Art of concrete

Visiting another modernist treasure I came back to Trinity College campus. Beside already well known Berkeley Library stands much younger structure - Arts and Social Science building, designed also by ABK Architects (completed in 1978 as a result of competition in 1969)

Main Hall

Mysterious dark maze of corridors full of vertical and horizontal planes, amazing textures and ubiquitous fair-faced concrete. Truly beautiful building but at the same time very hard place to photograph. I will explain it at the end in “technicalities” section.
Building often used for conferences and public lectures includes also Douglas Hyde Gallery , the Lecky Library and several administrative offices. 

I had to split my visit into two days. An extra time was required to obtain permission to photograph Gallery due to current art exhibition. It's a very special place with amazing proportions and overall feeling which makes it work of art in itself.
I would like to thank to TCD's Communications Office, Gallery’s Curatorial Assistant and Gallery’s Director. Really appreciate all your help! Many thanks to security staff as well.

Douglas Hyde Gallery

... technicalities:
4x5 equipment It’s  a standard for this project. Calumet CC-400, Schneider-Kreuznach Super-Angulon 90mm 8.0 lens and  Fomapan 100@64 4x5 film developed later in my favourite recently Caffenol-c-m.
I mentioned above some technical dificulties during this session. Obviously this wonderful dim light (fantastic especially in such an amazing interior) filling the space is extremely hard to deal with when all photographs has to be neatly composed on rather dark view camera’s ground glass, looking through perfect but also dark Super-Angulon lens...f8

Settings for all shots were almost the same: f16 i 30sec exposure
After developing of negatives, scanning and first edition (with few bad surprises) I decided to come back to Douglas Hyde Gallery in order to recompose the most interesting for me photograph. It was actually this morning...third visit.

The Winner...

The time to present my winning entry in the competition mentioned already on my facebook webpage and twitter has come.
“Film House” is a photograph of the year in “Time” category by “B+W Photography”  magazine.

Film House

I had a really good run this year as five of my photographs were shortlisted in three categories of four I entered, including three images in “Time” category  (maximum amount of entries per one category). That was already a big success. 
 

This prize have a special meaning for me... “Black+White Photographer of the Year” is a very important international competition.
Beside that “Film House” is a statement.  It shows every aspect of photography I represent - subject, atmosphere and literally my devotion to celluloid (film photography).
It was already published in “Posi+tive” magazine, “Archipelag” magazine (as a cover for the article “passage of time”) and RedBubble blog with best street photography and photojournalism on RB. Now it is in B+W Photography magazine (November issue).

Below you can see my other four entries shortlisted in Black+White Photographer of the Year  2011 edition:  

Time category

James Joyce

Beehives

People category

People on the street

City category

Screen Cinema

My congratulations to all other nine winners!!! It was very good to meet you last Thursday (all off you who could attend the opening) and see your fantastic pieces. Well done!
Many thanks to organizers, sponsors (in my case it's Leica Store Mayfair) and first of all "B+W Photography" magazine!

footage from the exhibition opening night  (update 14/10/2011)

The winning photographs are exhibited at theprintspace Gallery, 74 Kingsland Road, London ED 8DL from 7 to 26 October.

theprintspace gallery, opening night

If you are in London or if you will be there in next three weeks please visit theprintspace!

What's left?

Saturday morning (week ago)... After a few minutes in the train i was in Tara Street with all my equipment. Then just a short walk over the Liffey, couple of minutes conversation with security at the entrance and I was in the lift going to the 15th floor of.... Liberty Hall, ready to shoot this important Dublin’s landmark.

A few basic facts - building was deigned by Desmond Rea O’Kelly (1923-2011). Construction of this modern and translucent building began in the early 1960s and was completed in 1965.  It was very Simple and solid structure with non-reflective glass that you could see through the corners, with beautiful mosaic under the glazing on each floor and viewing platform (open to public) on the top (16th) floor.  
It was the first high-rise building in Dublin.

stairs in-between 15th and 16th floor lever with wonderful mosaics 

 An incident in 1972 changed everything irreparably. UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) car bomb explosion led to dramatic changes in overall aesthetic of Liberty Hall and the way the building was operating. Original glazing, mostly destroyed in explosion, was replaced with reflective, silver coated windows. Viewing Platform was closed. Also water-resistant coating was applied over the mosaic on all elevations. Texture of mosaic is still visible if one come closer.
Nobody was looking after the building since many years which led into the way how it looks now - cracks in the windows,  dilapidated parts of facades...
Sadly it become one of the most unpopular structure in Dublin.

I mentioned this building about year ago in my “before they will vanish...” post (clikc HERE please to read it). You can find there (at the bottom of the post)  a link to wonderful documentary about “Liberty Hall” by Paddy Cahill. It says everything about this fantastic structure and its history. I really recommend to watch it!

It is still possible that building will disappear from Dublin’s panorama. That would be a shame. Its simple structure and versatile design makes it very easy to restore, bring back to its original stage and make it shine again.

Nobody knows however how the future of Liberty Hall looks like ...

We are loosing lots of precious buildings nowadays. It's a piece of history. One day we will just ask ourselves - what's left?

doors from staircase to corridor

view form the landing in-between 8th and 9th floor level

I want to thank to Liberty Hall Property Management for giving me permission to spend there quite a long time with my cameras where I could walk through communication area (narrow corridors and staircases) of the office part of the building. it was still very limited access but I am very happy that i was there.

Technicalities at the end...
this time 2 cameras: Calumet CC-400 and Craflex Crown Graphic, 2 lenses: Schneider-Kreuznach Symmar-S 150mm 5.6 and Schneider-Kreuznach Super-Angulon 90mm 8.0 and 2 films: Fomapan 100@64  4x5 and Kodak T-Max 100 4x5, both developed in Caffenol. I was trying to find out if Kodak T-Max will give me better results in creating images for this series and it didn’t happen. I must admit that Fomapan 100 4x5 souped in Caffenol is just superb.

Concrete Beauty...

This post is a beginning of my new series of photographs dedicated to modernist architecture in Ireland. I will try to create a photo archive with the most interesting objects from that time.
The first choice was an obvious for me for a few reasons...
Berkeley Library - Paul Koralek’s winning entry for the international design competition (June 1961) for a new library building representing the 20th century. Scheme was developed with later Paul’s business partners Peter Ahrends and Richard Burton. "ABK Architects" - a trio of genuine designers devoted to idea of new human-centred modernism where architecture is about people and their lives, about making spaces that have relationship with the activity they contain.
I met Paul a few times when I was a part of ABK’s team here in Dublin (2004-2006). Truly remarkable time with very creative and talented people.
Berkeley is ABK’s one of the first significant built works (beside Chichester Theological College, UK).
This Concrete Beauty (1967) is quietly resting since over 40 years in the middle of town behind the trees and walls of "TCD’s" other buildings from 18th and 19th century.

Photographed from outside by many people including me (it seams to be my favorite model) remains a mystery as an interior space. I was there once with our office (ABK) tour. Now, after almost 5 years I decided to come back with camera. Here I would like to thank librarians from Berkeley Librarian’s Office and security staff for making it happen.
Over 2 hours of wandering through the heart of this amazing structure it was just enough to get the feeling back, the one I had when I saw this place for the first time. Breathtaking design. I tried to absorb every single square meter I stepped on however the amount of  details and  simultaneously flying time was a bit destructing. I started from the top floor - beautifully sculptured reading area. Then I went slowly down through the first floor reading area and ground floor entrance space to the basement, place where Berkeley is connected with Arts Building (by ABK) and Ussher Library (by McCullough Mulvin Architects and KMD Architecture). That was the last stop of my “journey”... but certainly not the last time visiting Berkeley with camera ;)

...now I have to get ready for a session with another model made of concrete this Saturday.

Link to ABK’s website:"HERE"

 

At the end some technicalities:  all photographs were taken with Calumet CC-400 4x5 large format camera with Schneider-Kreuznach Symmar-S 150mm 5.6 lens. Film Fomapan 100  4x5 was developed in Caffenol-c-m and negatives scanned with Epson V700 photo


Thank you!

Boland's Mill

View from roof terrace of adjoining apartment building (2011)/on Fomapan 100

"Boland's Flour Mill still stands today, an austere six storey cut-stone storehouse built to store grain and flour by the Boland's family in the 1830s. It boasts 250 wooden windows, with excellent views over MacMahon Bridge and the Grand Canal Dock. Many of the old wooden hoppers and milling machines are still present within the building. Towering above the storehouse and its ancillary kiln and mills, are three industrial Gotham-like silos of reinforced concrete, pitched in the 1940s." (info: www.turtlebunbury.com)

It's wonderful Building and Dublin’s significant landmark.

View from Grand Canal Dock Dart Station (2011)/on Fomapan 100

I think the important question i am asking whenever i am talking about old, precious buildings nowadays is their future. They're sadly disappearing...
Boland’s Mill is deserted since about 10 years . Very central location, easy public access, its size, character and nature makes it wonderful candidate for incredible cultural space similar to Tate Modern
 in London.
Available online visualizations however suggests that this future may look different. Not necessarily well. Please click HERE (quite nice project however not as a replacement for existing historical site)

View from Grand Canal Quay (2011)/on Fomapan 100

Building, owned by National Treasury Management Agency and of course the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA)...(as far as i know) is destined to be part of a hotel and office complex...again :(  The good part (which I found out just after seeing and reading about new ideas for this place) is that Boland’s Mill is listed as a protected structure (!) by Dublin City Councill  :)

What will happen then? Time will tell...

View from Barrow Street (2010) /on kodak Portra 400@800

I live almost beside which makes easier to have a closer look. Internal access is denied. Below however are links to one of a few galleries with photographs taken actually inside ...really worth to look at.
Please click HERE.

Next weekend in St.Stephen's Green

Just a few days left to Peoples Photography 2011 in Stephen's Green. Lots of fantastic photographs to look at, to buy and good opportunity to talk to their authors.
I will show there some of my favourite pieces all set in one series called “Places” (just like last year), including couple of photographs i wasn't exhibiting during 2010 edition.
Hope to see you there! ;)

27th - 28th of August, Spot 110 again (across The Shelbourne Hotel), 9am-6pm

The power of coffee

I just finished scanning negatives developed in “coffee”...certainly not the one I am drinking at the moment ;)
Caffenol is a home made film developer based on instant coffee (NOT decaf). Very new and exciting experiment even if such a way of developing is well known since while. I bought all ingredients after very short online research. I've had a some trouble finding washing soda but got it on ebay at last. Here i need to point very halpful websites: Caffenol blog and Maciek Lesniak Fotografia (in polish). Good set of information!

instant coffee, pure vitamin C powder, washing soda

Caffenol, once mixed is supposed to be used within half an hour. Storage is not recommended.  Well I didn't test it so far but I have to trust the experience of others.
I am using Paterson dev tank which holds 0.5 l of dilution for one 120 film so my proportions (for 0.5L dev) are as follows:

- 27g of washing soda
- 8g of vitamin C
- 20g of instant coffee

This gives me Caffenol-C-M - for medium fast film. Tested here on Ilford Pan F Plus 50 and Ilford FP4+ 125.
Recommended dev - 15min, 20°C.
Proportions are adjustable depending obviously on quantity needed.

ready developer, Caffenol-C-M

It rather smells bad (maybe because of instant coffee which is obviously a fake one ;D haha) and makes quite a mess when spilled. Dilution however is very easy to prepare, extremely cheap, very efficient and gives just wonderful results. Beside that it’s quite flexible. Usually I have to be careful with average developer. Sometimes 2° or 3°C makes a huge difference, even in tolerant black and white negatives. The same with proportions. During my tests I developed two different films in developer mixed in the same way, with the same time and almost the same temperature. I am a bit impatient so I decided to go with a few degrees warmer dilution (warmer water makes everything easier to mix) and 1 min shorter dev time then recommended (Pan F Plus 50 - 14min, 22°C, FP4+ 14min 23°C). Stop bath and fixing is exactly the same as with ordinary developer.
I must admit I am more then happy with the results.
Looks like I am gonna remove all other developers from my monthly (photo) shopping list.
So now just a few random photographs as a proof of my words:

Yashica Mat-124G with Yashinon 80mm 3.5,
Ilford Pan F Plus 50 in Caffenol-C-M 14min, 22°C

Yashica Mat-124G with Yashinon 80mm 3.5,
Ilford Pan F Plus 50 in Caffenol-C-M 14min, 22°C

Hasselblad 500C/M with Planar 80mm T* CF 2.8,
Ilford FP4+ in Caffenol-C-M 14min, 23°C

Victorian Market

Walking through Dublin's north inner-city area, from O’Connell Street (Dublin’s main thoroughfare) towards Smithfield  we will see a beautiful Victorian building - The Fruit and Vegetable Market.

Main entrance, Mary's Lane

Building, opened in 1892, was designed by Spencer Harty (Dublin City Engineer, 1887-1910) and William Cranwill Wilson (Engineer and architect, of Dublin).

Market hall

The Market, owned now by Dublin City Council "is considered to be one of the finest expressions of the late Victorian approach to open plan buildings. The use of cast iron and glass was characteristic of the buildings of the time, epitomised by the Crystal Palace in London which was built for the Great Exhibition of 1851.” (info: The Capel Building).

Market hall, detail - the head of a column

You can have a look also at development plan for this area (DCC website): please click HERE (dowloadable in pdf format). Personally I found these documents quite dangerous (especially here in boom times) - demolish Everything and build..."something"! In this case looks like The Market is preserved. However everything around is dramatically over scaled. It's a history now anyway... at least for a while.

Gate, corner of St.Michan's Street and Mary's lane

I was photographing The Market Hall (second and third image) during a quiet afternoon. Ironically the most challenging to photograph was the most obvious place - main entrance (first image). It took me over two weeks since first visit there. It was almost impossible to set camera due to constant traffic, delivery trucks etc. Last Sunday (very early morning) I made another approach and finally I succeeded.


I would like to know a bit more about history of that
beautiful building, place full of life and bustle. Unfortunately available sources are a bit poor so if any of you have an access to some interesting information or details, please feel free to post it here in comments area or just email me. Thank you!

...a journey through time

Looks like i had quite a break since last post. Every time i though about new one i ended up doing something “more important”, which apparently distracted me from writing. But hey I am still here ;)
Me and my “specific” visual perception, with emphasized slightly darker, very often disliked part of the surrounding. Especially if we are talking about urban landscapes or landscapes at all. Such a places always draws my attention as they are obviously much more interesting. It's forcing to think deeply, to imagine...
During last couple of months I spent a few days in Poland. Even in that typical happy summery weather over there - about 30°C, sunny and stuffy days i managed to find and show places matching my aesthetic...empty, dark and in some way mysterious.
Truly short time. I can consider it however as a journey through the past. Through the places i know, where i grew up ... 

 

...a cup of coffee?

Looks like my "coffee flavour" project is gaining momentum. Fantastic! ...So if you are fancy a cup of coffee in the front of my camera just let me know please by leaving comment or simply by email (for contact details please click HERE ). Thanks a lot!
 

...white and black

Infrared photography - my new experience. It's amazing how different everything looks like when you blocks the visible light spectrum. Everything getting colder, almost unreal.
I saw this kind of images many times but i wanted to try it myself.
Weather is beautiful since while which is perfect for such tests.
Some time ago i’ve got couple of rolls of Rollei Infrared 400 in Gunns (of course). First one went without IR filter required for such effect. I was really surprised how nice rendering is, good contrast and very nice, reach grays but...it wasn’t IR. Suddenly I’ve got  the IR filter into my hand ( Hoya IR R72 ) some time ago. Thanks David ;)
With that combination I gave it a go once again. Destination? Phoenix Park this time. Just about 20min cycling from my place. I am not green person at all. Concrete is my natural environment as most of you already know but this location seemed to be good for the beginning.
I read a bit about different ways of shooting IR but i decided to go with the simplest one. The only detail i kept was a film speed rating. in my case it was ISO 12. Aperture f16 on all images. Following Light meter indications it gave me shutter speed 1/4 -1/2 on all film.
Yesterday was really really bright day so longer exposure wasn't necessary.
In the afternoon quick film souping following instruction from massive dev chart on digitaltruth.com   and that’s it :)
(please click on each photograph to see it bigger)

coffee flavour...

“Cigarettes and coffee, man, that's a combination” . The essence of a good taste ;) haha. Iggy was so right.
We all remember this absolutely classic film - “Coffee and Cigarettes” . Little table, coffee with its aroma allover the place and that’s it...
Perfect time to have a nice chat or just simply to think about...anything, if you are the only person at the table. There is no better time during the day then celebration of coffee and its flavour... time for your minds.
I am coming back with an old project I started over year ago. Portraits of thoughts and personalities. Untold story of photographed person coming along with each photograph.

...

stills from film...

Cloudy and often rainy streets seams to have mysterious power of attraction. Visual perception is getting stronger and more absorbent. Maybe it's just an imagination but very inspiring. It’s like a stills from film. Every step brings different scene. All you can do it's wait to see what happens next. Dublin is a place full of surprises. Each corner never looks the same.  Especially in such a weather...
...I keep  “walking through the streets” (following my September post), trying to document it with my reliable Holga

...instantly

It was quite late yesterday (or rather very early today) when I scanned fresh large format negative.Very special one.
Word “fresh” is related rather to developing process then its age...expired in November 1996!
Why special? Its Polaroid Type 55.
This film rocks! That’s more or less the best short description of this material. What is so unique about it?
It’s the only large format panchromatic black and white film that produces both a positive print and a negative image (which can be used in an enlarger), its large format :), it has an amazing sensitivity (ISO 50 for prints and ISO 25-32 for negs,) and incredible details reproduction.
Presented test photograph is the 6th one from box of 20 sheets and the first i am happy with. Almost 15 years after expiry date made very little damage to it. All whats happen is emulsion got a bit dry and a few sheets were not tight enough (easy to open accidentally) what is visible here at the bottom (white glow).
So what i did with dried emulsion? Hair dryer comes with help :) A few seconds of heating up makes emulsion back to action. Probably day or two out of fridge would do the same job .The other important detail is the way of taking sheet out of holder after switching to “Process” mode. It has to be done really slow to help spread entire emulsion properly. First sheet i took out too fast and got just a few square centimeters developed on the top of photograph.
If you won't check you won't learn...hah. as always ;) 

Irregularly spread emulsion and other little imperfections or even mentioned glow (all of it happen sometimes), gives very special and unique look to photograph taken with T55. ...and I really like it!

Have a look please at David Monahan's posts about Type 55 and some beautiful photographs linked with it (click HERE) and fantastic New55Peject website (click HERE).
Thanks!

...awakening

It's time to wake up from winter hibernation and get back to life. The only sort of resolution i decided to make this year it’s to be more busy ;)
I will carry on old projects as well as start some completely new.
At the beginning I am gonna concentrate mainly on portraits. In my case it's mostly environmental portraits however I decided recently to get more studio works as well.
I am converting part of my living space into a little studio which is absolutely enough for the purpose I am gonna use it.

First session (this year) last Sunday was fantastic. Perfect day especially for an outdoor shots. Lots of enthusiasm on both sides of the lens which is the best what can happen. Its especially much appreciated as it took over four hours(!). Thanks Magda, also for the patience ;)

...a few more sessions on the way. Edited photographs will be always visible on my Portraits Gallery , “face to face” gallery on my website or Artur Sikora Photography facebook profile with the most recent updates. (please click the links)
...and here of course....from time to time ;) 

...another to go

Snow, mentioned at the end of previous post, apparently came back for a while covering in white entire town. Looks like forecast works very well, hah...

Just wanted to say Thank You and wish a very Happy New Year to all who visiting this blog from time to time. I hope the next one will bring more creativity and good opportunities to all of us. Cheers!

the magic box...

It came with morning post. I remember when i opened parcel delivered by Frank, our great postman. That was about two years ago. All this excitement and impatience as the content was extraordinary. Beautiful hand-made box...magic box as it is possible to take photographs with it (in obvious for me, most beautiful format 6x6 ;D )
I was really impressed and I am every time I have this camera in my hands.
I always admired pinhole photography for its appearance and uniqueness. It is just like handling Holga. Well...almost. In this case, however, lack the lens is not the only difference. Also different built quality and... there is no viewfinder. Here you can only rely on your own intuition. A bit of practice and the effects are fantastic.
Snow has gone at least for now. it’s quite nice feeling to have slightly higher temperature for a change. I decided to go out then with my long time unused pinhole camera.
I had a sort of tension to photograph industrial objects or at least something industrial like.
Not easy subject here. Although Port is very close however there is no access so I had to think about something else...

Scherzer Bridges (1912) on North Wall Quay area - that was the first thought which came into my mind . Very close location and beautiful objects.  Both of them were “Built to allow water based traffic to access the Royal Canal and Spencer Docks, these unusual bridges are also designed to keep seawater out of the docks. No longer operational due to the removal of their diesel engines and their roadway surfaces, they could stop traffic, allow a ship through and close again in four and a half minutes. Now they serve as a reminder of the industrial past of the area” (info archiseek.com).

 

I spent there over an hour. Sun was about setting down so hard lighting condition especially for my choice of film - Ilford Pan F Plus 50

Over 5 minutes exposure did the job nicely.
Time to go home and get images out of the box ;)
...15 minutes bath in Perceptol and after fixing and washing film was hanging getting ready to scan.
Pan F plus and Perceptol are an amazing combo. It gets out of negative incredible amount of details and great tones.

Please click HERE to see short slideshow with some old photographs taken with zero2000.

...just saw newest forecast. Snow is coming back

...back to the roots (cyanotype prints)

I should try it long time ago. Anyway. It's never too late ;)
Chemicals in my drawer were waiting over 2 months. I made a first attempt yesterday. Weather wasn't  good. Too dark.
First image came out with no contrast after almost 30minutes exposure. Paper wasn’t properly coated as well.
I end up with hope that another day will be little bit brighter.
“Hope often blinks at a fool” didn’t work this time. Very bright, sunny day since morning.
I had just a little bit over an hour and half during the day for this experiment. It's just enough time for few prints. I had three negatives digitally upscaled and ready.
First - 10min exposure...not sharp enough.
(I have to find better way of printing negatives in larger scale... )
Second and third about 8 minutes.

This time seeing result i was so excited... almost as when i was opening developing tank with first self developed film. hah...
All images were printed on The Langton Watercolor Aquarelle paper.