Exploring the unlikely intersections of walking, photography and making
One of several limitations of the current crop of SX-70 films is their sensitivity to temperature. Taking a picture below 13°C could result in a dark, muddy image with a blue/green cast and lacking contrast. Technically, the developer “goo” that spreads across the image as it is ejected from the camera is, more likely than... Continue Reading →
What can I say? How can I put together a compelling list of travel-related gifts in 2020? For Canadians, travel anywhere beyond the boundaries of our home province is a risky, if not entirely outlawed, activity. And it is possible that this will be the state of affairs until late 2021—at best. For 2020, I... Continue Reading →
Winnipegger’s new book explores self-isolation through the lens of a Polaroid camera. On December 10, 2020 at 7:00 PM CST, David Firman will hold a virtual book launch and reading via Zoom. The event is free but pre-registration is required. The registration form is here: https://www.firmangallery.com/BookLaunchRegistration. David Firman’s new photography book, From Our Windows, tells... Continue Reading →
Walks are sequential events. So, it seems to me that the comic book/manga/fumetti/graphic novel format would be an ideal means of presenting a photo walk. Here's a little experiment.
My Polaroid work of late has been entirely in colour, using the latest iteration of Polaroid SX-70 colour film. However, for some time I have coveted the opportunity to play with Polaroid's Black and White SX-70 film. After all, I was a black and white film photographer for twenty-plus years leading up to my introduction... Continue Reading →
"A group of five grain elevators in Inglis in the Rural Municipality of Riding Mountain West is one of the last remaining examples of a once-common prairie icon. Now preserved as a national historic site and a provincial historic site, the Inglis site represents an important period in the development of Canada’s grain industry from 1900 to 1930. The history of the... Continue Reading →
It was a warm summer afternoon, a good opportunity to walk along the shoreline of Lake Winnipeg. Just up the eroded slope, Gail and Styxx (our greyhound) lounged in the yurt we had rented for a few days at Camp Morton Provincial Park. Down here, the lake was calm, gently lapping on the smooth stones... Continue Reading →
While I work to get the planned book for my From Our Windows project completed—and you will be hearing more about that progress soon—I have ventured outside with my SX-70 Polaroid camera in-hand. To start, here is a selection of instant photos taken a mere 100 metres from my front door along the banks of... Continue Reading →
This is the final set of Polaroids in my From Our Windows project. I could continue of course. It's not as if the pandemic has suddenly vanished. But I am comfortable with what I have captured over the past three months. When I lay out my eighty-plus little framed images, I can see a complete... Continue Reading →
This is the third and final series of Polaroid SX-70 pictures altered with alcohol inks. It has been a curious exercise. Although I apply the inks as a single, tiny dot, how it spreads across the glossy surface of the photo is totally unpredictable and uncontrollable. How appropriate!