The Last

Well dear reader,

This is the end. No more photos to show. So no more blog.

Or so I thought. But then I discovered a dozen films that had been scanned but not Photoshopped. And another half dozen or so waiting to be processed ... and scanned ... and Photoshopped.

So this will be around for a little bit longer. Starting in a couple of days or so.

Sorry to disappoint.

Yours,
  microphen

The Plea

So is there anyone in Wellington, or even New Zealand, who can do reasonably priced C41 processing without mucking up the first couple of frames of any given roll of film?

Just asking.

It's not that I'm exasperated or anything.

Honest.

I can easily go back and do a reshoot (up these mountains in similar weather!!) at any time so you don't need to worry about doing a decent job or anything.

The Pleasurable

There are few things in life as pleasurable as freshly developed rolls of black and white neg.

Though a freshly developed roll of colour transparency is a close second.

Or maybe I'm just easily pleased.

The Speccy

Regular readers of this blog will have noticed over the years that the posts have gone from quite text oriented to very picture oriented.

There are a number of reasons for this, but mainly it has to do with the fact that not everything needs writing about, or is indeed even worth writing about.

There are stories which could have been told, but weren't.

And, no doubt, stories the needn't be told that were.

This isn't one of those stories, but it is a story.

The evolution of this blog does in some way reflect the evolution of my photographic thinking. There's the obvious, if you can work it out, chronology of my actual photography, but there's also the changing process where more and more I want the image to speak for itself, to stand up and say something (anything) without the need for explanation or context or anything.

In this post-postmodern art world environment that's not really an approach that is easily understood. Pop into almost any gallery, or pick up a book, and regardless of how good or original or intelligent the photos are there is invariably text which tries to explain, to contextualize, and often that text is worse, less original and less intelligent than the photos they're trying to explain.

But all this brings me around to this. A photo. From late-1999.  And a list.

A photo which speaks for itself (it's not art, it's just a pretty pic for crying out loud). And a list which may, or may not answer regular queries.

Camera model

[none, i.e. cameraless photography]

Agfa Clack

Agfa Click I

Agfa Isolette I

Agfa Isolette III

Agfa Optima III S

Apple iPod Touch

Canon AF35M

Canon EOS 10D

Canon EOS 1D

Canon EOS 1D MkII

Canon EOS 450D

Canon EOS 500

Canon EOS 50E

Canon EOS 550D

Canon EOS 5D

Canon EOS 5D MkII

Canon EOS 7D

Canon Ixus III

Canonet QL 17

Diana +

Fuji APS Disposable

Fuji G617 Panorama

Fuji Marine Disposable

Fuji Panorama Disposable

Haminex 110FR

Haminex 110TF

Hasselblad 503CX

Hasselblad Xpan

Hasselblad Xpan II

Holga 120S

Horseman 45FA

Horseman 45HD

Horseman 4x5 View Camera

Kodak B+W Disposable

Kodak Brownie 2

Kodak Flash Disposable

Kodak Panorama Disposable

Kodak Pocket Instamatic 300

Konica Auto S3

Konica Eye

Konica Pop

Lomo Action Sampler

Mamiya C220

Mamiya C330

Mamiya RB67

Mamiya RZ67

Meg

Nikon D300

Nikon D90

Nikon E3100

Olympus OM-1

Olympus Superzoom 110

Olympus Trip 100R

Olympus Trip 35

Olympus XA2

Pentax Auto 110

PF Pinhole

Pinhole 110 cartridge

Polaroid 350 Land Camera

Polaroid 636 Close Up

Polaroid Square Shooter 2

Polaroid SX-70

Samsung GT-I9100

Toyo-Field 45AII

Widelux 1500

That is, I believe, the entire list of cameras that I have shot on over the years. To be more specific, when I say "shot on", I mean used for my own purposes. And photos from most, if not all, of those cameras have appeared on this blog at one time or another.

I have, also, at times used other cameras belonging to other people and taken the odd photo or two. For example, I know I have used, from one friend, a Linhof 4x5, a Leica, and a Nikon DSLR, and maybe other stuff, and a Nikon D200 from another friend, and either a Nikon F4 or F5 from another friend, and maybe a Nikon F90X from another friend.

The Final

Today is the last day that Thermostat Art Gallery in Palmerston North will be open.

It's a sad day, not just for all the artists who have shown at Thermostat, but for all the people who have discovered new artists and/or bought work from Thermostat, and for contemporary art in Palmerston North.

It's also a happy day because it marks the start of something new for Catherine, who ran Thermostat, and Simon, her co-conspirator.

My association with Thermostat goes back to 10 July 2003. They had, I believe, recently moved from a small space on Rangitikei St to their current lovely space on the Square. I was, most probably, on my way back from seeing Ava Seymour's New Work & Heartlands at McNamara Gallery Photography. I pulled up a little after 4pm to discover they closed at 4pm. Just as I was standing in the doorway wondering what whether to try the door and head on up or not, a jovial, bearded man open the door and led the way. This man, I was to find out, was Simon.

I climbed the stairs and entered the gallery. It was a minor hive of activity as people had just arrived to help take down the show. Good timing on my part then. The show was one of Thermostat's annual Vent shows, Vent 2 in this case.

I can't remember much about that show apart from one work, a large mixed media drawing called untitled (Inevitable Accident) by Palmerston North artist Naga Tsutsumi. It was intriguing. It was beautiful. I kept going back to it. He had another large piece on the other side of the central divider in the gallery, which while good, just didn't hold me to the same degree.

At some point Catherine popped out and started chatting to me. I knew who she was thanks to a show or two she'd had at Photospace Gallery. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that Catherine was aware of my shows at Photospace too.

Shortly after we were discussing the work in the gallery, and I rashly admitted my liking for one of the works. Shortly after I was heading to a money machine to get the cash to buy it. I has graced bedrooms at three different houses (though, at present is in storage).

Around this time I was making near-monthly trips to Whanganui to see what McNamara had on show and so started making Thermostat a regular stop too.

Sometime after, I started showing Catherine bits of work and she offered me my own exhibition. Initially I was going to be showing with Leigh Mitchell-Anyon but that didn't pan out. Instead I exhibited with a Palmerston North photographer Rob Corrigale. Of A Comfortable Night’s Sleep opened on 19 February 2005 and is one of the best shows I've ever had, one of the ones I'm most proud of.

A later show, the wonderful religious studies, a 2007 collaboration between myself, David Boyce, and Jodi Ruth Keet is also one I'm very proud of. Not only did the quite different pieces by the three of us work together really well, they also fitted the space superbly. It was a shame we never tried to show that elsewhere.

For me, three more shows were to follow, three Vent shows, Dark (2007), Blue (2009), and Nautical (2010). The first two were a chance to play, the last one a chance to reshow some older work.

I've been popping up to Palmerston North less lately, partly because of work commitments, partly because of the price of petrol, but whenever I've popped in, whether alone or with friends, Catherine and Simon have always been inviting. There have been many lunches/cups of tea out back amongst their own art collection.

I've continued to buy work from Catherine (even as I type, I'm contemplating inquiring about a couple of pieces) and enjoy discovering new artists - Naga (of course), Rachel Garland, Catherine MacDonald, Israel Tangaroa Birch, Aimee Ratana, Ngataiharuru Taepa, Saffronn Te Ratana, and others, all of whom I wish I had bought works by, some of whom I did.

I am truly saddened by the closure of Thermostat Art Gallery, it will be a loss from my cultural landscape, but at the same time I'm happy that Catherine and Simon are closing for the right reasons, just because they feel it is time.

Three weeks ago was the final opening. It was a lovely affair, a strong turn out, and a fabulous meal afterwards. It still hasn't sunk in properly, but no doubt next time I find myself in Palmerston North wandering from Bruce McKenzies, past the Anton Parsons, to the white door leading upstairs at 155 The Square it will hit me. The door may or may not be open, but whatever awaits at the top of the stairs just won't be the same.

Thanks for everything Catherine, from the bottom of my heart.

The Purchase

So a few weeks back I found myself in the small Wairarapa town of Martinborough.

Just off the square, completely filling a suburban house (as much as anything is suburban in Martinborough), is a secondhand shop fill of all sorts of good stuff.

Amongst some of the good stuff there I found this.

And this.

And I bought them both.

For no real reason.

But one doesn't always need a reason to buy stuff.

The Joy

Last weekend I bought a book.

Well okay it was bought for me cos it only cost a dollar and my friend was buying like four dollars worth of books for herself.

I have more or less given up buying these types of books cos there's so many of them saying the same things. And I know it all.

But I just felt I had to have this. Partly because of the price. Partly because of the title.

Upon getting it home and flicking through, it was clear that I scored a bargain.

Not because of the contents of the book, but because of this.

Not a bad shot. Quite obviously a set up. But not a bad shot all the same.

It's a recent-ish print, I'd say 10-15 years old, though the photo itself is clearly older, late-1970s maybe.

And why was it alone left in the book? And who are the stars? There are no clues whatsoever.

The Cameraless

Years ago, 2003 to be precise, I made this photo without using a camera.

Maybe you can tell. But then, I often ruin quite decent bits of film by utilising them poorly.

First person to tell me what it's a picture of wins a prize.

If I like you and feel generous.

The Pointlessness

This is the kind of fun art you can make with a scanner ...


a photographic print ... a hand (my hand) ... and a cleaning cloth.

It's all rather pointless really.

The Trannie

Sometimes, very occasionally, it's surprising what you find lying on the cycle track alongside SH2 between Petone and Wellington.

Like this, for example.

One solitary mounted slide. There was also a broken slide mount but I saw no more slides or bits of film or anything vaguely interesting.

Interesting questions are raised though. Like who? How? Will they even notice?

And, especially, where was the photo taken? From a ridge overlooking a small town with plains in the background. Expound in no less than 300 words. Please.

The Genius

Because my life isn't all photography, here's a rant about something else entirely.

Some folk at the BBC clearly have a love of the word 'genius' - a word bandied around far too often these days too describe people/things far from deserving.

A couple of years ago they did a programme called "The Genius of Photography". I can't remember Gerry Badger's argument, but I can't remember being swayed by it. But then this is the guy who wrote in praise of these photos so he has gone down in my estimation.

I've just finished watching "The Genius of Charles Darwin" presented by Richard Dawkins. I could say it was in preparation for Dawkins's forthcoming arrival in Wellington but well I was watching it cos I'm interested in stuff like that.

My guess is that it was a politer, (slightly) less polemic, (maybe) more focussed version of his "The God Delusion", but not having read that book I can't say for sure. It is certainly a good programme in which he explains Darwin's theory of the origin of species by means of natural selection (or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life), and how these ideas have been corrupted by other people in order to push their own agenda whether it's social darwinism, eugenics, creation theory, or what have you.

But interestingly, I think Dawkins was far too intent on proving (as with TGD) that those who believe in God are misguided, than actually demonstrating the 'truth' of Darwin's work. Consequently we get him using methods of creationism/intelligent design proponents, whereby he tells us what the evidence is or shows, without actually presenting the 'evidence' in any way which would allow us to a) weigh up it's value, b) make sense of it.

So we twice get Dawkins at one of Craig Venter's lab in the US, telling us that these guys have shown categorically through DNA sequencing that all species on Earth can be shown to be related, yet he never presents any of the data (statistical or otherwise) to back up this claim - not even the oft cited human-chimp comparison. That is not the way to change people's views.

Equally when one of the ID lobby says that nobody has seen evolution so you have no right to claim it exists, Dawkins argument is that I haven't seen Napoleon yet I'm able to accept his existence. My argument would have been, "well did you see God create the Universe and every (living) thing in it?" But then I've always been a simpleton.

I do think it's funny that we live in a time where some folk feel the need to deny things based primarily on belief rather than knowledge, and especially Biblical Literalism, when those who hold this view see no reason to literally believe any other book - religious text or not. The Bible was written in the same way as every other book on this planet and yet for some it has an authority they don't afford any other volume, not even other volumes concerning the same God. But then I guess logic and rationality aren't strong arguments to use on them.

Within science there are two main battles at the moment - evolution and climate change. Generally the deniers are people without the any training in the area they are now claiming expertise. That's not necessarily a bad thing - after all Linus Pauling, winner of two Nobel Prizes, worked in areas outside of those he trained in - but when those people can not, or do not, understand the data, or often deliberately misrepresent the data, then I feel that they should not be taken as seriously as many do take them.

Here we have our own denier of practically everything. Having read enough of his stuff to get really, really infuriated, I've noticed that his argument, like many of his ilk, is based on "this is where their argument falls down, therefore my proposition must be correct". He offers nothing to back up his argument. He ignores where his proposition falls down (because, using his logic, it would make the opposing proposition correct). He doesn't allow that just because some information is missing or in conflict that the larger hypothesis can still be correct. Nor does he even explain why it is an us-versus-them debate, and that there is potential for a third, as yet unknown, explanation.

A few weeks ago, this film finally made it's way (briefly) to NZ. Even before I read the rebuttals from Scientific American I had read enough to know that I would sit in the movie theatre and get angrier and angrier and that I didn't need to hand over $15 for the privilege. Complete and utter misrepresentation. Yes, Michael Moore does the same thing, but I believe that the misrepresentation here is a lot more dangerous. At least Moore's misrepresentation is generally to liven up the story, and/or simplify his argument (one could argue artistic license), not to knowingly tell out and out lies.

I'm also intrigued that these great debates only seem to happen around issues of science. There don't seem to be the same debates around history for example. Certainly within academia there is debate and disagreement, but these issues only rarely seem to involve people outside of the field, and generally those with wildly differing views are presented by the media as being nutjobs rather than being afforded equal time the way those who disagree with what is overwhelmingly believed within (and without of) the scientific community do.

But then, that's why the scientific community has set up groups like the Science Media Centre. And the fabulous Royal Society are doing their best to "promote excellence in science and technology".

So what's the upshot of all this ranting? I'm really looking forward to seeing Richard Dawkins in a few weeks (hoping my ticket is in the mail).

And Simon Schama. And maybe Neil Gaiman. And Dean Wareham.

Anyway, next up on my viewing list is "Martin Scorsese presents The Blues" which will no doubt probably be less rant inducing.

And, as it's vaguely related, I've just been listening to a chat with two wonderful men of science - George Gibbs and Hamish Campbell - in which they discuss their "competing theories of separation and isolation". Yes, scientists are known to disagree on things, but, Mr. Wishart, that doesn't mean that you are right. Ever!

Oh and the two photos mean absolutely nothing, but are there cos I thought they made a nice duo, and you may wish to relate them to the text should you so desire, but mainly I would hate for you to feel cheated.

So they're there just for you. Cos you're special.

The Manufacturer

The past couple of days I've been manufacturing. Manufacturing art storage cases. It's very exciting. Although the design and construction is still being developed and refined.

That's a green base, with it's yellow lid (covered in gaffer). Against the wall you can see a red/blue version. So awesome.

The yellow/green is the ultra-prototype so I'm using it for less valuable things - like posters. The red/blue version will be used for photos. It all means a lot less tubes containing random stuff lying all around the place. Very exciting.

They are (hopefully) reasonably archival, and (possibly) suitable for travel - though they do need to be kept flat to protect the work. I'm not quite at the production stage, but getting there. Happy to take orders.

The Pink

Here are two vaguely oblique responses to this post.

I knew my scout blanket would come in handy for proving something other than the fact that I'm a sad geek one day.

Does that answer your queries Sharyn?

The Ill

Some of you may have experience in matters such as this, but I can honestly say that playing hockey on a hot Sunday afternoon is not much fun when you feel you're likely to pass out at any given moment.

It doesn't help when some think you're just hungover - light-headed, mildly nauseous, not able to participate in much exercise without needing a rest, symptoms not unlike a good hangover.

Of course it also doesn't help that the night before you slept poorly, largely because of unpleasantries going on within your digestive system.

To then get home, and feel worse, to have the diarrhoea of the previous night turn into something much stranger, to feel utterly tired and helpless, while oddly at the same time not exactly feeling sick. Now that's just weird and annoying. Especially when you have better things to be doing.

A couple of hours later when the sudden need to vomit draws you away from Top Gear, you kind of figure something's not quite right. You also figure it's probably a good time to email the tutor and say you probably won't be in tomorrow.

When tomorrow comes and you're feeling no better, you decide to go to the doctor. You have to waste five hours waiting until you can see the doctor, but fortunately sleep and podcasts are a suitable time filler.

The doctor prescribes drugs. He says "dehydration is your main concern, it'll make you much sicker than you are now, so keep drinking - 2 1/2 litres a day." So I take drugs. I keep drinking.

Come Tuesday I'm more dehydrated than I've ever been in my life - and I've gone for long walks in 50C deserts with no water!!! And the real weird thing about dehydration is that you can't stomach anything. You're forcing the liquid in. It stays, but your body makes it known it would prefer you didn't water it.

And so you get to mid afternoon and realise you've had just over a litre so you scull a few hundred mils thinking it'll soon come out the way it went in. It doesn't, but you feel bloated, so don't want any more liquid. But you force it. Slowly. Over time.

And Wednesday you'll still whacked out. But you make it to school, to do some fairly urgent stuff, but it takes a lot out of you. So you go home and rest. And Thursday, you get to your morning class, but you can barely read anything, and classmates say you look haggard. And then you go to work, and your boss says leave anytime you want. But you stay, cos at least the job is mindless enough that you can achieve things in your half-zombie state. And then you have drinks after work cos the big boss wants them. But no one bought any non-alcoholic, so rather than drink water (again!) you get half a glass of disgusting red, and drink it slowly. And you start to feel better. More awake. More alert. So you have a bit more - a third of a glass, don't want to over do it.

And there you have it, the cure to dehydration is crap red wine, in moderation.

I'm hoping the game tomorrow won't be quite so bad. Fingers crossed.

And here's yet another review. From me. To you.

Oh, and the photo was for those people who don't like reading. About ME!

The Realisation

For as long as I can remember I've never been able to remember my dreams (presuming I have them of course).

Now I know why.

Old habits die hard though, so I won't be keeping my specs on any more than usual.

The Food

I was recently looking through my disk drives and found a folder called, interestingly enough, 'scans'.

In it were lots of images, mainly taken around the time of my studies. At the beginning of the century.

These two were taken midway through the year one for the 'Studio' paper.

I really like this one. It's M&Ms and coffee beans (I think) in little sake bowls/glasses with a sake bottle in the background.

As we were taught by a commercial photographer he was keen on getting us to write a brief prior to shooting. For this assignment he decided that we weren't allowed to change our idea once we'd submitted our brief.

My brief idea was 'gourmet baked beans', which basically meant served in a soup bowl with parsley garnish and paprika artistically sprinkled around the plate. Baked beans cos it meant not needing to shoot freshly cooked food - thinking see.

Consequently I couldn't use the M&Ms image, even though it was better than the baked beans idea - better technically and as an idea. Still, that didn't stop me shooting it. Obviously.

I took this one early in the day. The wine, rose, and glass were all props from home. Still got much of the wine cos I don't drink enough - not by myself at home anyway.

In the early days of my studio photography I was very keen on low light, enough to record detail, while adding a certain mood. Now I don't do studio work at all.

The Issue

On Monday my computer died - much like this bird.

On Tuesday night we managed to revive it.

Yesterday I finally managed to go online again. But only via dial-up. I can feel my life slipping by as a wait for emails to arrive and web pages to load.

So I probably won't be here again until that's sorted out.

In the meantime here's another post about my latest project, and one in which I diss a book bigtime (ooh I'm such a bitchy critic).

By the way, I came across that bird sometime in the summer on one of those rear occasions when I was wandering around town with my digi, though I can no longer remember why I was doing so, but I'm sure it had some real purpose to it.

The Fourhundredth

Welcome to Episode 400 of Nothing Better To Do.

For two years running I've missed the major anniversaries of this blog which started so long ago and so uneventfully - one year, two years, one hundred posts etc.

As I really have nothing better to do, and if you're reading this then, clearly, you have nothing better to do either, I decided to bring back old cast members for a one off reunion - all 1069 of them.

Randomly ordered they'll appear before you in ways unimaginable. And, probably, unwanted.

And because Picasa has such cool way's to waste time ... I mean present your photos, here's some more rubbish.

A picture pile anyone?

How about a picture grid?

Or a multi-exposure (mess).

Isn't that a particularly lovely muddy warm mid-gray. With gradations like that it could almost pass for abstract painting. Were it actually a painting.

I was going to post another video - a longer one, with music. Made using Windows Movie Maker. Cos it has cool video transition effects. Naturally being a Microsoft product it's incredibly memory hungry, very slow to do even the simplest task, and is prone to crashing. And it refused to completely render every movie I asked it to. So ... I'm really sold on it. It's a great program to use. And not at all frustrating. And not here for you to view. Thanks Microsoft.

The Movies

Got back home in time for dinner yesterday. It was a good time. A damned good time.

We did a wee road trip. On our way back yesterday we stopped off in Woodville and went to my favourite second hand shop. Naturally I had to buy something.

So I bought me a Viewmaster with a bunch of reels. Oh the excitement.

Reel 3 from the Muppet Movie.

The Likenesses

And a happy new year to you all. It's summer, and a lovely day out, so naturally I'm at my computer pretending to be retouching images when in fact ...

Man I wish I had discovered this ages ago. Oh the hours already wasted. And the hours I'm likely to waste again.

The 'casual' me.

The 'nerdy' me.

The 'chick' me.

And why not?

The 'Hibbard' me.

The 'Apu' me.

Just like so awesome man. Now maybe I'll actually attempt to do some work.

But Photoshop's soooo boring. Anyone want a coffee?