What Was Not, What Is and What Won't Ever Be.

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8 x 10 Pinhole positive from a paper negative taken with the "Talbot's Horse".

Paper Negative_ Arista EDU Grade 2. Not pre-flashed.

Exposure: 10 minutes. Taken in Random Lake.

© Flavio Martín Morante_2014

Well, I have to say that my participation on WWPD goes down in history as a very failed one. For some reason which I attribute to human error and in which I will not go on explanation as it will be too long of a complicated story, I came out of that event with 2 photographs that will never be. What I mean is that the 2 shots I made, came completely blank. 

No need to say that it has bothered me for the last 2 days so I went today after work to the same spot where I made one of the non-existing photos and instead of making the same take, I crossed the railroads and went into photographing something else (seen above) as a way to move on, but also because the photo of the covered car became now to me a photograph of "what we will never know".

I guess I hope to have better luck next year. Like Sudek used to say when things were not right: 

...and the music plays, the music plays!

Cheers!

In LIGHT We Trust!

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Vicki Reed and Hal Rammel and myself at home during World Wide Pinhole Day. 

© Flavio Martín Morante_2014

Nikon Coolpix P7000

Or at least we tried! We celebrated World Wide Pinhole Day despite the nasty weather which did not give us break. Still we spent time walking on Random Lake, making some photos and having a great time. Now we have just to wait to see some results. The other positive thing besides spending time with people with the same interest, was the fact that I got to walk around parts of town that usually I drive through or that I did not pay attention, discovering some nice new angles that I am planning to revisit hopefully soon.

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Hal Rammel setting up by the railroad tracks of Random Lake during World Wide Pinhole Day. 

© Flavio Martín Morante_2014

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Vicki Reed photographing in the back alleys of Random Lake during World Wide Pinhole Day. 

© Flavio Martín Morante_2014

For the Poetry of Light

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Untitled (Port Washington Cemetery, Wisconsin)

4in x 5in  Ilford FP4 Plus (film negative). Ilford Paper RC IV Multigrade (contact print). 

Pinhole camera f231

© Flavio Martín Morante_2012

Two years ago I fell in love with pinhole photography and today after trials and errors I feel as confident enough with the medium as to be working on my new body of work using a large format homemade pinhole camera.

This coming Sunday joining the world wide community of "pinholers", I will join great photographers and friends Vicki Reed and Hal Rammel in a photowalk to celebrate what has come to be known as Worldwide Pinhole Day (click HERE for more info) or a celebration of the plain and simple poetry of light. We will depart from our house in Random Lake for a morning photographing and sharing knowledge if the weather behaves.

Looking forward to it. If you read this and have a pinhole camera or want to make one for such day, shot me an e-mail and joins this Sunday.

Cheers!

Getting the Wheels Rolling

HARBOR Reframed from F. Martin Morante on Vimeo.

Morning Views

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At Home © Flavio Martín Morante_2014

Nikon Coolpix P7000

The last thing I expected to see this morning when I took the dogs out was to see more white! Who said we were on Spring? :)

All About Richard

In this times of so much selfies and cheap portraits, to see the work of great photographers makes you feel not only small but also makes you learn something (or a lot). Portrait photography has never been my very favorite subject matter I have to say - maybe it was the many hours posing for photos when we were kids- but I still can say that to see the work of people like Irving Penn, Yosuf Karsh or Richard Avedon to cite some of the greatest XX century portrait photographers, is like being invited to have a seat at a good meal served to you from which you finish walking out of the room fully satisfied.

Well, cut to the cheese. This coming Wednesday I will be sharing a piece of that meal with anyone who may want to stop by the library at 6 (or earlier) where I will be presenting the documentary "Richard Avedon: Darkness & Light" from the PBS series "American Masters" about the work of this famous photographer as part of the program PORTfolio.

Movie is free and books on the author will be available for viewing or to check out.

Hope you can make it. I will be an interesting one.

According to "Don" Antonio

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8 x 10 Pinhole positive from a paper negative taken with the "Talbot's Horse".

Paper Negative_ Arista EDU Grade 2. Pre flashed under enlarger at f16 for 2 seconds.

Exposure: 23 minutes. Taken near Waubedonia Park.

© Flavio Martín Morante_2014

"Wanderer, your footsteps are
the road, and nothing more;
wanderer, there is no road,
the road is made by walking.
By walking one makes the road,
and upon glancing back
one sees the path
that will never be trod again.
Wanderer, there is no road—
Only wakes upon the sea".

 by Antonio Machado 

Meanwhile I share these two fresh ones (above & below) that came out of the "kitchen" these past days.

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8 x 10 Pinhole positive from a paper negative taken with the "Talbot's Horse".

Paper Negative_ Arista EDU Grade 2. Pre flashed under enlarger at f16 for 2 seconds.

Exposure: 11 minutes. Taken by the Milwaukee River near Waubedonia Park.

© Flavio Martín Morante_2014

Its All in the Details.

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Working on the wood panels for the "Marinas" show.

© Flavio Martín Morante_2014_ Nikon P7000

I keep working on the panels for the double show with Lois Wirth and her amazing watercolors. I only have 8 pieces left to make and still on perfect time as my own imposed deadline for it is the end of April. The show will be in June, but I want to have that period of detachment from it, so a good month will do.

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Working on the scale model for the "Marinas" show.

© Flavio Martín Morante_2014_ Nikon P7000

Meanwhile, I built a scale model of the gallery ( 1inch= 2.5 feet) in order for me and Lois to be able to visualize the order of the pieces and the space. It is a good way to be able to save time on placing on the spot, something that based on experience it can turn a simple 2 hour job into a day nightmare in some cases. This way, except for minor changes during the hanging day, we should have already a pretty clear idea where everything should go. I have to say that it did help me a lot as originally I have around 5-6 more pieces in mind than what I ended up with that I discarded once I got the model made. Also, I been playing with the positioning of them for a while and Dawn as always as my best and directly honest critic has helped me to see things I missed.

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Working on the scale model for the "Marinas" show.

© Flavio Martín Morante_2014_ Nikon P7000

I am taking really seriously this show, among many reasons is the fact that I have not done a show like this on quite a while (50 pieces on the Latino Arts back on 2005- CLICK HERE TO SEE IT) so I am trying to have everything the way it should be. I hope I do.

Stay tuned.