Arts Building revisited

Arts Building, designed by ABK Architects and completed in 1979, was the second structure I visited with my cameras when I started to work on ‘Unfulfilled Dreams’ project in 2011. 
A week ago I got back to Arts building during Open House 2019 festival. As all of you already know I have soft spot for well designed concrete buildings, especially these from 60s and 70s. 

There was a few beautiful new buildings on my list this year but I had to change plans and eventually ended up with Arts Building only … Fantastic tour with lots of interesting information and possibility to capture bits and pieces in my black and white squares.

Lights was beautifully dim. Exactly as it have to be in such objects. I had Delta 400 loaded in my Rollei but all was exposed at 1600 which was absolutely enough. 

Photographs taken back then (2011) are different and like it. I can clearly see how my approach to project and vision how it should looks like changes  I probably would photograph again every single building I visited since 2011 but it will stay as it is with small updates every now and then. Like this time…

© Artur Sikora

© Artur Sikora

© Artur Sikora

© Artur Sikora

© Artur Sikora

© Artur Sikora

You can read my blog post about Arts Building in 2011 using this link: Art of concrete .

Here is also link to 'Unfulfilled Dreams' project so you can see more photographs I made in there back then: Unfulfilled Dreams .

Thank you!

3rd Place Winner - Monochrome Photography Awards

Truly wonderful news arrived this morning…
I was awarder 3rd place in International Black and White Photography Competition - Monochrome Photography Awards, Professional Architecture Category.
I can’t say anything else except that I am really really happy :)Below is the winning entry... 

Image was made with large format 4x5 camera and Fomapan 100 black and white negative film.

I wanted to transfer a very specific look of the place into my image. That's why I visited this location a few times.

Finally I managed to photograph it in the way I wanted... after third or even fourth approach. A few frustrating moments but it was so worth it...

Press Release (please click image to enlarge):

Have a look please at other great photographs from organiser's gallery:

Monochrome Awards website:                http://monoawards.com/

My entry:                                                 http://bit.ly/2jKgcDU

Other entries in category Architecture:    http://bit.ly/2ip6ZED

Other galleries:                                         http://bit.ly/2jwnmwc

Thank you!

Journey to the East...

Every few years I am visiting Poland and the small town where I was born... 

Hrubieszow - this very old, quiet, easternmost town in Poland, surrounded by beautiful woods, meadows, farmlands is also filled with unique old architecture ...

This time it was almost a month (!). Being there for so long I decided to photograph some treasures of the region. It is always like a journey down the memory lane ... Everything has changed of course comparing to the time I left this place almost 25 years ago moving to Krakow, my next (not the last) stop for another 10 years.
Lots of places I remeber as a child don't exist or looks completely different. Obvious sign of time... however It is still good to walk the same streets, corners and observe... 

It was also great to meet a few old friends and some new, especially those sharing the same passion to analogue photography. Here I have to mention Mariusz Tomczuk who made some of my local visits/sessions possible. Thank you Mariusz!

You can check his website: HERE and ArtLimited profile HERE .

Some of you already know about the problem with one of my cameras which resulted in a loss of about a half of all photographs made over there. Some of them could be pretty good but as one of my friends said: ‘the best images regardless will always be in your head’ (Thanks Steven!)

It also reminds me of something from the past, described in this article: 'Untaken photograph’.
Apparently I have enough photographic material for a few articles. Most of it however I will show on my FB fan page, Instagram and twitter as a single images. 

Survived photographs were made mostly with Holga camera. Weather was perfect for this type of work. Blue sky, great light which gave stronger contrasts (best thing ever) …and unfortunately (for me) very high temperature. Most of my friends know that I should live probably on the North Pole ;) haha

Hrubieszow was not the only place I photographed of course. I also spend a short time in Lublin (capital of the region) and Zamosc. 

Sun was waking up before 5am and so do I …there was nothing better to do after a morning coffee and cigarette than packing camera in the bag and going out … before temperature raised and my kids woke up ;)

Eastern Poland is mostly rural and very picturesque area… not an easy place for the concrete and urban jungles maniac like me ;) …still very pleasing place to be.

**********

Yeah, photographs... Just a few images for now. 

Grain silos, Teratyn  (Holga + Kodak TMax 400)

Such structure is quite common probably in a most places on earth. In this sun however and surrounding fields   it looked very special. Also this is the only image I have. Lots of other photographs from this place made with my Hasselblad has 'gone with the wind'...

Orthodox Church, Hrubieszow (Holga + Kodak TMax 400)

The only Church in Poland with 13 domes.

'This is a typical religious building from the second half of the nineteenth century, built at the request of the Russian government in the Russian-Byzantine style, after the suppression of the January Uprising. Built on a cruciform plan, with octagonal bell tower, semicircular chancel and two lateral wings. It is topped with typical thirteen onion domes, one of the bell-tower, five conventional arrangement of the central part of the nave, three on each wing and one on the chancel. Across the Europe, only two churches have 13 domes (the second can be seen in Finland).' Info: Poland Travel

Kiesewetter Palace, Hrubieszow (Holga + Kodak TMax 400)

Kiesewetter's family Palace built in XIX century, rebuilt in XX century.

Wooden houses, Hrubieszow (Holga + Kodak TMax 400)

... A type of architecture characteristic for this region. Unfortunately lots of similar houses are in a very poor condition and in most cases renovation will never happen...

The City Hall, Zamosc (Holga + Kodak TMax 400)

The City Hall of Zamosc was built in late XVI by the Italian architect Bernardo Morando. Quite an obvious photograph when you are on the Great Market Square in Zamosc ;)

Władysław Panas Alley, Lublin (Holga + Kodak TMax 400)

*******

All photographs above were made with Holga 120 GN camera, except the colour once snapped with mobile phone. I photographed some buildings with Hasselblad 500c/m, Distagon 50mm and Planar 80mm lenses. As far as I know now, 80mm lens failed. All equipment is being repaired now by one and the only Noel Young so it will be like new after that. 

Here are once again links to my other social media if you would like to be up to date with my photography. Photographs from this particular trip will be posted regularly over there:

Facebook website
Instagram
Twitter

Thank you!

Corbusier House

'Construct: Art in Architecture' international, juried group exhibition in Darkroom Gallery, in Vermont, US is on the way...

I am very happy to announce that my photograph 'Corbusier House' has been selected by the jurors to be a part of this show. This time fully dedicated to architecture...

Corbusier House © Artur Sikora 

(...) Photographing the art of architecture; the anthropological implications of structural design (...)' (part of the description from Gallery website)

'Corbusier House' was made about a year ago in Berlin, during my trip dedicated to modernist architecture in this city. It is a part of a small project called simply 'Modernism in Berlin' (please click the link to see the project). 

I would like to come back here with my blog articles showing many photographs and some interesting information collected during research  made back then. I think it is worth to have a look at it if you have an interest in architecture and modern movement itself.
'Corbusier House' is in Modernism in Berlin - space for living article listed below.

Modernism in Berlin - Prologue:
http://artursikora.blogspot.ie/2015/05/modernism-in-berlin-prologue.html

Modernism in Berlin - along the Landwehrkanal:
http://artursikora.blogspot.ie/2015/05/modernism-in-berlin-along-landwehrkanal.html

Modernism in Berlin - space for living:
http://artursikora.blogspot.ie/2015/05/modernism-in-berlin-space-for-living.html

Modernism in Berlin - concrete sculpture and spaceship...
http://artursikora.blogspot.ie/2015/05/modernism-in-berlin-concrete-sculpture.html

Darkroom Gallery

12 Main St.
Essex Jct., VT 

US

http://www.darkroomgallery.com/ex82

Hours: Monday-Sunday 11:00-4:00 and by appt. 

Exhibit opens May 26th, and will run until 11 June.

Thank you!

...Birds

Just a short announcement related to my FB post this morning.  

Presented below photograph ‘Birds' has been selected for international juried exhibition - Black and White 2016 in PH21 Gallery in Budapest. 

Also the same photograph was awarded by the jurors with Honourable Mention. 

Fantastic beginning of the day.

‘Birds’ was made in my neighbourhood a few months ago while testing ISKRA, 6x6 foldable camera. Unique moment and unique place which is sadly disappearing now after so many years. Ongoing demolition is moving pretty fast…

Exhibition will take a place in PH21 Gallery, H-1092 Budapest, Ráday u. 55. May 5–31, 2016. 

…So my photography is going back to Budapest. Just a couple of weeks to go.

On the Ballymun Road...

Photographing buildings for ‘Unfulfilled dreams’ project I ended up a few times in Ballymun. Usually with friend of mine Jim Leonard, great photographer. 

He also knows area and its people as nobody else. Our trips are always very productive.

There was no difference this time. 

A few days before I got a message from Jim that we have a permission to photograph Trinity Comprehensive School of Ballymun. 
Fantastic news as I always wanted to see this building from the inside. It was officially opened on March 26th 1973. 
Beautiful structure. Simple, horizontal, geometrical and very light form. 

After short meeting in Principal office we started to make photographs. A few hours of an amazing experience. Truly photogenic object. 
Here I would like to thank Ms Ann Meehan who arranged everything, Ms Frances Neary Carton, Principal and Jim of course who triggered all before it's happened. 

You can have a look at school's website to get more information about its history. Just click HERE please. Also please keep checking my FB website and Twitter where I will show few more photographs made that day.

A few technical informations:

This time I was using only Hasselblad 500c/m with Distagon 50/4 and Planar 80/2.8 lenses. Camera was loaded with Ilford Pan F Plus 50 and Ilford FP4 Plus 125 pulled to 50 films. 

Thank you!

Monochrome Photography Awards

I received this morning truly uplifting message. Monochrome Photography Awards 2014  has been announced with two of my photographs with Honorable Mentions.
Both in section Professional Photographers, category: Architecture.  

'Monochrome Photography Awards conducts an annual competition for Professional and Amateur photographers. Our mission is to celebrate monochrome vision and discover most amazing photographers from around the world.' 
monoawards.com

It is a privilege especially when work of all photographers listed represents such a high standard.

Have a look please at all presented work on dedicated website:
http://monoawards.com/

Thank you!

'Streets' - publication and exhibition by Seities

Long awaited copy of SEITIES magazine, winter issue with theme 'streets' arrived yesterday.
Absolutely wonderful independent publication supporting traditional photography.

Founded in Calgary 'SEITIES is a Non-profit Contemporary Photography Publication, Gallery, & Educational Organization. SEITIES aims to promote national and international artists by encouraging and supporting traditional methods of production in photography and giving an open platform to alternative analogue photographers who utilize traditional methods in their contemporary photography practices.' (info SEITIES)

Couple of months before that I received a message that 2 of my photographs will be published in mentioned winter issue. Also 2 of my pieces has been selected for exhibition which will take a place in Shelf Life Books in Calgary (Canada) with opening 14th of March while official  Publication Launch.
I feel truly honored as all photographs in magazine represents very high standard and are simply beautiful as magazine itself.

There are actually three photographs involved...
First one - Immortal 'Film House' which became almost my signature in the last years. The Winner of the B&W photographer of the year competition was published already several times in Ireland, UK, Poland and now in Canada. This photograph means a lot to me for many reasons. The most important one? It clearly explains my way of seeing...

Film House

Another published photograph it's one of the recent creations recorded on my favorite these days medium - Direct Positive Paper. Theme is still the same...streets of Dublin

Untitled

As mentioned before two photographs were selected for exhibition. 
Here comes 'Film House' again.
As only traditionally made photographs are accepted by SEITIES I had an opportunity to spend a few hours in darkroom working with my own negatives for a change. I chose  Fomaton MG Classic baryta based warmtone paper which gives truly unique look.
The second image sent to gallery (another recent creation), was an original  the one and the only print on direct positive paper (Harman/Ilford  glossy double weight baryta base paper) which you can see below.

Untitled

Both photographs (wet prints) were beautifully framed by J&J Framing LTD in Ranelagh.

All of it is really exciting and makes me believe that there is more and more people allover the world for whom traditional photography is important and means a lot. Thank you SEITIES!

Also please don't forget about the other group exhibition 'Illumine', where I am showing my work, in Darkroom Gallery (Vermont, US) which I described in previous post (LINK).


Thank you!

Two worlds...

Once again I moved with all my cameras to Olive Tree Studio for a few hours. Once again I was photographing yoga classes but this time  in a bit different way. That was over a week ago.
'Mother/child' and 'Partner' yoga - the theme of my latest session.
To get a context please come back to the previous article where all about Chroi Yoga/Christina Breen (my client) and Olive Tree Studio has been already said. Please click HERE.

This session as the first one was very well prepared in advance by myself and Christina. We met a few times to discus in details how everything should looks like. All this project is my first experience with yoga photography so it was important to know what exactly I should focus on while working on such a specific and very challenging assignment. 
Especially in my case - completely non-yogic person. 
What was important for Christina is my style of photography, her vision and belief that these two worlds /my B&W play of lights, shadows and forms and Christina's bright, mindful way to attain a state of permanent peace/ will work together perfectly. 
...And she was right. It works really well!
I created a series of photographs which shows many significant aspects of yoga represented by Christina as a professional yoga teacher.

We spent some time also after both session talking about every single photograph I edited out from all bunch of processed negatives. That was another interesting experience as we were looking at it from completely different perspectives having in mind mentioned two worlds /our private worlds/. 
There was a few photographs we had opposite opinion about but our conversation created  a really good way to understand each others point of view and find a 'way in the middle'.

 

...Also as before, presented photographs are just a samples. All series you will be able to see in-between other photographs on ChroiYoga new website soon.

'Coffee Flavour'...

  Sound of coffee maker is the first sound I can hear every morning after alarm clock. Wonderful aroma fills all the place along with it.
That’s the time to seat down with a cup of steaming coffee and travel in my mind to different places, think about different situations…or have a nice chat. 
I have to repeat such a moments a few times during the day … this is the time with ‘Coffee Flavour’...

My routine made me think about transferring it into still images. I wanted to show such a moments which are very important for many of us, moments of contemplation.
That was December 2009 when I made a first photograph. 'Coffee Flavour’ grew up since then to a significant series of portraits, which are not necessary meant to show people but rather their minds.
I made the last photograph in summer 2013. That was a four years of work...
Most of you remember also exhibition in Ranelagh Arts Centre in November 2011. I showed there over 20 prints back then.  That was the moment when these photographs were presented for the first time in a full glow.

Now I have in the front of me beautifully printed album - 'Coffee Flavour’ ... album which is a final version and kind of capstone of all series.
And what can I say... It's wonderful. 
It is printed on fantastic Blurb's premium matte paper 8x10inch (20x25cm) and I am really impressed by its built quality. 
As for content... all 'Coffee Flavour' series is presented here. 
Thirty portraits of minds/thoughts.  
It’s so good to look at these portraits printed in that form rather than seeing it only on a computer screen.
 

I was hoping to get it done before Christmas. Small delay however was inevitable due to some technical problems.
As I mentioned before on my facebook website I used a Blurb service for this purpose. That was the only option at this stage. Blurb is a print on demand service and requires a specific approach while preparing all files. Sometimes it is necessary to make a few reprints to be sure that final book will be printed in the way as it should be.  Beside that printing B&W photographs is a real challenge. 
I have to admit that Blurb's customer service is very helpful which make all process very smooth.
Below is a link to Amazon.com (update 01/05/2014) where you can purchase 'Coffee Flavour'. It is available in three different cover versions: softcover, hardcover with dust jacket and hardcover with image wrap.

Please click HERE to go directly into online shop.

Here I would like to thank all people who helped me with this project! That means a lot to me!
...and I really hope you will like it! Thanks a lot!!!

Under the olive tree...

I am presenting on this blog varies aspects on my photography. From experiments and tests through my personal projects and exhibitions up to more interesting assignments I have a pleasure to work on. 
We all have own style of work and the way we are the most productive and able to get the best of our knowledge and talent. It is always very personal and depends on many aspects. It concerns not only photographers  but all professions I would say.
As a traditional photographer I appreciate every moment I can slow down and contemplate the scene before recording. Every session takes a time. It has to be planed and properly prepared to eliminate fortuity. It is especially important in case of equipment I am using.
Pressing the shutter release is the final moment. Everything what has to be done in relation to the image is happening before that. After, there is only chemistry…
I am happy enough to work with people who perfectly understand such process most of the time.

Two weeks ago I had a pleasure to work on something completely new for me. I was photographing children yoga classes for Christina Breen (Chroi Yoga), yoga teacher (trained in Yoga for Children & Families with www.rainbowkidsyoga.net) and Montessori educator.  As you probably remember this is not our first cooperation. Last summer I took two portraits during the event organised also by Christina. /You can have a look at it HERE/
This session was a pure pleasure as it suits very well my style of work which is always in benefits for my client and myself. Christina perfectly understand every visual aspect of type/style of photography i am representing and she has a fantastic approach to it. She can also read images in the way that many photographers wouldn't be able to do so.

I came to see the class some time before session to get an idea how everything looks like and what can I do in there to make the best images possible.
Olive Tree Studio, where this session took a place, is located in the basement of 19th century house. It is a beautiful space for yoga and dance. Due to time of the year however we had not enough daylight I needed for this session even if the windows are relatively large. At the same time I didn’t want to use a flash lamps. I am always trying to avoid it as much as possible once I am outside photography studio. It usually flatten image doesn’t matter how well set it is.  I truly love ambient lighting as it give completely different dynamic of the image. It is also very important for me to achieve as much natural and realistic look of photographed person and place as possible. Subdued light, type of the place and the way how the class was runned by Christina - all of it was beautiful and I wanted to show it that way.
That was a challenge...

In this case the space we were working in had a few spotlights giving really nice ambiance. I spent a while before session to set those lights and direct them properly into space of the room I was going to work in.
The light was still relatively low (for photography) but as most of you know I am always pushing my films at least one or two stops. This time even three. It was just right. We were ready.
Session itself took about 3 hours (including over one hour for classes with some beautiful theatrical elements) and it was really hard work for all of us…myself, Christina, our assistants and first of all for children. They were absolutely fantastic and very cooperative. Many thanks to all of them. Here I must also thank their parents! 

That was the first time I was photographing children (beside my own of course) and it was  wonderful  experience. Truly amazing event. Christina is a perfect teacher. She has a great contact with all kids. She is also more then kind and at the same time very professional. If any of you reading this article ever thought about yoga class for your child or for yourself - Christina is a person to contact to.

Above images are just an examples showing different stages of that afternoon session.
More of them will be presented soon on Chroi Yoga website. 
Contact details below:

website:   www.chroiyoga.com
email:   chroiyoga@gmail.com
facebook page:   https://www.facebook.com/ChroiYogaPage



Technical part:

I was using there 4 cameras in 3 different formats and 3 films at 4 different speeds. Sinar F2 large format camera with Schneider-Kreuznach Symmar-S 150mm 5.6 lens, Hassleblad 500cm with Planar 80mm 2.8 lens. Canon A-1 with 50mm 1.4 and Canon 6D with 50 1.4 and 35 2 lenses. Yes, I was also using digital camera this time for a few shots but somehow non of them were as good as recorded on film even if this camera is an outstanding performer, especially in low light situations and also during actor head-shots and business portraits in studio.
As for film…a few rolls of beloved TMax 400 exposed at 800, 1600 and 3200, roll of Trix  400 at 800 and for the first time Fomapan 400 4x5 at 400 and also and 1600. It was a test for this film which I never used before. What can I say - I love it!
After first light check I had a plan to shoot all at 3200 but apparently small spotlights properly set gave a couple of stoops better light condition.
All images processed in Xtol 1:1, except Foma 400 and Trix which I souped in Rodinal 1:50. All scanned on great V700 as always. 

Thank you!