Richard Vanek - Black and White Photography

I have just received my new lens. I must say I am really happy with it. As expected I have placed it on my Nikon F100 immediately. I will publish some shots and short review of it after I will have a bit of experience.

Over the weekend I have preview scan all twelve rolls and made some selections and arrange them the way I can work with them further. What I need to select few to fit to the Remembering of Childhood which is published on my www.richard-vanek.eu site. I also updates text with each photo there. Based on last discussion with Caroline Schroeder I also removed some photos while I add few new. Now this selection represents my current view.
From those over 400 shots I preview scanned I would like to select around four new to fit in and that would make this project complete.

I was looking for a while to find one of these old merry-go-round kind of carousels. I like them very much when I was young, especially after rain when I was turning slowly around while my feet was drawing line in a sand under it

Old bus stop, place where people waiting for a transport, where they meet, where kids are playing. Sometime years after years same morning rituals.

I must say I am not very happy with this photo of bus stop. I had in mind little different atmosphere than I at the end catch. I did about ten shots of this bus stop, but not a one is the way I imagine it. Idea was quite good I think. But now I see that not only I miss person there (I must find it again and come with somebody), but I also lost the atmosphere which was there and which I want to recreate in picture. This is sometimes unfortunate how things are turning. On other hand maybe I would be really make something better out of it if I didn't have to leave as somebody was waiting for me. Maybe if I did make more shots and more tryouts I would get what I was after. Well, next time, maybe.

Italian magazine about black and white photography. I have order three issues few days ago. They did arrived today. I only browse through them very fast, but I must say I am not impressed. Not that would be bad photos in it or that magazine itself would be made bad. All is good and photography is also good, if you like that kind of photography.
In a last few days, I have kind of internal discussion with myself about my photography and as you may know I am in this process, with some breaks, already for some month. Before I really like photos like some MAGNUM photos especially photos by Henri Cartier Bresson. Even on some of his photos, was already something I recognize only know, something which brings more feelings than information to the observer.

My friends showed me work of Machiel Botman and I found what I was looking for. Abstract, personal view of the photographer, sharing his own view with observer. Not documenting reality, but describing and sharing feelings. That is what I like and what I will do and that is what is not in this magazine and what is hardly to be found in work of other photographers.

I noticed bending view through the glass on bus stop's window. I like it very much just pity it wasn't raining.

One early morning this summer I went to drive around the country in South part of Czech Republic. After first few kilometers I have though this bridge next the main road. It was almost all in a fog. I shot few shots and only now after I developed it I realized I had light yellow filter on it. This filter filtered out most of the fog. So this Bering almost lead somewhere even that mooning it looks like way to heaven.

Another view from the bus stop, this time on sunny side.

I have received today early morning email from Jeff. He is describing what my photo evoke in his mind. It is so nice when observer of my photo is getting out of picture exactly what I meant when I created it. You can read what Jeff said:

Just wanted to send you a note saying I really like your View From The Bus Stop photo very much.
It's my favorite of the three you have posted of the bus stop. I can just imagine sitting in there, in the serene, peaceful quiet din of the countryside, waiting for the bus to come by. I like the depth of field, just the immediate plants outside the silhouetted window pane still in focus while the background gradually falls out of focus. The lighting... I can just imagine being a child and my mind being on a half million things within itself, sitting there, looking out through the window at nothing in particular. I don't know how or why, this just brings young, youthful thoughts and feelings, memories even... I don't know why... it's just a bus stop, not just for a kids school bus, but a bus, bus. But, for some reason, I look at this photo through my child's eyes and mind.

Have you ever feel that in a day, when light gets a bit dim outside, the lamp in your house looks like it will light? But you do not turn it on, you only stair on it and enjoying that moment of darkness.

Forgotten piece of my favorite fruit on the garden table. As a kid I always look on things from very close distance. You smell than wood of the table, you feel humidity of last rain on its surface and you look only to the piece of fruit there. All the rest is blured...

I just watched very nice movie, very nice in my view of course. It is called Before Sunset. In a past week I watched some parts of Battlestar Galactica. I must say even my friends were telling how great it is I wasn't really sure that I like it at all. After this nigh I know it is a crap ;-) Comparing to movie like Before Sunset, it is completely nothing. Sorry to say that you may of course like it, but it is just not movie for me. Before Sunset was so much real...

Today I visit photo exposition of two photo clubs. One is Dutch, named Plata and other is Belgium with name 't Slot. I was invited by my friend Els, who is member of Plata and with who I was last year member of portfolio curse and two three years earlier student of Photo Academy in near by city.
I was very curious about Els work. I like her photographs very much. She was exhibiting series of photographed made from train window on her every day travel to and from work. I saw part of it before so I was expecting a lot. I must say I was a bit disappointed. She had, I think too much photographs in very small place. All photos in dimensions around 25x25cm were placed next to each other and creates chain long about 3.5 meter. She works in color, but photos didn't create this nice photo atmosphere I have saw before, when she showed me only small subset of this series. I must say that less would be more. I think if she makes prints a little bigger and less of them (maybe around seven) it would have much nicer effect. It is a pity as I think pictures very very good, just a way they were presented is not the best one.

Rest of the photographs talk very little to me, also mostly the theme was takes t the letter and not in sense of abstract inspiration. There was a one huge exception. Far best work, and I have to say it better than work of Els was two black and white photographs of Agnes van der Hoek. One of the picture you can see here and I took it from invitation material and I hope she will be not against it. Unfortunately she wasn't present at opening. Her second photo, is in my opinion even better. It is showing blurred woman from back on side of the frame coming to the open window in a back of scene. Window is in focus she and her way there is out of focus. It is difficult to describe it by words you need to see it. Simple motif but very powerfully done. I hope I can talk to her one day. I think, and I have to write it once again here, her work is far above rest of the work presented today on the exhibition named Kijken met je ogen dicht which in English means, Look with a closed eyes.

Some morning all view is just blurry, one can seems to focus on anything and than you notice the mirror. The mirror is sharp so much as it hurts. Why is that?

Castle Zvikov, Czech Republic, July 2006

In a last weekend I have load three short rolls of Fomapan 400 Action for testing. I have shot normal regular scene with average contrast and few into sun shots and one series of over under exposure shots.

First roll I have developed in FD10 1:9 20.5C for 8min together with Fomapan 200@100 as the time was the same.
This rolls get out little bit underdeveloped I think that rising time to 10 min would improve the result.

The Second roll I have developed in Paterson Aculux II 1:9 20.5C for 12min together with Ilford HP5+ as the time was only 1 min more than I normally develop HP5+ in Aculux.
Interesting enough this time seems to bit correct and negative looks in average to have same contrast and density as HP5+. As I am running out of FD10 and have still three liters of Aculux II, I will use this one for next tests.

I can't say much about grain as I didn't scan the rolls yet. That will be for tomorrow. Than I have one more experiment to perform. Shooting night scene with Fomapan 400. That will be more about exposure time than about development time.

In a last few days I am browsing photo blogs on web, just to look for other interesting people, who make nice pictures. I will probably summarize it all in some future post, but now I like to show you something. This time not picture, but I like this a lot especially I have found it on web with 9/11 picture from US guy:

"In such a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, it is the job of thinking people, not to be on the side of the executioners."
- Albert Camus

As a part of my approach to make my work know also outside of Internet I prepared and will send tomorrow four shots to three FIAP competitions. In France, Spain and Croatia.
As you may know I already participate on Fotoforum Ružomberok in Slovakia where one of my photographs was accepted and will be exposed from 30th of September. I am wondering how it will go now in these three next FIAP salons.

Memories, just memories. I never thought I will ever remember such a simple things. Feeling now the same, like I did when I was turning on this old carousel around and around...

Just a short note. After scanning HP5+ developed in Aculux II for 12min at 20C I can say only good on it. Great combination. I also scanned Fomapan 400 developed in Aculux II for the same 12 min. I had only 10 shots, so it is difficult to say, but seems to be not bad, but also not stellar. I need to shoot whole role and see than, I guess.

It is not very often that I write about work of somebody else, but I like to put your attention to some photographs I find very inspiring. I also updated my link page to include a link to suseu work. As a result I removed some thing which I do not find anymore so appealing to me. Shots, like following few, creates in my head great mood of mystery and force me to think. I like nice work with light and blurry, which is here not self executing, but is internal part of whole picture. Take a look and judge for yourself.

• bułgarzy przygotowują się do wiosny
• jakowaś mleczareczka
• jak niedostatecznie uśpiony pacjent na stole operacyjnym

Another attempt to catch mystery of childhood in old carousel...

One early morning, this summer (2006) I went with camera around villages in south of Czechia. I love those early morning when I am alone. Driving from one small village to another. Time feels so slow. I saw a lot of animals next to the road and in the fields.

Somewhere in Belgium, Ardene.

As a side effect of my Fomapan 400 tryout was developing one roll of Ilford HP5+ in Aculux II. I must say that I am amazed with tonality which this combination gave. One need to consider that pictures where take in environment with nicely distributed and relaxed light from sealing. Therefore measurement of the camera was, I think, absolutely correct. This fact has huge influence on quality of the image. I was trying to do the same for Fomapan 400. I exposed one, this time complete, roll in environment where light was distributed evenly as well. This roll still needs to be developed.
Included picture is from the HP5+ developed in Paterson Aculux II. You can see really nice tonal scale. I only sharpen it a bit, no other adjustment were done.

I am not very often ill, but there use to be times, when I was small, that I have got such a illness I need to stay in bed whole day. I hated it, outside was nice sunny day and sounds of shouting friends, playing some kind of game where going through shades on windows.

In a hot summer days I often hide in cool places. Like the one at our grandfather. Down in the cellar, where wood for winter was stored. There I was, with some book, reading in light coming from window. Window full of flowers and bees flying around them. I was down there, having my long time alone with a book. Time than was much longer than now, time was so long that one can think and dream...

In a pasted weekend I was thinking why now, when I am older, I do not try things easy as I did when I was a kid or much younger. Also why it feels like I have so little time comparing with the older days.
I guess back than, I didn't have this every day routine which takes all the energy out of you. And also I took time easier, I guess I was not worried about it. As I have read yesterday in one book, Also time needs its own time. Second think is that now when I am thinking to do something I see all the problems and troubles on the route to achieve it and when it is not 99% possible I just skip it. Back than I only saw what I like to make and only on the road I encounter all the things and sometimes thing failed, but also sometimes it was finished.

Therefore and for all other reasons, I have decide to not having things right now, I let the time takes its own time and also will not think of all possible reason the goal should fail, but I will just do it and will find troubles on a way and fight them, if possible. I like this idea very much, there is no reason to hurry, only reason to enjoy...

As I mentioned it at the time I have close my web shop, I am planning to restore offering my prints on web again. This time I will do a little experiment using eBay. On start of each month I will offer few prints for seven days on eBay. So at 1st of October you will see at least one print of minimal size 30x40 cm offered for starting price equal to production costs plus shipping. Print will be delivered not matted and it will be done in limited series of one print. If not sold I will hang it in my living room. I may put on sale more prints every month, but I guess I will start with one.

Choice of the print I will do mostly based on my favorite ones at the time. Quite often it will be some new shots, which I like very much or of which I am most proud.
The print will be produce using quality carbon pigment inks on my Epson 2100 printer. As a paper I will use either Epson Premium semi-gloss photo paper or matte PermaJet Alpha Cotton Rag paper. Print is delivered named, numbered and signed with additional information on back inside hard carton flat enveloped.

So watch out for the 1st October 2006 !!!

So I arrived to Prague today morning, great weather and I must say that using SKY EUROPE AIRLINES was pleasure. I unpack my old photo equipment and after I will rest a while I will start working on photos for the book. I have time until 24th. Than day after that I'll fly back home.
A lot of ideas are flying in my head and I hope I will be able to catch some of them to film.
More will come sooon....

I didn't write much, actualy anything while I am in Prague. I must say it was very active and rather exhausting time. We had a lot of fun. I manage to exposed around 40 rolls so far. Yesterday while wondering around prague I have found Crumpler shop and manage to buy photo bag for very nice price, thanks to the great person there.

We also were selling poetry book published by Eugen a Zazracnica written by Kazinski in front of Nationat Theather in Prague. Afterwords we had a great time in bar near by.

Yesterday I have returned back home. Full bag of films. I hope X-rays on airport didn't harm them in any way. I am looking forward to develop them and make some nice prints. a lot of plans in my head even the trip wasn't exactly like I imagine it. It was nice in some other way.
I am going to develop first six rolls today and will try to keep this tempo for following few days. More problems I see with scanning it will be a lot of it.

I just finished of developing of first six rolls from my Prague trip and shooting for book written by Jeremias Kazinski. There is 34 more to go. I decided first to develop all Foma 200 films exposed at 100. That is majority of the films. Than I used about ten or maybe fifteen Foma 400 exposed at 400. and few exposed at 1600. I may develop those 400@400 in Aculux and those at 1600 in Tetenal Emofin. But I will need to make more testing first.

I have updated a look of www.richard-vanek.eu a bit. Based on suggestion and selection changes made by Caroline Schroeder and me, I will soon update selection of photographs on this page. Maybe I should mentioned that this page is kind of show case of my best work. It currently contains selection of photographs made in last four-five years for project called Remembering of Childhood. I have plan to exposed this selection once it is finalize. This should be some time soon this autumn. At least I hope.

I had feeling I saw and even wright about photographs like these from Rocky Schenck before. I was searching my own journal until I have found it. At the Paul Kopeikin Gallery you can see incredible amount photographs from Rocky Schenck. Just take a look I am not going to describe them. Enjoy!

Standing next to the door, with eyes looking to the floor. Waiting for the words of parents...