Eau Canada

At 9:12pm Eastern Standard Time we pulled up to Canada customs, the only car in sight. Thought that I would see more and more number plates from the Maritimes and wondered how long it would take to get through, was ready to open the boot and have to explain all the strange chemicals in the car. photographic terrorism.

We waited until the customs officer came to the window.
-Hello, Bonjour. Where are you from?
-Wisconsin
-Chicago
-Are you U.S. citizens?
-yes
-yes
-What is the nature of your stay? Etc.
-Any firearms?
-Sorry, i'm laughing because i was brought up quaker.
-Do you have any liquor or tobacco?
-yes a 750 ml bottle of whiskey. No bourbon. It is a gift.
-It’s a gift?
-Oh yes it is a gift cannot stand the stuff myself I drink beer only.
-Let me rephrase this. Is it a gift knowing if you bring alcohol in as a gift rather than for personal consumption I have to tax it heavily.
-Oh oh, no, we’re drunks - don’t think it will make it to the Transcanada before it is finished. In fact we’ll start and finish it here.
-Have a good day.

10:17PM Atlantic time – five minutes later. We had made it – nearly – well not nearly at all - still two provinces to cross and now no leisurely ride in Cape Breton.

Forgot that we were entering Canada, forgot that the paranoia really does stop at the border. Realised that we could never joke coming the other way. I was happy that once again I was in a country based on general trust and good will rather than fear of anything different.

First Tim Horton’s sighting. Here so close to the border it was a Tim’s/Wendy’s.

Sped to Fredericton to find a Motel, again our 10PM curfew rule. Thinking that Fredericton was a large town and we would have no trouble finding an inexpensive place along the highway.

We were wrong. Found only three hotels. First the Delta downtown, out of the question. Then there was the Valhalla of motels – a renamed Country Inn complete with high speed internet service – but while waiting I found a cheaper one up the road. It had the same amenities and a full car park – first Newfoundland number plate spotted.

But they only had one room with one bed for too much money. Were there any other places in town? No only one and she directed us to it saying it looked bad on the outside but was clean. Retraced our steps and found the Town and Country cabins along the river. Booked the last cabin, and headed to the convenience to buy some water passing another, unmentioned and better looking, motel along the way.

740.1 miles driven.

Newfoundland…oops.

Woke and wandered a bit hoping to find the Dunkin Donuts we passed the night before looking for this place, Actually we were in Moosic, wandered with the digital tried a panoramic then headed back as I found not only a diner but three motels that were cheaper.

Went back to the room and after Kendra was caressed by the shower curtain went to Terry’s – a diner where the interior had every variation on the stars and stripes imaginable done in wood and the special was egg beater French toast. Had pancakes, and coffee – wished that I could brew my own – Kendra eggs and corned beef hash, orange juice – decided that I would get that at the breakfast buffet at the Roadway forgoing the fried cakes – and the same drink that passed for coffee.

Off we went leaving I-80 and heading for the Poconos.

Looking at the map we saw that we had been wrong all the time and Newfoundland was closer that we thought. In fact it was an off ramp of I-84 on route 191 just outside of Scranton.

That was a relief. Of course we had to see this “new found land” no matter how much out of the way it would be to the true north (and east) brave and free. Pulled off and sped down a nice narrowish hilly and curvy road with trees hardly seen on the rock. Twelve miles later – there it was. At first a modest sign hardly dignified for such a grand province, then a bit further in a more worthy one. Stopped – and stopped traffic as we both digitally recorded our landing outside a hardware shop and across from a convenience – or do they call them “deps” here.

That was the end of fun for most of the day. This was the day of driving hell. This was the day when I needed minor milestones to have the day pass and thankfully there were.

Pennsylvania ended. New Jersey came and went in a flash as we just brushed the northern part of the state but then came New York and Connecticut. On the map the symbol for scenic drive stopped. The traffic was greater and people al of a sudden forgot how to drive. It wasn’t recklessness, it was lane hogging. Until now everyone went into the left lane to pass now cars parked out there. The 65 and 70mph was down to 55, at times we couldn’t even achieve that. While New York west of the Hudson was still pretty and crossing it as well as crossing the Delaware – was quite a thrill after that it was one long suburb.

Kendra who was now reading from Dylan Thomas’s selected short stories had to stop, too many cars, too many curves and no feeling of progress being made. It also seem that we had entered a continuous construction zone.

Near the Mass Turnpike we pulled off for snacks and looked forward to calm again. Massachusetts was only a little better, The queue to get on the turnpike and soon afterward was overly long with cars seeming to hold back to see which wicket would open first. Thought that bypassing Boston would be faster which it was but again on I-495 with only the names of famous places - Concord and Walden Pond, isn’t Lowell where Kerouac was born? - it seemed to take forever to reach Maine.

I liked the way the state lines would sneak up on us. First a last/first tourist info on the opposite side then a sign for one on in our direction and at last some welcoming sign.

Kendra seemed a bit perplexed when I squealed seeing an Irving Oil sign – not knowing it was a hint of the Maritimes, one of its unofficial icons. I think se became perturbed when I kept doing it at each new gas bar. Had too much gasoline to purge the tank of the u.s. blend though.

Neither of us had been to Maine and were looking forward to it. Another one of those mythic states. The state where my ex-photography professor can not make pictures and not feel guilty about it as no one will know as he lives the life of obscurity he so deserves. I was expecting it to be the training ground for New Brunswick, a way of easing into the Maritimes and then Atlantic Canada.

It was more like reminding me of what Wisconsin was like. Flat featureless, I was a bit disappointed. I know that turnpikes make everything seem like everyplace – I was just read a passage of Wendell Berry - even so I had to keep reminding myself that we were in Maine.

We continued with the reading from Dylan Thomas.

For some reason pausing from reading, Kendra looked at the map and realised that there were only two exits before a population free part of the state and we hadn’t eaten – reading out loud did have the time pass quite quickly. Again the decision as to where to get down and find a place. We did so at Howland and this time had no trouble finding a spot – after my gleeful whoop at another Irving gas bar.

We pulled into Little Peters – insert Beavis and Butthead laugh here. Parked in the back in the shade and was welcomed by the frostbite attaining temperature of the restaurant.

Sign in the toilet
OUR AIM IS TO KEEP THIS BATHROOM CLEAN – YOUR AIM WILL HELP US.

Sat in a corner to look out the window, only one other family was in there sitting by the toilets again staring at the green things on their plate taking up space from the fried fish and meat.

I had a pizza.

We must have chosen the correct place to sit for a lesbian couple comes in and sits in the booth behind us. Even though the restaurant was empty they sat in the booth where one of them could have butted heads with Kendra. I reckoned that we were sitting in the liberal corner of Maine.

Remarkable how eating in tundra like conditions has one finishing the meal and heading out into the world. We were back on the interstate pushing on with the final gasps of the States but not so much not to pull off at the scenic lookout for Mount Katahdin. A reminder to bring the trip back from the “gotta make time” mode.

Unfortunately on checking the map and seeing how far we are from the ferry, Kendra says that we are going to have to hoof it the next day. Panic sets in I wanted to make Sackville, but now we may have to settle for Fredericton and then a race rather than a stroll across Nova Scotia and worse speeding through Cape Breton.

We press on.

Departure and sometime – really sometime later – the arrival.

Was overly proud of myself with the ease of the departure. Packed the Saturn as much as I could the day before, letting the car cool down before putting in the film and chemistry –ah platinum and film in the boot what happens when we stop for a meal or in the evening. Glad that there were those screen reflectors in the car and hoped that they would work.

Left when I thought about 6:30 the ride into Chicago was uneventful no traffic, made all the lights no tailbacks anywhere along the way. Of course I didn’t verify Kendra’s address so I was hoping that I didn’t transpose any numbers.

The car looked fuller than I thought it would a day earlier and there was still things to get from the ‘tute. There would be some stacking. Kendra had few things - video camera, clothes, camping supplies, and in the end computer. Made some snaps of the neighbourhood with the digital camera, packed the car – calmer now as there would be space – barely – for the printer, and some developing dishes. Kendra picked up a digital camera.

The only problem at the ‘tute was me double checking and triple checking what I needed before I left. We were on our way officially at 9:30.

It was a good time to start – early enough so that we could make some distance late enough to avoid the racing aspect. It also put me in the frame of mind that we wouldn’t be able to have an average speed of 65 mph.

It somewhat lessened the tension I felt when we hit our first tailback at the I-80/90 junction south of Chicago. Impatient but glad we were leaving all of this behind. Still really hadn’t decided which route we would take to the rock, maps.google.com. came up with a third option only the day before when I once again was checking distances for possible stopping points for the evening. I goal was to make it to western Massachusetts. Now there was an option of going through central Pennsylvania, bypassing most of the toll roads heading diagonally through, Connecticut, skirting Boston then up through Maine.

The option to race to Canada playing tag with the border option was ruled out by default when the off ramp for Detroit was passed.

Indiana wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I think mainly due to my fear of how bad it was going to be. Stopped once for coffee at a Starbucks, made some snaps of the oasis, the trucks the car park, a serviette left on the ground, all done with the digital these were to be records of the trip for the online diary not my “work” all the real cameras stayed neatly and nicely packed someplace in the car,

Ohio was more of a problem, longer - I had grown used to the narrowness of Indiana – Ohio didn’t have any milestones to prove that we were making progress or kill the monotony. Again it was brought home that this wasn’t the romantic trip of the past when one could check off distance travelled by things seen, we bypassed Toledo and Cleveland – manifested only by some suburbs. The boredom was alleviated by Kendra reading aloud from Wendell Berry while I drove. We also gave I-90 a miss by choosing the toll free I-80. a convoy of Christian fundalmentalists quest for god pass us all driving Nissan Quest minivans. Am on the lookout for any plate from the maritimes.

The choice was made by the curviness of the road as well as the price of tolls along the New York State Thruway. I reckoned that this would give up better scenery even along the interstate. It did.

Also thought that there would be better food as we wouldn’t be trapped into oasis sanctioned restaurants. This would have been a great idea if I had paid more attention to the off ramp signs and not to the passages being read. Just into Pennsylvania we decide to stop and have a meal, It is about 5:30 pm and we are a bit peckish. We pass for varying reasons – seeing what was on the sign too late, seeing nothing around the off ramp and me being engrossed in the reading – so I make the declaration that we will exit at the next off ramp.

It looked promising as, while there was nothing at the interstate exchange, there was a college town Grove City so there would be food.

Well no we went through town twice and only found a McDonald’s and a Subway open the town had no bars. We headed to the next town – Harrisville - where there was a Subway, no McDonalds. Defeated headed back out to the interstate at Brakeyville which of course was a main junction complete with gas bars, restaurants and a place where I can pick up a gun or two. Pulled into the Kings Family Restaurant - a pre chain type of restaurant where one can get breakfast all day and – where this area probably being dry – had ice cream happy hour Monday through Friday from 6-9pm. Food was what one would expect but I was too engrossed with the family opposite and the kid when upon finishing the special which was on a bed of lettuce looked at it as if he were questioning what to do with it. Kendra had a lemonade that never came in contact with a lemon – all sugar she said as she diluted it with water the way a Floridian does their coffee.

The delay and the misread of exits again helped me. It got me out of the making time mode broke what was becoming a monotonous ride, allowed me to make mistakes and in the process explore a bit.
It also made rest stops more efficient as everything was done when we did stop – food gasoline, The Saturn, to my surprise, was getting 40 miles to the gallon.

Pennsylvania was great we talked about the difference between the openness of the Midwestern road where there is always an horizon to this where it became claustrophobic with its trees and curves, there wasn’t an all encompassing view. Distance was marked by atmospheric perspective rather than water towers. The land was mediated but instead of farm it seemed to be left saying this we don’t need. All those trees.

This also brought back my distant past as we were passing places that I applied to for college – not knowing really why. There was crossing over the Susquehana the water supply for Baltimore.

Wished that we could have stopped, Wished that we had a month to get there, wished that we could have taken U.S highways for I wanted to see the little league hall of fame wondered what these signs along the interstate really looked like. We pressed on.

Secretly kept up my visible and invisible landmarks – state lines, 10% of the trip over, 500 miles gone etc.

In Barkeyville we agreed that we would start looking for a place to stay at 10pm. That put us in Wilkes Barre/Scranton where we tried to read the billboards searching for places with both internet access and a AAA discount.

We ended up at the Roadway Inn in Scranton with the later not the former. It did have an overzealous air conditioner, a shower curtain that hugged you while showering, a hall way that looked like the 21st century rendition of the path to pugatory, and weird bulges in the ceiling.

I worried about our belongings in the car and what the heat of the morning would do to the film and chemistry but wasn’t going to bring it in. we hung out in the carpark as it was warmer. I think that there were people living there as one place had a barbeque and a lawn chair in front of it. Munched on the granola bars and the bananas Carol packed. The pillows were hard and wide giving me a stiff neck.

So ended the first day.

770.1 miles down

what i know...i think

CANADA DAY
i know that the working method that i will adopt in rocky harbour is not my manner of working. i know that it will be too restrictive for someone who wants to see what is just over that hill or around that curve, especially when there will be no roads to do this. i don't like being on the photographic equivalent of a pitch count - a box a day. i like the nervous sweats of hoping that i brought enough film miles from the supply. i know that the curbing of my mobility will grate to no end but i hope to reach some sort of state where it is overcome. this happened in the first pouch cove residency where for the first time there were occasions when i couldn’t make a snap simply because i didn’t have the unwieldy camera with me. i do know that this is all a compromise where i want to work in residencies where there are no photographic facilities and thus the only option - until recently – is either to limit mobility or do half the work there and then come back and finish it. others have done this in different ways. either making as many snaps as possible in the period and then heading back to their studio when it was all over to edit and print or go away weekly to see what they have done and then return a bit more informed. want to be more direct. thinking in movie rushes i want to see that evening what i did that day. there will be plenty of time for this because my evenings lengthen there and i won’t be able to be my usual film guzzling self. i know that this isn’t really my working method as i am slow on my feet, i cannot think first then make a well reasoned snap as all that i find interesting is on the periphery of the “subject”, space around it, minor elements to be included etc. i cannot choose all of this without seeing the neg. i do want it to be self contained i want what say a painter would have at the end of a residency – which may show my ignorance of what painters do – a completed work. attempting to do this is embarrassing as the production involved is again the opposite of what i see photography as being – note taking and almost invisible. this certainly won’t be that. ironically i am relishing the time i will spend making the prints – in normal room light able able to read, be social etc, rather than in a specialised room. ideally i would take a room in the lower studio of the pipe house or the basement in martin and gabrielle’s and turn it into a darkroom. i would simply only use it after dark – after ideas - on to the overnight programming of radio one.

temporary relief

while i was at the art school that puts all others in the galaxy to shame yesterday, i was asked by cowboyzenlunatic to show my platinotypes to his class before i leave.

said yes and planned to make some for the talk and worry set in noticing this, zenlunatic asked the matter. went into how i was trying to hoard my platinum chemistry for the trek north (and east) and went on to list what i was taking and the amount.

his laugh of derision calmed me. it seems that i have horribly overcompensated and there is no chance of running out of paper or chemistry,

back home i started to make prints but thought better of it.

survivalist v. shaker

i hear that during spring training the players get tired of practice and want to get into a real game. i am at that state. while there are a few things to still work out, i am ready to venture north and east.

the items still not accounted for are simply that way so that i will have something to do when i am still thinking about the summer – a few more things to order some details to be ironed out. these details will take at the most a couple of hours.

the waiting time is having me rethink that which had been resolved and brought out how the trip has changed since the initial proposal.

while in some instances this has been a good thing. i cut even more from the costs, nervously, by halving the amount of cranes cover stock i am taking but it has also been detrimental.

the actual trip for instance, initially flying with everything awaiting me in st. john’s meant a process of exclusion due to the costs involved. driving alleviated those costs and some but now i have come to realise that i have a car that i can fill up and with the idle time am thinking of ways to do so.

the lack of space made me simplfy, the simplification made my work easier. having narrowed my choices i could now focus – yeah i know – on making snaps, it was successful both in 2003 and 2004.

this time it is a bit more complicated and is becoming more so. what was going to be the large formats for rocky harbour leaving the medium format on the avalon for the wedding has now become medium format for the road trip and the final descent into st. john’s.


since i have the time, i have started to worry about the age of my cameras and have been thinking of back ups. this is also due to the the notorious equipment failure of 2001, even though it was “repaired” by photography on bald mountain in california, the oh so smarmy repair person there forgot to put in the light baffles leaving light leaks on most of the film that went through joãozão. there was a fortnight of worry in 2003 when in corner brook the lens barrel on ubaldo loosened more every day. needing ubaldo for the wedding thought of taking ubirajara for marling about saving ubaldo until it is needed. my biggest fear right now is the wedding.

making sure ubirajara works, have been replacing the light seals bought on e-bay in all the backs and have been testing it out.

since i am taking medium format have bought 100 rolls of film, and since i am not sure that a mere 20 rolls of colour film will be enough for the wedding, i bought 20 more rolls.

since i like the immediacy of ubaldo have been regularly checking e-bay for another mamiya 6 - the survivalist in me as it is not needed last summer was the best ever with ‘bira as back-up. even so i would still take ubirajara.

i am now out twacking on the web. a harrison film tent to change film in the field, a f64 backpack to carry the deardorff and darkslides, my own uv printer…

i knew that i had to stop planning when i thought of going via labrador. having time though i realised that the roof was empty and i do have a bike rack.

victoria day monday

the cheque from the rooms corporation of newfoundland and labrador arrived to-day. $500 half the honorarium with the second half coming when the residency is completed.


with officialdom comes some relief

the plans are going so well that the mind runs rampant, now that i have conquered the fear of arriving late in rocky harbour and the chance of leaving early, once again i go to maps.google.com and type in pleasant prairie – happy valley/goose bay. to my surprise i find that it is closer than pouch and even more to my surprise that is it only a little more than a day away by whatever calculation they use. would it be possible to actually go in the “back way” up through québec and across the trans labrador then down to the strait of belle isle? st anthony? the great northern?

don’t get greedy…

nl

nl,
originally uploaded by molequinho.

j, k, and i were going to go on field trips when school was out. problem was coordinating the times and making sure that they could get up by me in time to explore the upper midwest. since one other was already on board, we couldn’t see why this couldn’t be an extended outing to the maritimes and beyond.

this could be even better sharing the long drive means a faster arrival again j was informed that this was a race to the north sydney ferry.

she was fine with that…only… well there was that problem with the summer term and she having to be back one day before i planned to arrive to t.a.

motoring along the transcanada, or summer at the school of schools. i lost out. a pity i think that she would like the trip even if it were a rush.

about now i realised that travelling up would be great with company but what would coming back alone be like. i am expecting a long trip – still don’t think i really know how long it will be – but there will be company and in this case the driving is secondary. it will be hard enough to drive away from the avalon, across the island i cannot imagine the trip back on the mainland –even worse when i get to bushworld again.

while i am fretting about the trip back and wondering exactly how much time is needed to make the midnight sailing on the 11 july out front on the steps of the ‘tute, k comes up and says that her parents will fly up to pick her up in st. john’s.

about this time i realised that the race was to get me to rocky harbour, once i settle in i can go to st. john’s to pick up the film and since k doesn’t have to be back and is in no rush, well…a slower drive across the island.

meanwhile, it occurred to someone that if one can drive out and fly back and the opposite is also possible j will fly out and drive back with me. i am worried about how well everything is going. the stress is gone. rocky harbour makes the trip eight hours shorter. if she doesn’t have race back, k can tool around the great northern for a couple of days before heading out.

j is planning on arriving a week before the departure enough time for the duke or maybe this time i’ll venture into the ship, back down to the barrens, in search for the type of landscapes she likes around the avalon before the race back.

i also feel better as now both will be able to actually see the rock that both will have time to relax and calm down, the road race will be rewarded with a road trip at a great time of year.

money and mouths

don't park deer lake,
originally uploaded by molequinho.

it was the first decently warm day of the year and i was taking up the habit that i had to abandon late last year. i had my coffee and was sitting out on the steps glad to be outside and with a bit of quiet before having to enter the hallowed halls.

while i was reading the new york times i had picked up, left on the train by one of the commuters, k came up with her coffee and sat down to have a ciggie.

- do you think after the term ends we can go on some trips?
- it would have to be in june as from july on i am on the rock and actually i am thinking of driving to rocky harbour...¦
- i'm in!
great i thought as i meant that the drive wouldn't be such a strain i could get farther as we could take turns driving and i would have company alleviating the impending boredom and impatience when entering day two i would still be in bushland.

panic as now i had actually act, it was out of the realm of fantasy, now i had to really plan. it is one thing to back out when it is only me but now that the plan included another...¦

i keep going to maps.google.com to try to understand the distance,los angeles is closer than pouch cove, vancouver is closer. i keep looking at the marine atlantic site to see what ferry we should plan for. how far can we get in one day so that we can slow down when we enter the true north and slow down more on cape breton, i could now really pass robert frank's place.

stressed that this trip was about me, i want to get there it is the old stereotypical family type of outing in which one is always trying to make time. we were not stopping.

-no problem.

the motor will be stocked with my crap, everything i need to last photographically in gros morne.

-fine i have the pentax, a small bag a dv camera and tripod.

went to carol mentioning the money we would save and the car standing in her father's garage with only 40 000 miles - i admit i would prefer to bomb around in a saab 900 than a 95 gold saturn - and since he cannot drive.

the outing is a go.

2561 miles- 3 days and 3 hours

i blame this on maps.google.com when typed in starting point and destination, clicked on satellite map and watched that blue line snake through the northern u.s. head as far east as it could go, i knew that i wanted to drive. not in the drive i fantasized about last year – the meander through québec through labrador entering the island via the northern peninsula, this year it is more practical. i want to get there, i want as much time as possible in rocky harbour and i want to spend as much time after the wedding as possible so this year flying would be the best option. this year, though, isn’t the minimalist trips of years past – an overnight bag and a courier bag to fit in the over head compartment of the plane -this year it is an expedition.

despite the princely sum of $800u.s. before taxes that the greatest art school since the beginning of recorded time (u.s news and world report) i am in dire need of funds to pull this off. or to put it another way i need to slice my budget any way i can. driving will cut down on the cost of a 45 day car rental even the relatively inexpensive one that i would get from t.j., the shipping and taxes that i would have to pay on the things shipped. i could carry more things.

all in all even though the cost of getting there would be about the same, i would save roughly $2000u.s.

the drive also would also permanently etch distance of the province. flying is a nuisance and one does get impatient after a while but the position of the rock to the rest of north america is still a theoretical isolation like time being 30 minutes off kilter. i know how happy i feel when i finally see the outline of the island in the dark. i can recite at will the distances between st. john’s and dublin, mention, greenland and iceland as being closer than chicago but it is all recitation. i am glad to see the island from the plane but it isn’t like i have become antsy due to time passed, a couple of chapters have been read, a film and news programme has been shown, i have two chances at tea.

how will it feel to go almost two days and not hit canada? when that finally happens realising that i still have a time zone to cross on the mainland and cape breton before reaching the ferry at north sydney. how much radio can i listen to?

do i take the short or long sea route to the rock the short meaning the snaking transcanada to st. john’s but being able to drop things off at rocky harbour – i have some film here – or the north sydney argentia route making the final leg a cake walk.

after going one way how much effort will it take to do the reverse trip when i have to return?

i want to do the drive as a homage to the final drive the brothers take from alberta in alastair mccloud’s no great mischief – only being from below the 49th – i’ll have to take it further – breezing through cape breton where the novel ends and robert frank’s place and still having a day’s travel in front of me. i really want an anticipation of landfall after being at sea for hours. i would like to document the trip but most of all i would like to arrive there fully knowing that i didn’t forget anything and didn’t have to leave anything behind.

panorama placentia nl

panorama placentia nl,
originally uploaded by molequinho.

a long tense moment

so an e-mail from jim saying that the film has arrived exactly a month after i ordered it from freestyle. he won’t tell me the duties and taxes charged, if there is any, but does mention that the exterior box is in bad shape.

playing e-mail tag – i was at school – i ask on the film boxes themselves. all 30 are fine but 6 have their seals broken.

“customs? terrorists?”

panic. has the film been exposed how can i tell from more than 2000 miles away? what i don’t need is to arrive and find that i am six boxes short and on top of that have to await their arrival from the states. think of the five i have at home. plan my strategy when i arrive. use those boxes first to see if they are fine. if not order immediately from freestyle hoping that they will arrive before i leave and run out. my serenity is shattered.

e-mail back asking jim if all the seals are broken, if so open one box and see if the interior bag is sealed.

while i await his reply, i phone freestyle to let them know and make sure that they know that i am 2000 miles from the package and i won’t see it until mid july so if there is a problem, they will be forewarned. the person on the other end assures me that he has noted my concern and if there is a problem, it will be rectified.

jim emails back to say that the interior bags are still sealed and he will place them in his basement where it is cool.

linger nagging doubt the debt piling up from this grand experiment is manageable right now but if i have to buy more film or even place my fate in the hands of the u.s postal system and canada post i know that am doomed. when i had this order shipped to wordplay the order taker wasn’t sure of the postal abbreviation for newfoundland and labrador.

this came when i had arrived at the realisation that this endeavour will be a one off project. thinking back on last summer, i realised that i had the perfect manner of working - medium format and a lot of film, it allowed me a great deal of mobility.

thought back to the little hike in bell island where i left the car unlocked and a hasselblad in full view as i went traipsing off to see a mini bird sanctuary or the walk up the tolt of butter pot park.

remember the irish loop trip when i saw the hogs in trepassey and the kids in st. vincent’s and wondered if that will be possible this time - of course not.

the working method this time will be slower and more deliberate. the slowness won’t be a problem as the near constant state of rush that i have been in for the last eight months will be out of my system, i look forward to having plenty of time to do what i need. days seem longer and less frantic – well once i find a place to act as a west coast duke of duckworth.

more deliberate will be the problem, my tendency is to make quite a few photographs subtly reframing the image then looking at the proofs to determine the best formal arrangement. i seem to be incapable of doing this while looking through the camera. there either seems to be too many things that i miss or i cannot decide whether i want that pole to line up with this clothes line or that building façade.

i don’t need anything to crack my resolve right now. while the film is there, there is still a chance to change my mind and play it safe.

i am continuing with the grand experiment in working and my fostering of slow photography. i want to see if i am correct about my preferred working method. i want to see how my mobility is effected, i do want to complete everything while on the residency, i want to make book and i don’t want to be trapped in a darkroom with the ocean and the park right there – i don’t care how late at night it is. late night in pouch is a favourite time the sound of the waves mixed with the lights of the few cars ascending and descending the main road. i am looking forward to the gulf of st. lawrence equivalent.

So I am now relieved. It seems that the film purchase will be fine and thus the closing of options is a good thing – so far. Thursday road around the stateline area with the Hobo making photographs with the arista.edu sheet film. Friday I headed to school to develop it and except for having to remember to be more careful in the handling, a few scratches along one edge everything was fine. I have the development time down and, from the argyrotypes made from the negs later in the day, the film will be fine for this summer.

The film base stains more than what I am used, I realised that from using the roll film version of arista.edu last summer so far I have only made inkjet prints from those negs – that I can remember.

Now the only real problem financially is finding a u.v. printer and the shipping of the cameras. I think that I am going to have simply give up the myth of travelling simply with only overhead baggage and pack a suitcase to be checked. Of course I’d still like to drive

Decision by default

The mental debate between the 19th century large format cameras and platinotypes versus my usual camera, scanner and inkjet printer has been resolved. The resolution came so much by testing and research as I had hoped, but by a need for an immediate answer.

The closing date of the bank card had come and thus was able to rebuild my stocks of paper needed to work on the backlog of imagery over the past two years. Prepared my list looked at the Freestyle site for Artista.edu paper which I had been using since they started offering it last year. Liked the more neutral to blue tones one gets with it even in Dektol but also liked the price a good 20% less than most papers.

Noticed on the site that the size and quantity that I needed wasn’t listed. A mild panic I am down to less than 50 sheets of paper. Calming down I realised that even if I bought the smaller quantity packages I would save almost as much.

Ring up. Am told that the company who made the paper Forte – is going out of business and thus there will be no more. Disoriented again but in a moment of lucidity I ask for the film – arista.edu 1s0 400 in the 10x8 inch size as it is also made by Forte. They have 38 boxes left.

I need 30 at least for the residency. I need this film as again the price is what will make the residency possible. A box of artista.edu is $35 the next inexpensive film is $55. Ring off to think and ask of our finances.

I wanted to buy the film slowly but surely over the next few months so as not to have bank card bill shock. That would be coming in the summer with the plane tickets and the car rental even though the car will come from T.J.

Realising that I had no choice, rang back and ordered the film 31 boxes of it and had it shipped to the rock. $1100 at least the shipping is reasonable $50 but now I await the bill from Customs Canada which could be as much as 15% of the cost - forgot the rule – personal effects no commercial value.

I was pretty pleased with myself as last week I had taken the camera with me on an outing with two grad students around the stateline area. The Hobo worked well noticed the problems that I may have – close down to get decent depth of field carry a screwdriver as the clips that hold the film holders loosen quickly, the viewfinder shows less than the film.

I was to crack open the box of Arista.edu film to make tests and see if it would be acceptable before committing myself. Now the tests will be more how to make sure that the film can be used as it is half way through its three week trip to the rock.

The film purchase has already used up – and then some – the funds that I was awarded – but won’t receive until 1 July (any irony here) – in a faculty enrichment grant.

Submitted my proposal, the maximum the school gives is $2000, I got $800 before taxes. Even though I was warned that even when one does get them they are next to useless, I didn’t expect it to be so close to useless. I wasn’t expecting the maximum but was expecting over $1000 after taxes so that one of the major expenses would be taken care off.

Actually I was fully preparing for this as I had been paring down the expenses so that they are now half of what my budget was even after I dropped the wish list items.

The platinum chemistry is solved, as is the paper. I will use argyrotypes for proofing materials, buy the Bienfang 360 layout paper from M. Francis Kelly in St. John’s.

The remaining major expenses were the film and a U.V. Printer. The enrichment grant will cover neither. It will just barely cover airfare

Find it typical that the AGNL and Parks Canada are giving me more not knowing me the place where I have worked for the past 14 years.

Yesterday with the Hobo in the car, I headed along the stateline with the Arista.edu film with me. 10 exposures made of signs no longer useful or pathetic, the political lawn ornaments in preparation for the next election and the ziggurat of a landfill just over the border in Illinois. To-day am heading to school to develop the film.

a bit less worry

am pretty pleased with myself to-day as a bit of the panic stemming from worrying about this summer subsided.

i forget that u.p.s. places packets between the front doors and we never use the front door i opened it this morning to find the cranes cover stock natural white that i had been awaiting. opened, cut it to 12x10 inches and coated it with argyrotype chemistry. the resulting image is perfect it even has the rust colour that i like but without it the image would be fine. no lack of contrast, no blotchiness, no uneven coating, one worry is has vanished. the paper is also reasonable in price. a secondary calming came from the fact that if worse came to worse and i had to cut out platinotypes, i could get by with argyrotypes. this has made it possible for me not to take centennial’s printing out paper – and the needed gold chloride – saving me quite a bit.

yet another problem theoretically solved as the image was made with the hobo. it was made sometime last year in the fog down at the playground but at least it is usable.

i do wish that i had time to spend a day wandering about here with it to see how well i really work with it. it will be the snap shot camera and i want to start practising.

the main problem continues to be finding what i need in canada. i would hate to have to deal with mail ordering from the states and then worry about the shipping time and the duty. the more i can get in the true north the better.

ANNIVERSAIRE D'ATGET

after the sticker shock of adding up my shopping list and the resulting panic, i dropped some of the items that would be nice and started paring down.

out went the 300mm lens. it would be nice to play around with selective focus the way that i was at the end last year in pouch. i am not going to look for more dark slides. even the harrison jumbo tent for film loading is out will simply stuff more towels around the door of the bath and - if like the pipe house - multiple layer them on the window.

i would like to buy a plate burner. while not as romantic as using the sun much more efficient and it does free up sunlight hours for wandering. it will be one contact printing frame.

the surprise is the paper the cranes’s cover stock natural white is cheap – have ordered some for experimentation.

even so the total cost was still over us$5000 when i included a medium level car from t.j. am now thinking of dropping the luxury of proofing with printing out paper or hand coating argyrotypes - a savings of about $1000. but don’t know how i can get it any cheaper than that and not worry about running out or over editing.

well yes i do. again thinking about the great leap forward in technologies. thought about digital. i duplicate what i have been using. epson 4780 scanner - $500
epson 2200 printer - $300 – both refurbished
15 rolls of agfapan apx 400 120 per day at $1,90/roll. $1250
pmk pyro developer $180.
that would leave me with less than half of what 19th century technologies would cost. even if i did by reems of inkjet paper.
actually i could buy a used mamiya 7 with a 65mm and still be cheaper.

workwise it would be the same – photograph during the day, print at night, i would be easier for me as medium format is more amenable to climbing than a large format kit. this is an underlying fear as i know that i need a lot of space to make images, i like to roam. – all of bell island, the irish loop, bay de verde and back. i fear that there is a great snap just there up ahead and i may miss it. after years of this i know that medium format is best for this.

this time though is for experimenting for pushing myself for not rushing. four weeks along the great northern a fortnight on the avalon plenty of time.

it is tempting – but am not sure if it is due to laziness and i am using the lack of funds as an excuse. my plan was to make a book if i dedicated my funds to decent inkjet paper – cranes museo, or hahnemuhle - i could still show the same amount of respect. i could save on transporting all this up to the rock as i could mail order so that it would arrive when i did. intellectually and financially it would be the better choice.

then preparing for my class, in pulling books to scan, come across lois connor’s china work, linda connor’s work from india and even andrea modica’s human being. i am looking at the reproductions and they make me envious. i reject the inkjet option – even if i do call it giclée. i want what i do to be tactile – intellectually i know that it can be done digitally but yesterday salting the paper, coating the paper and then exposing it on the back deck and dealing with minutes not seconds in silence.

the faculty enrichment grant is written and ready to be submitted. this will be the main determining factor.

the list

10x8inch deardorff

10x8inch hobo maybe this time something useful can finally come from this boondoggle of a camera

manfrotto tripod – unless i can afford to buy a wooden one. i hate the way the legs open independently

240mm f:9 fujinon-a lens

180mm f:5.6 fujinon-w
120mm f:8 nikkor-sw

25 double dark slides more if i can find them

sekonic light meter

harrison jumbo tent for film loading

some version of platinotype chemistry – won’t be the traditional system am leaning toward the cheaters’ ziatype as it is less finicky than pradip’s chemistry but will get his opinion.

pmk pyro can be had from eight elm in toronto

chicago albumen works printing out paper for proofs

a box of film for each day that i am there. right now my thriftiness has me leaning toward the iso 400 arista.edu as it is forte film and it was fine for some of the work i did on the rock last year in roll film – thought about using it in my dianas before i stopped using them. $38/box is tempting have a box and am testing it now. if not it will be the standard artista iso 400 at $60/box.

8 packets of neg sleeves.

my one gravity work contact printing frame – i like it as it takes a 12x10 in paper size which seems proportional to 10x8. not the odd 14x11 inch size would like to find more but i would like any printing frame with the same proportions. just left the lotus site where they make 12x10 printing frames for a mere 350 euros. we’ll count those out.

i am trying to remember what i took when i went to pouch for the first time and take the larger version. then it came down to the last minute before leaving the house but in the end i didn’t take a small camera at all. that was a good decision for while is was strange for me not to have a camera with me at all times – felt like a true ‘tute photographer except at times i had a camera – it meant that i had nothing to fall back on it was what i brought or nothing.

now the big debate is buy a plate burner down here and have it sent up or build it there with the help of kent’s or home hardware and hoping that they can order the uv bulbs that i need in a timely enough fashion that i won’t be waiting half of the time that i am there.

want a plate burner as there was nothing more calming than coming back from the duke after dark – in winter about 5pm – develop the film in the downstairs studio and then head upstairs and print the night away. the process was so long that i could read while hanging my feet out over the north atlantic in january the rhythm of the cars headlights coming down the main road.

but then again i am thinking metropolitan st. john’s and the avalon i have no idea what corner brook or deer lake will have. it would be less nerve racking to have one sent up.

am starting to test now – this was a frustration m. francis kelly had rives bfk and not much else that would be useful to me except bienfang 360




am going to talk to talk to kirk and pradip – kirk due to his new life in new mexico and pradip from his experience in the orkneys - about toting this equipment out and about in the park. most of the park requires a great deal of hiking – see the next paragraph – so i need all the input i can get here. am bulking up the muscles as we speak thanks now to the two big snowfalls.

i was going to leave my faithful medium format cameras behind – and while i have figured out how to add images to the blog – no digital cameras but this has been complicated as i have been named the official wedding photographer of alexandra baird which occurs at the end of august. this means that one will have to be there – i am thinking of segregating it to the other coast. i cannot have them close by it would be too easy with the more portable cameras. the large format ones wouldn’t be picked up once i finished a long climb with it. the compromise is the hobo.

this brings up another debate fly or drive – my thinking would be drive. pack up the car with all the materials save myself all those taxes - if i fly am shipping everything except the hobo ahead – and have transport. it would save a lot of money, worry and i would see how far the rock really is. flying means three changes of planes. tj’s would be 1000km away and i cannot afford a normal car rental. again due to the wedding things could change as i could drive to and from st. john’s on that great mother road west.

joey's lookout - gambo

joey's lookout - gambo,
originally uploaded by molequinho.