CARITA SILANDER
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JOURNAL

Tools of the trade

27/12/2018

 
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Rolleiflex
[My beautiful Rolleiflex]

I have chosen a medium format camera because a larger negative size (instead of 35ml) gives the images more 'room' and more detail. I am sure there is a technical term for it too. This is a square format too which is different to compose photographs with than rectangular formats. Shooting a square format felt right, more compact, more precice. There is just something about shooting from hip level rather than from eye level as well as having to compose the image the 'wrong' way around. It makes me more aware of elements around the image that I might have missed otherwise.

This camera is also fairly light to carry around and lens is made by Carl Zeiss. Sharp and no fuss.
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Velvia100 120ml
colour reversal film

This film is vibrant with good midtones and contrast. The aspects to keep an eye on is that it picks up the blue hues like nothing else. Come afternoon, even before that blue hour and there is blue, like electricity, in the negatives. And it is a bit slow. But I love it for its vibrancy.


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Seconic lightmeter


If my Rolleiflex is my bae then this light meter is my partner in crime.

 I photograph what is there. I aim to capture it, as I see it, not to edit it afterwards until it is unrecognisable. In a way I simply record or observe the world.

The light meter, obviously, measures the light which ( in order to get a good or correct exposure) determines the aperture and the shutter speed, the combination of which I choose. But that is about it for the creative part of taking photographs.

p r o j e c t|d i a r y

23/12/2018

 

I applied for funding from the Arts Council which emphasizes public engagement heavily. Crafting answers to those questions in the application form was painful. But I did it with a help of a friend. However my application didn’t even get past the first round because it was found to be lacking in some financial details as well as plans for engaging the public, in the way they want it. I was disappointed, obviously, but what can I do. (I will apply again but only after I have figured out which approach to take) Applying and being rejected did however clarify what this project has to be and what it cannot be, for me. Having said that I am unable to put it all into words. Only within myself I know.

London Archive. What is it? What is a ‘London photograph’? I sometimes become a victim of my own assignment. Or rather, the literal reading of it. Blasted Art School. It has been 8 years but its influence still lingers. I envy and admire artists of bygone years who despite their struggles were capable of exploring. They were not cynical about art or about their role or purpose as an artist. We were poisoned with cynicism in Art School, unnoticeably and despite efforts to find our own ‘thing.’ Our, at least my, creativity was eroded by having to constantly show my work to tutors who could only understand literal art and who repeatedly asked me to ‘really push my ideas.’ They seemed incapable of wonder. But I am rather bored of talking about it. I bore myself. I try to waste as little energy and time on it but like I wrote, its influence still lingers. I have to fight for my freedom on many levels. I often come to this point where I sense many sharp arrows, questions, pointing at me. I find myself feeling uncomfortable, tense and a dialogue of questions and defense starts playing in my mind. Maybe it is a small wonder that I still photograph or pursue art at all, as they say. Whatever ‘pursue art’ means anyway.

I am very grateful to people who have given money for the project via the crowdfunding site. I realised that if I send my films to be processed outside of London it will be half the price and therefore the funds I have raised will stretch for much further than I initially thought. All that £280 that has been given to date will go towards the purchase Velvia 100 120ml films and E6 film processing.

London is an incredible city. I am often overwhelmed by it but I am also driven by the hunger to explore and to see. In the end I hope to present London as she presents herself to me.
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    Preamble to the London Archive Essays
    ​
    I asked a few friends and members of family to choose a photograph from the London Archive they would like to know more about. As this premise is my own devising, I have taken the artistic liberties necessary in answering this question. Bar a few exceptions, the result is a series of short essays combining a brief outline of historical information, consideration of photography as a medium as well as an account on how I ended up taking each particular photograph. 
    ​
    Picture
    Tools of the trade

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  • LONDON ARCHIVE
    • about the archive
    • South of the Thames
    • North of the Thames
    • Square Mile and around
    • Lockdown Trails
    • Seen from the outside
    • The last photograph
    • The first photograph
    • For the love of Light
  • FAÇADES
  • Journal
  • about