Now we’re beginning to get to where the rubber meets the road! In my opinion this step may be the most important ones besides finding and making your exposure in the field and making the final print!  As previously discussed, if you’ve made a Proper Proof sheet it will tell you a lot about your negatives in terms of exposure, contrast, your chosen film speed and composition.

Here’s what I do. I sit down with my proof sheet in good light and look at it carefully. If I see pictures that look like they may be candidates to be printed I then examine them carefully using a high quality loupe.

Now for a dose of reality … sometimes when I look at a proof sheet I decide there isn’t anything on I want to print.   It’s all right; it happens and it will happen to you too if you really care about only printing pictures that meet a high standard. Be ruthless in your editing. It may seem frustrating, but it will make you a better photographer!

For years I have used two adjustable focus loupes made by Mamiya  that are designed for 35mm and 120 negative sizes and the images they yield on proof sheets.  If I find a picture I like I take a red marking pen (I like Sharpies) and draw a line around it.  I then look at it carefully with the loupe.  Next, I do something very important. I decide whether I will print it full frame or whether I’ll crop it. That’s right – as I’ve discussed before, I crop my photographs when necessary to improve the print I will be making.  Can’t deal with that, I’m sorry. You’ll live … I have and I am here to write about it.

I use a couple of pieces of mat board as cropping tools and decide what to delete, then I use the same pen to mark off what I want crop on the picture. I have now accomplished two things.  One, I have decided if there is anything on the my proof sheet worth printing; and two, if necessary, I have made the essential cropping decisions to make the picture(s) better.  Now when I am ready to make a print I know exactly what to do!

Believe me, this is a much better approach than simply grabbing a proof sheet, looking at it quickly and willy nilly making a print. Sure, you might get lucky, but you are more likely to waste a lot of time and be doomed to a lot of frustration along the way.

Trust me on this and stay safe,

Michael

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Fourth of July weekend and celebrated it in a responsible manner. I spent most of it in my darkroom, which is a great Covid-free environment! Given the holiday and what we are facing as a nation I also tried to think about what is good about America rather than what divides us. The weekend was the culmination of a stretch of days spent jamming darkroom time in between work and other activities to complete printing of a project that has become very important to me. Two hours here, three hours there and most of two Saturdays and a Sunday. I usually don’t work this way but it was time to get things done. Now of course I have to tone the prints, then mount and mat them. Then up and onto this website.

Many of the photographs are different than what I normally make but I hope they will tell a story that means something to me. Look, sometimes we have to change it up and do something different. In my case Covid has kept me from making the types of candid pictures I enjoy making, but that’s all right. For many a change can be all that’s necessary to keep the interest up when it flags. It can also challenge us and helps us grow as photographers.  I recommend it!

Here’s another thing. For all the pictures I made I only used one camera and lens. That right, and it was intentional! Simple, and it forces you to concentrate as much as possible on the task at hand without other distractions that can be caused by having options. This worked for me and I recommend trying it sometime. You might be surprised with the results!

During this difficult period I have been very active in terms of my photography and it has been a truly wonderful time, if only for that.  I’m not sure where all this will take me, but I’m grateful for the time I’ve have used wisely and for what I’ve done.

Stay safe,

Michael

Look I’m not a computer jockey so this has to be simple or I’m not doing it! And that’s the reason I am using a Microsoft Word table instead of creating a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that would accomplish the same thing but is beyond my simple skillset.  Of course you are probably not limited to using these programs, but many people have them on their computers.

You have made your proof sheets and have filed them into notebooks using the same numbers as their corresponding archival negative sleeve pages. Great … now here’s an added, and for some an optional step to help you locate that elusive negative because you’re making so many of them lately!  Think of this as an accessory to turbocharge your filing system, which is pretty damn good to begin with!

Here is all you have to do – for each negative size (e.g., 35mm, 120, 4×5, etc.) that you have books for (that’s the way I do it) create a simple table consisting of three columns – (1) Roll/sheet page number; Proof Sheet Title; and Year Made. You can decide how you wish to sort the columns – by year, alphabetically, etc. It’s up to you!  Then you add the information taken from your numbered and titled proof sheet pages.  Ok it’s a little bit of typing but once finished you will have a completely searchable database (using the “find” function) and you will always be able to locate that one negative you can’t seem to find!

I knew I wasn’t very happy anymore. I’d had it with the whole Washington scene. It’s really right about what they say there, “If you want a friend, get a dog”. I was becoming blocked and loosing interest in photography of all things. What I needed to do was fall in love with something, be it new or something rediscovered that truly mattered to me. Then do whatever was necessary to clear out all the underbrush in my life that was getting in the way of what was really important. Get that done and I could get on with my life again. Sounds pretty simple … right?  Well, not exactly. In my case there were a number of things that truly mattered. It took a lot of work and several years to accomplish.

First and foremost it was imperative to change my environment and get out of the DC area. This turned out to be one of the most important things I have ever done, just as moving there in the first place with no money and few prospects was thirty five years earlier.  Moving to Doylestown ended up being a real godsend. Being here opened up everything for me and launched a new creative phase. In short, I was in love! More photographing, establishing new and meaningful relationships, teaching, writing theses entries every week, exhibiting, and most recently founding the Monalog Collective.

What I did was pretty severe.  But I understood what had to be done and how was necessary it was to do it. I have a wonderful wife who is both a partner and best pal.  Thanks for taking this flier with me! My lifestyle has changed dramatically and I have a focus that is much more intense on what really matters … all because I fell in love again.

In this time of Covid-19 I think all of us as photographers and human beings should take a step back and think about what truly matters to us as individuals.  Is there is something lacking or holding you back from doing the work you want to do or from taking the next step to make our work better? If so perhaps you should stop, take a breath and dig deep within yourself to find out what you need to do to fall in love.  It may take some time, but life is a journey. Make the most of it.

Stay safe,

Michael