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97F-12"Sunset"May 31 | ||||
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Sometimes a real surprise occurs. This sculpture started out as a sunset image in my mind, but as the day progressed it grew in unusual directions. One assignment was to get some photos of me working with the new sailcloth form. I set my weatherproof camera on a tripod and used the remote control to shoot myself. At the time I had only a hazy notion of what to do with them, but later when I started making this Web site, the use became obvious. The images are in the How I Do It section of the "Information" page. Some friends participated in this one. Good sand was available--it isn't always, because the beach is always changing under the tide's influence--but it was below the tide line. Rich and Ken carried sand for me, which I always appreciate. The day was breezy and cool. Ken didn't stay long; he's from Hong Kong and likes his beaches warm. Carving progressed into this very rare anthorpomophic form. It elicited some interesting comments. One woman stayed and we talked as the sun set. As sometimes happens, she asked me what I saw in it, and I responded with the usual: I can't see the sculpture because I'm still making it in my mind. I asked her what she saw. "I see love in the sculpture." There wasn't much I could say after that.
Technical Notes: Color-matching these scans was unexpectedly difficult. I thought that, because I'd used slide film, the scans would be uniform all the way around the sculpture. The light didn't change, but there are still subtle changes in the way film sees the light. I chose one slide to use as a standard, then matched the others to it. Even this wasn't foolproof. Under normal conditions, I wouldn't notice what happens, but photographing an object from many directions shows how the color changes. When the images are lined up next to each other it becomes obvious. I can see I have something to learn in the scanning process. This presentation is the first to be done with the new film scanner I share with Bert Adams. It's a capable device, and scanning isn't rocket science, but it wants a gentle and experienced hand.
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sgp9note.htm 1999 February 14