I have been taking pictures all my life starting with Kodak Instamatic cameras. At 10 years old, I was using a Polaroid One Step camera (but still using the instamatics because the Polaroid film was about $1 per shot). My parents threatened to get me a real camera sometime in my teens but backed down when they saw the prices, so I got a Kodak Disc instead.
In college I began taking video classes and photography was an elective. I took the Intro to Photo class and had to get a real 35mm SLR camera. I bought a used Minolta XG-1 (still have it today and it still works). I learned black and white developing and printing and was very excited by the process.
After the class I bought a complete darkroom set up for my basement and took the next level photography class.
I grew tired of video because the other people in my class were constantly screwing things up (mainly being late). Video relied on too many other people and if 1 person did a bad job, the entire group suffered. Photography was completely controlled by me and so I switched my major to photography.
I began experimenting with several different camera techniques and photographic processes. In my junior year I was making cyanotype t-shirts of things such as "The Good Helmskeeping" symbol and various headlines from the World Weekly News. But I also began experimenting with destroying photographic images and my teacher and I decided the destruction route was better.
I began using 4x5 negatives and scratching and painting them. I was boiling a negative and nothing was happening. My roommate said I needed something that would go hotter than 212 degrees and so I used cooking oil. Boy did the house stink but I made a very interesting self portrait. I have added all kinds of different processes to destroy the image. Now that darkrooms are almost gone, I do use the computer although I still do most of the manipulation outside of the computer. I use a scanner instead of an enlarger.
I prefer to print my photos large. In college I was limited to 30 inches wide so most of my photos are around 30x40. The methods I use to destroy the photo are exaggerated by the enlargement process. And the destruction also makes my photos a little scary which is why I use the name "Big, Scary Pictures."
Some of my artistic influences are Duane Michals, Roy Lichtenstein, Jan Saudek, Joel Peter Witkin, Gerald Slota, Jackson Pollack, Rene Magritte, and Edvard Munch.
In college I began taking video classes and photography was an elective. I took the Intro to Photo class and had to get a real 35mm SLR camera. I bought a used Minolta XG-1 (still have it today and it still works). I learned black and white developing and printing and was very excited by the process.
After the class I bought a complete darkroom set up for my basement and took the next level photography class.
I grew tired of video because the other people in my class were constantly screwing things up (mainly being late). Video relied on too many other people and if 1 person did a bad job, the entire group suffered. Photography was completely controlled by me and so I switched my major to photography.
I began experimenting with several different camera techniques and photographic processes. In my junior year I was making cyanotype t-shirts of things such as "The Good Helmskeeping" symbol and various headlines from the World Weekly News. But I also began experimenting with destroying photographic images and my teacher and I decided the destruction route was better.
I began using 4x5 negatives and scratching and painting them. I was boiling a negative and nothing was happening. My roommate said I needed something that would go hotter than 212 degrees and so I used cooking oil. Boy did the house stink but I made a very interesting self portrait. I have added all kinds of different processes to destroy the image. Now that darkrooms are almost gone, I do use the computer although I still do most of the manipulation outside of the computer. I use a scanner instead of an enlarger.
I prefer to print my photos large. In college I was limited to 30 inches wide so most of my photos are around 30x40. The methods I use to destroy the photo are exaggerated by the enlargement process. And the destruction also makes my photos a little scary which is why I use the name "Big, Scary Pictures."
Some of my artistic influences are Duane Michals, Roy Lichtenstein, Jan Saudek, Joel Peter Witkin, Gerald Slota, Jackson Pollack, Rene Magritte, and Edvard Munch.