Strolling in the snow...

I spent a few days in Eastern Poland over a week ago. Very short and almost unexpected visit to Hrubieszow and area. Whole place was covered in snow. Temperature just below 0C during the day and a bit lower at night with snow fall. 

White streets every morning and the most beautiful meadows, forests and nearby villages where snow stays all the time.

I recently realised how much I enjoy visiting places related to my childhood as I am getting older. That must be natural process … 

The same about spending more time with parents I usually can see only once a year. 

My perception of surrounding has changed over the years and I can see more I suppose then I used to when I was not even 20. Lots of memories comes back. I appreciate things I did not back then.

Now I always have a camera (or a few) with me which makes it easier to memorise it in the way I want to.

Entire short stay was filled with long walks with my father where we could talk a lot and I could soak in surrounding nature with all senses. Wonderful experience.

'A must selfie' with my father ;)

Landscape, old churches and houses or rather whatever left ... this is what I was focused on.
All materials are processed now. Need to scan everything which is actually the most time consuming part. I will slowly present all photographs on my so called social media channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (please follow the links) 

Thanks!

It was close...

Couple of days ago judges of ‘Black and White Photographer of the Year’ competition selected winners of 2015 edition. We will see these entries in next issue of the magazine.

Congratulations to all winners!!!

A few of my photographs were nominated in two categories and it makes me really happy! 

Well, it would be amazing to win again like in 2011 (have look please HERE) of course but I will try to do that next year ;) 

So first category and first nomination it is: Black and White Photographer of the Year 2015 (over all winner)

 Second nomination is in category: Black and White at its Best

Thanks a lot!

New website and Fine Art Prints

  Once I came back from my holidays in August I was literally bombed with commercial assignments which for some reason I was avoiding before. This time I decided to face new venture and I must say - I really enjoy it :)

In this situation there is not much space left for pure creativity unfortunately. 

My temporary abandoned projects however will eventually back to live sooner or later and I will be also more active online.

...So here I am after about 3 months of absence on this blog ;)

***

As many of you already know I managed to launch the new website about 3 weeks ago.

This one covers more information, it's faster and mobile friendly.

I would like to point here quite important feature - incorporated ecommerce. 

I moved all my fine art prints sales into one place - my website (click HERE please).

At the same time I would like to introduce new series of fine art limited edition prints which many people asked about.

From now on I am selling copies of photographs I am making walking around Dublin with my Large Format camera loaded with Direct Positive Paper, material which is not produced anymore.

Limited edition prints keeps the same size as originals ...4x5inch.

Each of them will be printed by myself and framed by professional framer.
Frame size will be apx 14x15 inch.

Each limited edition photograph (15 pieces) will be printed on a beautiful Canson Infinity Rag Photographique museum quality matte paper, pencil signed on print recto and signed, stamped with date, print date and edition number in ink on print verso. 

As for now 8 photographs from this particular series is for sale and 4 other including very popular 'Film House'.

Also if someone decide to go for the original one and the only wet print which was exposed in the camera (instead of limited edition copy) it is possible to buy them on Saatchi Art Online Gallery. There is 6 available at the moment. These will be also framed by framer and delivered by courier.

Please click HERE 

Below are all links once again.

Limited Edition Fine Art Prints:
http://www.artursikora.com/prints/

Original Prints on Saatchi Art:
http://www.saatchiart.com/account/artworks/694652

Thank you!

Prints on Saatchi Art

I decided to put on sale some of my photographs made on Direct Positive Paper. 
I am talking here about original 4x5 inch wet prints made in camera and processed in darkroom. These are always one of a kind single copies.

one of the wet prints available for sale

Direct Positive Paper itself is not available for sale anymore which makes such photographs even more unique.
All images are signed (at the back of the print and front of mounting board) and will be framed (wooden frame) by a professional framer.

Example of framed wet print

All of it is available on Saatchi Art website. /LINK/
Soon I will also put on sale limited edition of its copies (pigment prints) on archival (museum quality) paper. Limited edition prints will be available on my ETSY shop. /LINK/

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!

Illumine.../exhibition/

2011, 2012... very active period  with a few important for me exhibitions in London (B&W Photographer of The Year) and Dublin ('Coffee Flavour', Royal Hibernian Academy Annual exhibition, Inspirational Arts Gallery and Backloft Gallery). 

That was also the time when my son was born (second child) and I started to share my everyday duties in-between work and children. Not much of it left for purely creative activity. 
I had to slow down a bit...
I also had to gain some distance to my work and think what's next. 
Now I feel  like I am getting slowly to the end of this stage...
That's why I am coming back this year after over 12 months break...
About 2 months ago I released 'Coffee Flavour' photo album  and now there are also  two exhibitions on its way.
I had a sort of idea how to start motoring again but I have to admit that the way it happened really surprised me. Especially if we are talking about the time frame...

The Mill

'The Mill', as this is the title to above piece, it's one of my recent creations.
This photograph was selected for the group exhibition 'Illumine' in Darkroom Gallery, in Essex Jct, Vermont, US.
It is quite important event for me as for the first time my work physically will be shown outside Europe. 
Certainly it's not the last one as another exhibition in Calgary, Canada along with publication in Seities magazine is coming later this month.

Building you can see on the photograph it's a Bolland's Mill located on Barrow Street in Dublin /Ireland/.
Fascinating abandoned structure with an amazing power of attraction.
Image was made on Harman/Ilford Direct Positive Paper using 4x5 large format camera. Exhibited copy is printed and framed by the Gallery.

Now why Illumine?

'Every photograph is about light. Light, which is a plastic medium capable of being physically manipulated, is the key ingredient shared by all photographs and the determinant in the look of every photograph you make. Light’s primal authority defines the essence of a subject. The powerful glue that holds your image together, light makes known the emotional and physical contents within your visual space and activates vision and meaning. Every image provides a different set of conditions in which we can experience light. If the light does not inhabit and reveal the perceived nature of the subject, the picture will not communicate the content you wish to transmit to a viewer. In that sense, pictures are about what others are able to see in them.' Juror Robert Hirsch 

Exhibition opens tomorrow, 6th of March and will run until the end of the month, 30th of March.
If any of you will be around Vermont and especially Essex Junction, please visit Darkroom Gallery where lots of very good exhibitions taking place.

Gallery Info:

Darkroom Gallery

12 Main St.
Essex Jct., VT 05452-3132

Hours: Monday-Sunday 11:00-4:00 and by appt.
(802) 777-FOTO (3686)

'the wind' ...

Photographing modernism in Ireland I almost missed one very important place in history of Irish architecture, planning and urban design and history at all. 
This place I would describe as an important and interesting from sociological and also technical point of view rather than architectural itself.
Ballymun flats and its area. 
This is the place where great ideas and dreams of planers failed almost instantly...

Remaining block of flats /2013/. Photograph taken on Direct Positive Paper.

Last Sunday I had an opportunity to spend some time on the streets of Ballymun with two fantastic people who grew up there and have a wonderful memories related to the flats when this place was shining. Jim and his brother Eric. These couple of hours I spent with them opened my eyes and allowed me to perceive Ballymun from completely different perspective...not as a 'Concrete Jungle' with many internal problems but also as a place with strong community integration. 
...so many thanks to both of them!
Most of the people are happy seeing all those flats going down. There is however  also significant group of those who would rather see this place booming as it was at the time when it was build, when the future of this place was very bright....for the very short time.
This is typical example of great ideas of creating new places for overcrowded cities in post war world, especially in Europe. Ideas related directly to famous modernists and their ideology, ideas of Garden Cities.
Ballymun was the answer (one of few) for huge housing problem in Dublin/Ireland those days.




The estate was built between 1966 and 1969 by the National Building Agency which was established specifically for the task. It comprised seven 15-storey towers, nineteen 8-storey blocks, ten 4-storey walk-ups and 400 single family houses. 
I would easily call it state of the art which may sound controversially but saying that I am thinking about its technical aspect rather then quality of architecture itself.
All those large, comfortable apartments (over half flats had three bedrooms) with underfloor heating, central hot water, flush toilets and lifts brought an amazing comfort of living. And we must remember that all of it was in Ireland in times when large families (sometimes around ten people) had to live often in one room in extremely poor condition.

Why its failed then?

Back of the local shopping centre /2013/

Such places which we can see all over the Europe needs properly designed and perfectly working infrastructure and maintenance. Lack of any of these elements along with mentioned sociological problems causes degradation of society. This is what has happened over there briefly. There was not enough money to finish what planers just started so many places like promised public swimming pool, meeting places and play areas were never built. People were left alone in the middle of nowhere.
During the 80s things got even worse due to economical crisis. Huge unemployment brought problems with robberies and drugs.
 
Today Ballymun is changing along with its inhabitants who remember old flats.

Now there is just 3 block of flats left. These buildings will be demolished very soon and Ballymun will step up into the next stage of its history.
Wandering among those abandoned structures you can hear only the wind and imagine how it was over there back in 60's...70's

Ballymun flats - Building that doesn't exist anymore with Maser's mural photographed many times before... 
I took this photograph in 2010

technical info:

During this trip I was using Sinar F2 with Schenider-Kreuznach Symmar-S 150mm 5.6, Harman/Ilford Direct Positive Paper 4x5 and Ilford FP4+ 4x5.
Also there is a roll of Kodak Tmax 400 exposed through hasselblad 500cm, Planar 80/2.8 and Distagon 50/4. This film will be processed soon and I hope to show some photographs soon my FB website.
The last photograph in this post was taken with Holga 120GN + Fomapan 400.

What else was engaged? strong wind and some rain...

Direct Positive Paper (part 2)

I am coming back to direct positive paper tests. As you remember almost two months ago a took first few photographs on that medium using studio lighting.
Everything came out really well. You can have a look at the blog post following this link - ‘Direct Positive Paper’.

Last Thursday I decided to give it a go with natural light. I set camera in UCD campus in the middle of fantastic modernist structures photographed by me many times before (‘Forms’ series for example).
With mentioned in previous post slow speed of this paper (about ISO 3) and aperture f=45 it took about 30s to get proper exposure.
Paper was developed in Ilford Multigrade Developer.

Below are first results.

ISO 3, f/45, 30s expo - 20s dev

This is a second photograph out of two I developed. Dev process about 20 seconds (quite fast) gave the best result. Very reach tonal range  and great details.
Here is the same image developed for much longer time 40seconds. Still pretty fast as for paper dev process. As you can see however it is way too dark and also there is loss of details due to high contrast. That's why I gave it ago once more with mentioned 20 sec then.

ISO 3, f/45, 30s expo - 40s dev

I also took the same photograph on negative film for comparison purposes. It was as usually Fomapan 100 developed in Caffenol-c-m.
...the same place, settings, lens and the same camera :)

ISO 100, f/45, 4s expo - 10min dev in Caffenol-c-m

Of course negative is more versatile and with a little bit of time and experience in darkroom printing will give better result. That's for sure. 

We are focusing here however on new great 'instant' medium :)

4x5 prints

After all it is difficult (if possible at all) to judge such photographs seeing scanned images. Only viewing the print can give real feeling of what is happening with such paper. It is truly fantastic! 

Direct Positive Paper

Yesterday I asked my daughter if she could help me with something related to photography...
- oh, how long do I have to stand still?
Hah, she knows me very well ;D
I just found a bit of time to try direct positive paper which I have since while.
Due to its very low speed (varies, depends on light condition and desired effect ISO 3-6...) and energy of my young model I had to use studio lights to achieve reasonable shutter speed and aperture. Quite important not only when photographing a child ;)
After setting light to maximum power I got 1/30 shutter speed with f/8. Just about something I was looking for.

scanned print (please click the image to see it bigger)

After that there was a time for a wet part of the process. Very exciting moments as always when it comes to printing.
I choose an Ilford Multigrade paper developer. Luckily I still had an unopened bottle. I didn't expected that after a few months break in printing ;)
Dilution as stated on the bottle 1+9, stop in water and then fix bath in Ilford Rapid Fixer 1+4. Just like with RC paper.
Trays filled with chemicals, safe light ON and after a few minutes everything was done :)
Image itself came out really fast. it was about 20-30seconds. And that’s It.

Pre-flashing  is sometimes recommended for this paper. It gives more grays but also lower contrast so... I didn't pre-flash  :)
I wanted to achieve good contrast which means for me - high ;) and my decision was right.


After all I find it a bit similar to wet plate collodion. It’s the first thing which came to my mind when I saw photograph coming out on developing tray. I am talking here about all idea rather then the process itself which in this case is  much easier and faster. 

Similarities?   
 - photograph taken in that way is the only one you have
- the image is a mirror reflection of photographed subject

I love direct positive paper and the way the photograph is made with it. Very reach tones, fantastic details and contrast and also quite short time required to see the result. 
Will definitely use it more often instead of traditional film. 

equipment used:
Sinar F2 with Schneider-Kreuznach Symmar-S 150mm 5.6 lens, 4x5 Harman Direct Positive Paper FB Glossy .


Update 07/09/2012 - You can also have a look at my other post about Direct Positive Paper where I am using it with natural light ;) Click Here Please