First of all let me say, I'm not good with words. I'm like probably 99.99% of you. I'd rather be out there making pictures than sitting in front of this damned computer. But I do need to get the word out, because this is not something I cannot do on my own. I need help. Every little bit helps.
I've been very grateful to all the members on this forum that have helped equip me with the knowledge and tools of large format. Perhaps with some support from you I can send you a print or post card from South Korea of my work for your generosity.
I purchased a 7x17 camera around a year ago (thinking I'd skip the other formats-ha!), but had to have it sent to fixed by the esteemed Mr. Richard T. Ritter. While that was in the shop for several months, I purchased a 5x7 fixer upper and learned about the basic make of a large format camera. I have made some truly beautiful images with it since. I purchased a slightly faulty 8x10, fixed it up and began playing with the ever-so-special, 8x10 x-ray film. I photographed 55 of my students and exhibited the work in June. The 8x10 is now being used to document the Daegu, South Korea monorail. It's been a busy, fun, and expensive year! I'm now very comfortable shooting large format, and processing and handling the large film, scanning and printing it.
I'm now (almost) ready to dive into 2014 shooting almost exclusively with the 7x17.
I'm a professor of photography at a university in Daegu, South Korea. I believe very strongly in analogue film photography and large format. As the photoevangelist, I need to spread the word. Both of these have changed my work style and have helped me to find a personal vision I struggled to find using digital photography. South Korea is not like China, or some or the other countries that film photography is considered hip. Large format photography is dying very quickly here, if not just twitching. The only available large format is 4x5 - and even that is limited. Photographic enlargement papers have already been reduced to nothing but Ilford. Rodinal is imported by one individual. People just aren't interested. Koreans follow the latest trend. You'll be hard pressed to find a car older than my very own 1996 Kia. It's gotta be the latest, greatest, fastest thing - no matter what it is. Even good old furniture is dumped when a family moves to get the newest style of leather.
I'm in a very important position to make a strong defense for traditional and large format photography. Lately, special attention has been drawn to my work - and I have three magazine interviews lined up for the next few months. Earlier this week, my life and work was documented in a 30 min Korean national TV special. http://www.ebs.co.kr/replay/show?pro...ectId=10165925 Here you'll see me photographing the monorail with my 8x10 camera. I have no financial support for this work. These ideas are my own and I made the cold calls to get up in the monorail (currently under construction) to get special permission. I've seen other artists in Korea who have been given thousands of dollars in research money and grants given to them, but the quality (and passion thereof) of the work really is very short of the mark. I'm not qualified for these grants - or perhaps maybe the right person hasn't seen my work yet.
This is why I need help. Crowdfunding will help get me the attention I need. My final goal is to show drum scanned 7x17 color negative extra-large enlargements (think Massimo Vitali). If my project is successful, I plan to have enough work to exhibit by around 2015. However, right now I'm just trying to fund the film order.
7x17 color isn't a very popular format, so I'm going to start the special order if my proposal is funded. If you're a 7x17 photographer and are interested in a color special order, please help me make this happen.
I want to knock the Korean's feet off with a 1903 camera!
Support can be made here until Dec. 15: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...ide-down/posts
Thank you for reading this far!
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Randy Moe
Bookmarks