enchantment and disbelief.....

so ...

1 year later

I return to the secret chosen places ...

in the deep dark forest...by the glacial lake where I grew up

the "gruffalo forest" for those in the know ...

(my young apprentices ... eh? eh?)

ulivetto .....progress report... 21 may 2011

 

there seem to be 5 different themes / series  inside the Ancient Olive project ....

13 old professors

3 bodies in trees

12 weird animals 

12 fairytale creatures trapped

and 13 Enty old tree beards ....

I can't seem to narrow it down any further....

so there is alot of work still to be done

each image is traditionally photographed and printed in the silver gelatin process 

5x4 inch negatives 

  contact printed on 8x10 inch  fibre based paper

(the following are the scans of the printworks so far )

Over the last months I have started in on the "old professors" ... but realise there is still so many more to be printed and each one takes days to get right ... the fibre base paper changes not only contrast but density (light and dark) is entirely different by the time it has dried over a 48 hour period ...so there have been many recalibrations and alot of re-printing ...

nothing is quite what it seems...

days later what was perfect is now dark and flat and not as intended ... so I have started all over over from scratch ... with the long forgotten knowledge of how this paper and silver gelatin process changes over time ....

It is amazing how instant digital technology and impatience has changed our perspective ....

just ......resting my eyes

for a minute ....

New Zealand

cooper ...

Trelise Cooper's second line is called "Cooper"

we worked on the premise of a different style of girl ...more street than tailored victorian romantic which is infused through the Trelise Cooper signature range...

here are the results......

back in the dark......

quakes have died down ...

a bit 

demolishing and renovating is at a balance and I am not "quite" so worried about being trapped in a chemistry full room in the dungeon labyrinth of the old house ....printing my Ancient Olive project .... so I have rebuilt and got my little darkroom up and running ... 

hose through the window for print washing in big post earthquake rainwater tub ....

tiny enlarger on top of fridge in storeroom ... 

read 

"pro photographers darkroom facility in Christchurch New Zealand April in the year 2011"

over 100 more beautiful 5x4 inch negatives to proof before working out the best for limited edition printworks ...

(I did a lot of work in the last month of my artists residence in Italy ) which was not possible to actually develop and see before the shows .... so now half of the project is still coming to light ... 

it's amazing ...

allorra 

today is a top secret code day ... 

the person concerned will know what I mean...

                            and if he doesnt he needs a good dong on the head with a saucepan....

                                       fmjd

                                 22 april 2011

fly on the wall...

crew cam ... the making of "skyflying"

sooooooo......modelling may not be not quite as wildly glamorous as suspected?

:)

skyflying...

the latest works are a progression of an idea I shot some years ago ... 

loving the spirit of "House of the Flying Daggers" and "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" .... I have made a giant fight-flight chase across the rooftops of Paris.

These images are for an editorial style conceptual catalogue for Fashionmasters in China ... its so fun working for this client, they really set you free on picture making...

it was an extremely tough and often painful shoot physically for the models , who were harnessed and suspended from the roof ...for long periods of time. They did really well and didnt complain at all ... Kimberley was exceptional ... one of New Zealand's former national gymnasts, and the other two; Michaela and Sophie were such great girls !!! All models were from Portfolio model agency which lost their premises and all in the earthquake .... 22 Feb 2011
Fortunately we did the shoot in the days before ...

the next post will be the making of ... :)  
crew cam...