuts-and-bolts” criticism was interesting enough to share. Pretty much verbatim:

“They look the same. Lots of curves w/ something in the middle, like the telephone pole or a tree. Or rain shower, or hay bales. Everything fits in the same place ... it’s just, dull, but that’s just me.” (I sensed he was alarmed I might disagree, and I hadn’t paid him yet.)

In any case, I thought his phrase “everything fits” was right out of a plumber’s dictionary. I didn’t follow-up on his comments – he was leaving after fixing my kitchen sink – but I think he was trying to indicate an absence of tension or dynamism or life w/ his limited vocabulary. Most surprising – he didn’t seem bored; he appeared that he wanted to see more and keep talking...

Next time, I’ll show him my favorite prints – I’ll remember to prepare myself for some candid remarks that may prove useful.

[jnantz]

be careful of locksmiths heroique ! scathing criticism ...

i know one who makes sculptures, draws, paints, collages
amongst other things,

and he has choice words to say about artwork he doesn't like.


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nice interviews brian
sorry to report, i didn't have any repair people over today
so i couldn't ask about printing technique, or contextual analysis of their favorite art works ...

[bob carnie]

Robert , he must have played fast pitch because thats the only game in town.

good article Brian.

Say Brian, what position did you play in softball? Do you like fast or slow pitch?

[Brian K]

Robert, Bob it was both fast and slow pitch depending on where and who we were playing, and I was an outfielder.

[mdm]

I enjoyed the interview and even liked some of the jpegs. Thanks.

[Struan Gray]

I'm my own plumber. And I like Brian's photos.

There ain't no such place as Ballchulish though.

[BrianShaw]

Can I please help bring this back to the topic: Nice interview and nice pictures.

[Robert Brummitt]

Brian,
What about your color work? You showed one photograph on Facebook and I thought it wonderful. Are there others?
Back to softball. I was a lowly catcher for a custom color lab. My knees kill me now.
I played against a team with a pitcher who flew not threw a ball so fast it made the tears of my eyes dry up.

[Brian K]

Before I forget, thank you all for the kind words.

Robert, I'm still playing with the color work. I've been testing various color neg films and even using tri-color with B&W to create color images. I have such a back log of printing, scanning and now working on producing large pigment prints that I don't know what to do. It's scanning and PS work that allows me to spend time on LFF.

As for softball, as in baseball it's the position that takes the greatest toll on a player physically. I never played softball where the pitchers could really whip the ball. I've even seen some of the women players pitch so fast that I would not want to bat against them.