I went out yesterday and bought five more rolls of Tri-X. (That’s 400 ISO black and white film from Kodak.) I also bought two new batteries for my camera. I still have no idea how I’ll get access to a darkroom at the moment, but I had to stock up on supplies for this weekend

The lecture for last night’s class was a real treat. Chris, out instructor, gave a slide show presentation about himself, and shared fun insights about what it’s like to live the life of a professional photographer. It was really amazing. He’s from Reno, so he started his career with lots of casino and nightlife work. He’s photographed the whole range, and is still extremely active. (It’s definitely got me thinking.)
Our final assignment was to create what we considered to be a work of art. We all got in a circle again and shared our thoughts on what art was and how those thoughts influenced our artwork. Since we were instructed to not critique each other’s work this time, and with this being our last class, the class took on comfortable and conversational tone. At the end we sorta’ talked about some of our future plans.
I’ve really learned a lot from this class, and I can’t wait to take another class. I’m not going to be in school for summer, so I guess I’ll be going into withdrawals over not having access to a darkroom. I plan to continue shooting, and will have to trust that the rest of the details will work themselves out.
Oh, yeah, in case you’re wondering about my final: I got a 4.0. I’ll try to post the photograph for you soon. (I won’t know my grade for the class until they notify me by mail.)

Last night’s class was the last Wednesday night class of the quarter. We turned in our assignments, which addressed special lighting conditions. With all that’s been going on over the last week I’d forgotten to complete a Photoshop assignment, which was also due yesterday. Our finals are due on Monday– our last day of class.
With a new assignment, the quarter finishing up and summer well on its way, I can’t help but feel the weight of changes that are in the air. I hope to embrace them.
One last thing: My big computer started hanging last Saturday morning, and I haven’t been able to get it to boot up properly ever since. Looks like I’ll be sending it into the shop sometime soon. With all of the attention my photography has been getting over the last tow months I really haven’t been on the computer too much. For the moment, I’m content with this strange break in my routine.

My class assignments are piling up. I wanted to do my “motion study” (due today) with my youngest nephew, Douglas, but he’s busy with soccer practices, so he couldn’t get the time. I stood on the side of Aurora (a local highway) and took pictures of the passing traffic as I waited for Mary to bring her set of keys so I could get back into my car. (Never mind. It’s a long story.) I also spent a few hours down at the water, trying to get good pictures of boats, but I’m not sure how these will turn out. I’ll be in the darkroom again today.
I still have two more serious camera assignments for this quarter. I’ll be doing a special lighting study (silhouettes, low light, etc.), and then I’ll be creating what I’ll need to consider to be a “work of art.” The work of art project will be my final. I have no solid ideas for either of these at the moment, but I’m not worried about it.
Awkward stuff happening with the Photo Club, which is going to be electing new officers very soon. I sent off an email to the members today, officially declaring my interest in running for Vice President of the club. No, I don’t want to be President. I just want to support the hell out of the club and help to create something truly amazing. I want to exercise my imagination again. (Yeah. I know.) I know that I have a lot to offer, but navigating the personal politics has been a drain on my enthusiasm. There’s still some bullshit going on right now, but we’ll just have to wait it out and see what settles. I’m sure I’ll know a lot more after Thursday’s club meeting.
You know, things have been a little deep lately. I think it’s about time to get back to having fun…
Stay tuned.

I think it’s time for me to report a little bit more about Shoreline’s photo club (officially known as, “Photo Forum”). It’s a subject I have been intentionally avoiding in this blog, but, as you know, I don’t like the thought of censoring myself like that. I’ve had some time to think about things now, so hopefully I can articulate things clearly.
Thursday
Thursday evening was the Photo Forum’s Infrared Outing, which gave us the opportunity to experiment with this extremely unusual and sensitive kind of film. I did my homework on this before the meeting, but I still have no idea what the results will be. Infrared film is not the same as normal film. For example, due to its sensitivity to non-visible light, you have to load infrared film into your camera in total darkness. Also, unlike normal Panchromatic black and white films, infrared film has no speed description, which makes an odd kind of sense, when you consider that it takes pictures of invisible light. There’s more, but I think you get the picture.
Anyhoo, I think that there were about ten of us that got together at the school and then headed out, individually, to Carkeek Park (which is local) to take photos. I rode out there with a student I’d met several weeks earlier, named Star.
Star’s cool. She just a little younger than me, tattooed, and sparkling with positive energy. She’s a photography major that’s been in the program at Shoreline since last quarter, but she’d found out about the photo club from me during a random exchange in the Photo Lab. The infrared outing was her first time with Photo Forum, so she didn’t get any of the emails about infrared film. I caught her up on the concept on the concpt of IR film to the best of my ability en route to the park.
A good group of us started to congregate around the parking lot towards the end of the outing, with the sun starting to set over the water. Star and I had been asking Christopher Nelson, the president of the club (who is now graduating), all kinds of questions about the club and offering to get involved. The conversation was deep, and Star and I had a very serious heart-to-heart on the drive back to the school. We were very seriously considering Chris’ direction, which included clear instruction on how to take over the club for the upcoming school year.
Friday
Deciding that it would be far better to be proactive, I called Star’s cell phone early on Friday. It made sense to me. There were only two weeks left in spring quarter, and the Student Advisor Manual Christopher had given me (which I read first thing Friday morning) clearly stated deadlines–requiring paperwork to be turned in before spring quarter was out. Sure, Star and I would have preferred the convenience of postponing our investigation, but we agreed that it was better to move forward immediately. We needed to have a clearer understanding of what we were talking about, and we needed that knowledge as soon as possible.
Star and I met on campus at 11:45 Friday morning and, following Christopher’s instructions, started to inquire officially about keeping the existing incarnation of the photography club alive. As you can well imagine, it came as no small shock to us to learn that the deadline for the requisite paperwork was, in fact, the end of that very day! (Can you say, “deadline”?)
Now, there’s a lot more to it than this, but I’m going to skip over the details regarding all of the red tape. I’ll just share that we did get all of the paperwork signed, and all of the signatures we needed from active students, and got that paperwork turned in by the end of the day. We were very relieved about this, too. There had been absolutely no warning of the pending problems, so Star and I felt pretty damn good about pulling a rabbit out of our hat like this.
Saturday
I went into the photography lab shortly after it opened on Saturday, but I was far more interested in asking questions than in developing film. From what I understood at that moment, there had been a massive miscommunication in the existing government of the photo club, and Star and I, with the President’s clear blessing and instruction, had been delivered to a place that put us, potentially and uncomfortably, in charge of something we knew little or noting about. At very least, we’d contributed to the club’s preservation. (One point of clarification: Christopher was not the only person involved in that lengthy conversation that led us to considering club leadership.) I’d sent Christopher (the President) and Jennifer (the Vice President, who had also been at that meeting) a lengthy email updating them on our activities and asking for further advice. Not having a reply to my email, going to the school and trying to ask more questions of any of the existing club members seemed like the most logical step…
You know, we didn’t mean any harm. We just wanted to participate; to get involved. We honestly thought the club officers would be happy to learn that we were so serious and proactive with our involvement and our follow up on our conversation. I don’t know how we could have come to any other conclusion, which I probably should have taken as the first sign of danger.
OK, so there I am, at the photography lab. Walking in, I approach the lab attendant and a photo club member I’d recognized, and start to explain the whole sordid little situation. Wuh. The club member, who I’d always seen as one of the most cheerful and positive students on campus, suddenly looked like I’d kicked her. Not funny. “I’d been telling Christopher for months that I want to be a club officer,” and, “I’ve not missed a club meeting in (X) months! This is so unfair!”
Meanwhile, it turns out that the lab attendant also happens to be not only the club Treasurer, but also one of the club founders. And, boy, is she on the defensive, and there’s no talking her out of it. (This is another one of those situations where I really shouldn’t have tried.) She can’t even hear me, and uttterly fails to appreciate or empathize the awkward situation I suddenly found myself in. I know she didn’t mean to, but every time I tried to clarify the situation and the conversations she’d now heard, she just kinda’ took it personally,
OK. I know I’m gong to regret this, but it gotta’ be said: My favorite part of our exchange came much later, when she passionately looked me in the eye and says, “You see? Right there. I would NEVER vote for you for President!” Wow. Now, that sure was personal. What the fuck was that about? There’s nothing quite as nice as the implied threat of someone harboring a hidden resentment over an imagined slight, going out of their way to impede your good efforts, and secreting away some level of passive-aggression based entirely on actions you considered to be both Christian and good.
Anyway, there’s a lot more to it than that, but I really don’t need to get into all of the details. Believe it or not, I really don’t care that much about the negativity, and I don’t want to give it any more of my energy. It’s just not worth it.
For this moment, Christopher, the club Treasurer, that (rightfully and understandably) offended Photo Forum member, Star and I are all kina’ on the same page. Then again, maybe not. The Treasure said she was going to send out an email to the club members so an election can be held, but it’s been two days, and we’ve yet to see any email. We’re flying blind again. Since there’ now less than two weeks left in this quarter, Star and I are not very happy about this lack of communication, either. I think we’re just going to have to see how today play out, just keep it touch-and-go.
The funniest thing about this situation is that Star and I met for coffee last night and talked about the whole thing, and decided that we’d like to support that offended club member’s bid for club presidency. We’re not even sure, at this point, if she’s interested, but we recognize that she’s been with the club for five quarters, has apparently been an extremely active member, actually wants to participate in a leadership role, is about as serious about photography as you can get (I learned that she’s a Photography and Graphic Arts double major), and has an amazingly sunny disposition, to boot! I think she’d be a blast to work with, that she must have a lot of ideas already (from her five quarters of experience with the club), and that she’d be open to new ideas. I sure hope that Star and I get the chance to talk with her soon.
As for everything else, well, it’s just so nice to feel welcome….

School has been great for me. Every day that I go to the campus I find myself considering the possibilities, which is a departure from the usual corporate mindset of accepting limitations. The people, as diverse as they are, are absolutely fantastic. I guess the whole experience has brought me to the realization that I need to continue with my schooling, not matter the cost, which is much easier said than done.
Well, an interesting thing happened during yesterday’s Photo Club outing, and it’s got my full attention at this moment. Yesterday was the third meeting I’ve been to since learning about Photo Club. I’d already gathered that there are about to be some dramatic changes in the dynamic of the club, since most of the officers are now finishing their schooling and will be leaving the school. I’ve been asking many questions about how the club will continue, but really didn’t get that many answers. (Last week, they even got my name as a possible club officer, which is a bit funny, when you consider how long I’ve been at Shoreline and in photography.)
Christopher Nelson, a founder and president of the Photo Club, was answering more of my questions during yesterday’s infrared film outing, and then the conversation took a bit of a turn. He went to greater lengths to describe the club, and other active club members soon joined in the conversation. It’s so obvious that these people love their club and worked hard for it, but it also looks like it may come to an end since the majority of them are leaving Shoreline at the end of this quarter (two weeks). They talked about different outings they’ve had, his original vision and the possibilities he never had the chance to explore.
By the end of our long talk, a girl named Star (a very cool photography major) and I had compiled a list of names and email addresses, and had outlined a humble itinerary. (Star took copious notes.) Christopher even gave me his copy of the “Club Advisory Manual,” which details Shoreline’s requirements for starting or maintaining an official student club.
As bizarre and ill-conceived as it may seem, I am seriously considering becoming an officer of Shoreline’s Photo Club. There’s no way that we can help the club survive without the active help and participation of the existing members and officers, but the opportunity sure seems to outweigh my reservations.
I’ll be giving this a lot of thought today. Since there’s only two weeks left in Spring Quarter, there’s really no time to waste.

I drove back out to Rainier Photographic today and bought a 250-sheet package of photographic paper and 2 rolls of 50 ISO black and white film, which I’ll need for my next class assignment. The 250-sheet pack is a bit of a step up from what I’ve been using, but it’s a great investment. I’m sick of worrying about having enough paper.
I’d like to be heading out to Shoreline in a while, but I haven’t made up my mind that I feel up to it. I’ve been taking care of some chores around the house, which is a lot more activity than I’ve had over the last few days. I want to get out of the house.

I really think that this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Realizing that the lighting conditions were going to be too different from Monday’s afternoon shots for me to use the original materials, I thought of a new composition for my subject based on a location I’d seen when driving around. I honestly feel that the vacancy of that area will strengthen my subject and add some mood to the shots. Of course, it’s hard to know for sure without looking at the developed film.
Today is going to be a full day. I’m going to be at the lab from the minute it opens this morning, working on my project. I have three photos to enlarge and mount, and an artist statement to compose before my 6:00p.m. class begins.
If it sounds like I’m a bit over the top here, then you’re probably getting the idea. All things considered, I really wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve even made a button that I wear that says, “Annoying, but harmless PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENT. DO NOT BEND.”

Being our first camera assignment, it’s fairly straightforward

Anyway, I spent seven hours on campus today. I think I’ve been making some real progress with the development side of the process, but I really need to get back out and shoot some more film. I’ve made some plans to get together with Michelle (one of my classmates) to go out and shoot on Thursday, which should be interesting.