As was said before I made a photobook of some of the 35mm film photos i took using Lomography Lomochrome purple film. This was based on some encouragement by another photographer who also started making books of his work. The photographer had also knew of a seen my UNEEQ series of photos and had always said to make make a photobook of the series. I always had wanted to shoot more for the series but time kept going and going without it happening. So one day I selected all the images I wanted to edit and show and finally created a monster 8×12, 100 page hardcover photobook! a one of a kind unique itself complete book of the UNEEQ series. Very VERY Happy with how it came together and came out.

Now i’ve been shooting 35mm film since starting again with a roll of lomochrome purple since 2019. Shooting film while i like the results and the look of film it was getting a bit stale and unexciting as the time moved on and there felt like fewer and fewer things I wanted to take 35mm film pics of. Getting through a roll of 36 shots was getting harder and harder, and a roll would take weeks to finish. I decided I would stop shooting film and go back to just shoot digital images. With that decision I decided and did make a photobook of my best 35mm shots. Was also very happy with that and was going through the few rolls of 35mm film I had left when yet again I was talking to that photographer…

He had been considering shooting film starting with 35mm, but was looking at medium format film photography. I had always thought about I and considered it. I had looked at some cameras on Ebay and did some research, just some and on an impulse and a whim purchased a Pentax 645 medium format camera. I put it through a few rolls including a studio shoot, A first for myself, and just loving it. There’s only 15 shots per roll of 120 film so each shot really has to be thought out and shot with more purpose so to speak. Some film especially in 35mm is scarce and the price of film in 35mm has skyrocketed, that and the cost of developing and scanning from a photolab, film photography is expensive. But for now I am bringing out my small tank that in the Pentax 645 and enjoying the film “magic” that it creates. Looking forward to creating more images in 120 film and the photobooks that will arise from them.

Had been shooting with film for a while. Started shooting film again when I saw a weird and strange film called Lomochrome Purple was being made again by Lomography after they had originally created a limited amount several years ago. Purple being my favorite color I decided to give it a try. So in 2019 I looked on Ebay and purchased an old canon 650 film camera and had repurchased a canon 28mm f1.8 that I once had when I used my canon t3i. I went to Central Park and shot my first roll of purple. After getting the film developed and scan, I looked at the images on my computer and was extremely happy with the strange and exotic results. I shot with other films since; Kodak gold, Portra 800, and Cinestill 800T being the ones i like also. But I had at the time shot 11 rolls of purple. After shooting 11 rolls I was encouraged to create a photobook of some of shots created with the film. Had a 6×9 photobook made by Printique that came out really well, with a cover a created in procreate. Now although I starting to shoot digital again and winding down how much film I shoot (Due in part to the rising cost of film and developing prices) Its inspiring to see the film images in book form and makes me want to shoot just with lomochrome purple. I still may make a second book since there are plenty of images I didn’t put in the first, or from what I learned and like to shoot, shoot a few more rolls of purple to make a whole new book! Whatever I decide I will always like those violet hues and views.

It’s been quite a year. The world is still in the midst of a global pandemic but several vaccines are now available to fight against the coronavirus and things are slowly getting back to normal. Virus is still out there but things are better. While I haven’t painted an oil painting in the past two or more years I had been doing a lot of digital at in an iPad Pro my mother loving purchased for me. When it came to photography, the world was closed so there wasn’t much to shoot in studio. Although I think I’m no longer getting much benefit out of the group studio workshops anymore. Slowly but surely as the chains of work loosened and getting together with family and friends in small pods began to happen, I started to shoot more film. I shoot with both lomochrome metropolis and purple, shot with Kodak gold and tri-x, and purchased a ‘new’ higher end film camera and a classic canon 28-70 lens. The times I went out shooting or shoot friends at small gatherings lead to me having more than a few good shots and was quite enjoyable. Shooting film is slower and more deliberate, and shots should be planned well. Even though I do think I got more than a few good spontaneous shoot. Well for now I’ll try and keep creating digital art on the iPad and shooting film. It’s more than accessible for me to do these thing in these continuing trying times. But yeah in order to create…shoot more film!

There’s a global pandemic. The coronavirus has change the world and the lives of us all. I’m considered essential staff at the 9 to 5 so I have to go out 5 days a week into nearly empty streets and sparsely crowded public transportation to work and back home. But what really is hurting me and everyone is not being able to socialize with others. Bars and restaurants as well as many other things are closed. Can’t do my weekly stop at the Owl, can’t meet up with friends to hang out and go eat, can’t do much of anything. One of the effects of this pandemic is not being able to go out and do photography. Can’t shoot friends or projects, it rather pointless to even carry a camera as the streets are all but desolate(in most places, still a few people walking the Bronx streets all the time). Not being able to freely shoot has made the desire to shoot even stronger. I assume it’s that being told not to do something and wanting to do it more. All in all there are ideas abound but can’t actually shoot. It’s cherry blossom tree season in the city and I’ve been wanting to shoot them and a model with them forever. There’s a tree next to work and I took the time to shoot it to at least do something before the season is out. Let’s see how long this pandemic last and what’s the lasting effect on us all, and how it leaves us withe the question; to shoot, or not to shoot.