You can wear dead things around your neck!

Well, as you all know, I like to not only photograph dead things I find in the woods, or on the side of the road – but I like to put them in a bag and bury them in a hole where beetles can eat their flesh and leave me with skeletons to bleach later. I live next door to a cop and sometimes I think that he thinks I’m sick. Well, I am. Kind of. Anyway, I’ve been working on some pretty awesome jewelry lately to post on my etsy site – and just finished everything yesterday. I’m really kind of trying to get my foot in the door with the whole ‘Selling jewelry online’.. At first everyone was like, “oh holy crap, I want to buy your jewelry!” then it just kind of went away and no one bought anything.. But this was before I even started selling dead things in my store. I’m hoping this blog post might get the word out there. Tell your friends!

These are mole bones in a jar, and they are also necklaces. They can be purchased here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/89689544/mole-in-a-jar-necklace

Large pharyngeal arch necklace. I found these while beachcombing. It has taken me years to collect enough of these to want to sell. They were very special to me, and Native Americans used to trade them for goods and services. It can be purchased here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/89693499/pharyngeal-arch-bone-necklace

I also have a smaller one available here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/89694640/pharyngeal-arch-bone-necklace

This is a vole jaw picked out of a real owl pellet! You can find it here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/89694192/vole-jaw-in-a-jar-necklace

And last but not least is the turtle scapula bone necklace: http://www.etsy.com/listing/89691994/softshell-turtle-scapula-necklace

I have a lot of other necklaces available for sale as well that don’t involve anything dead, you can take a look at my entire shop by clicking HERE.

Until next time!
-ash

Abandoned Six Flags, New Orleans

In 2005, hurricane Katrina pretty much completely demolished the Gulf Coast. The day they evacuated was the last day anyone would ride any rides at Six Flags, NOLA.

It took a few minutes to actually find the place on a GPS. Paul just said “Six Flags, New Orleans” into his phone, and it literally showed up as ‘(Closed)’. We had two other people with us at the time (Nicholas and Dawn), so for some reason I felt safer. We had to park the car in some bushes and walk about a quarter of a mile up the median to get there. As we were walking, a guy rolled his window down and yelled at us – “DON’T GET CAUGHT!”

After I heard that, shit got real. My heart started pounding and I started to walk faster. There was a bus stop right outside of the entrance, and I had a backpack full of cameras. We all sat down inside on one of the benches and waited until there were no cars coming from both sides. As soon as I saw an opportunity, I ran as fast as I could through the broken fence and into the parking lot towards brush where I couldn’t be seen, and when that happened, I knew it was time to get down to business. I felt like a kid in a candy store. This was _amazing_.

Everything was broken, almost every wall tagged, and you could hear the wind whistling through the rollercoasters. At one point I was so overwhelmed that I wanted to cry, but then I stepped on some glass and it went through my shoe. Most of the images I shot were digital. I also had a Holga 120N, a Pentax K1000, and a Polaroid Sun 660 (you can find those polaroids in another blog HERE).

Gotham City

I didn’t get very far up. I used to be fearless as a child but for some odd reason I’m scared of heights now. Regardless, it was beautiful.

This is Nick, a wonderful friend who let us crash at his place while we were in NOLA. He has a dragonfly on his face because he is a gangster.

The Jester

There’s a lot of ground we didn’t cover. I couldn’t really step where there was a lot of glass (which was everywhere.) I could probably go again, but next time bring a video camera. I’d love to make a tour of the place.

You can view the rest of the set on flickr HERE. See ya.

-ash

Vacationing with PX 680

Last month, Paul and I went on vacation. We started off with a trip to Gulf Shores and ended up in New Orleans. I finally got to visit a place I’d been dreaming of for years and years (the abandoned Six Flags NOLA).. which I’ll blog about a little bit later. I brought a few packs of PX 680, the new color shade film from The Impossible Project. These were shot with a Sun 660 Autofocus. I had a great time, and I hope you enjoy the shots:

Ferris Wheel
Six Flags has been abandoned since hurricane Katrina in 2005. It is by far the spookiest urban exploration I’ve ever been on, and also the most exciting.

Serval Encounter in Gulf Shores. I got to play with these kittens for a bit, and it was AWESOME.

Dream Canoe

King of the Electric Fence

Paul at Souvenir City

Swan

All of the ornamental seats had been stolen on this ride, as well as every animal on the carousel, which is why I didn’t get a good photo of it.

Octopus – Gulf Shores, AL

We made it just in time to eat at Mellow Mushroom and watch the sunset, which was GORGEOUS.

Sandpipers are by far the most adorable sea bird I’ve ever seen.

That’s it! The rest of the photos I took were digital or Holga, which I haven’t developed yet. But be on the lookout for my next post, which will contain all of the digital photos of the abandoned theme park.

-ash

Polaroid Week 2011

Last week was ‘roid week for this year, and what better way to spend it than doing what I love the most. I had just received some Spectra Gridfilm in the mail. It had an expiration date of ’08 so I was super excited about the semi-freshness of it. Gridfilm is my ultimate favourite Polaroid film. It’s so magical looking to me, and I doubt that I’ll be able to find that much more of it before it goes completely extinct. Anyway, here’s what I shot for ‘roid week 2011:

Day 1

Polaroid Spectra System, double exposure

Polaroid Autofocus 660 with PX600 from The Impossible Project (this is a peel)

Day 2

Polaroid Autofocus 660 with PX600 from The Impossible Project

Day 3

Polaroid Spectra System, Gridfilm

Day 4

Polaroid Spectra System, Gridfilm

Polaroid Spectra System Macro shot, Gridfilm

Day 5

Polaroid Spectra System, Gridfilm

Polaroid Spectra System, Gridfilm

You can follow ‘roid week on Twitter HERE
View the group pool on flickr HERE
or join ‘roid week 2012 group on flickr HERE

If you love and miss taking Polaroid photos, there’s no reason why you can’t still do it. I often get surprised reactions from people when they find out that I shoot Polaroid still.. so many people don’t know that you can still purchase the film! Just go to www.the-impossible-project.com to see some of the many samples & test shots. Buy some! You’ll get that feeling that unicorns actually DO exist.

The Nashville Zoo on Instant Film

A few weeks ago, Paul and I went to the Nashville Zoo. I’d read that there was a new baby giraffe there, and I really wanted to go see it. I finally made it to Nashville. I’ve lived in Clarksville, which is 45 minutes north of here for about 17 years now. If you live there, my only advice to you is to GTFO. I still have family there, though.. so I can’t completely wipe it out of the picture.

All of these photos were taken on instant film purchased from The Impossible Project, and shot with a Spectra System Polaroid camera. The color film is expired Spectra Image Paul Giambarba edition, which you can purchase by clicking HERE. The rest were shot on PZ 600 Silver Shade UV+ which you can also purchase by clicking HERE.

This is Paul, and he’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.

That’s about it for now. I’ve got quite a few more to scan.. so more to come later. Toodles!

Mmmm, fresh Polaroids…

So, I finally purchased some PX70 PUSH! film from The Impossible Project and loaded up the dusty old SX70. I got some really great results, and I got some not so great results.. but we won’t talk about the not so great ones. Before I purchase any more, I’m going to scout out a different model camera. It’s obvious that I’m not using an SLR. #wahwah

Enough talking, onwards to the Polaroids!

Gypsy Hair Deer, corners peeled back to create a cracked border. This shot was taken indoors, which I found to create the best images. If you are shooting outdoors, you should definitely make sure you shield your photo from UV light from the moment it’s ejected from your camera, up until it’s fully developed.

Human Anatomy – this shot was my very first PX70 shot, taken outdoors, and not shielded

Rattle-can lineup. Shot outdoors in the shade

Skull

And this, ladies and gentleman, is my very first successful peel. This was shot at the Elk and Bison prairie at Land Between the Lakes in Paris. I didn’t like it until I peeled it.

This is actually my face

Second peel, getting better…

Lovin’ Spoonful Cafe, near my work. They have delicious meatloaf sandwiches, and the entire place is covered in paint-by-number paintings.. each booth with a different theme. I personally like to sit in the religious booth.

Final peel.

Well, that’s it, until I buy more film. Adieu!

Experimenting with Light & Long Exposure

I have been pretty out of it lately with the whole photography thing. Here and there I have done some work, but have been working more on writing instead. A few months ago, I started working on a project with Liam Lynch from Pretoria, South Africa called The Heart Is An Organ of Fire, which includes random photos from the past with a creative writing/prose narrative below each one. I’ve even considered compiling everything I’ve written in my lifetime into a book of sorts, but haven’t started.

A few nights ago, my roommate Chad Spann and I were playing around with a Vivitar Auto Thyristor 2800 and a Canon Rebel XTi (that somehow randomly appeared on my porch at 4 AM one day) & decided to do some long exposures. They may look like multiple exposures, but they’re not.

This is achieved when you click the shutter, and then zoom out.

This Place is Full of Ghosts – new works on film

Cave Johnson house – Polaroid Spectra (expired)

About a month ago, I read this book ‘Spook’ by Mary Roach (Science Tackles the Afterlife.. “…brings her tireless curiosity to bear on an array of contemporary and historical soul-searchers: scientists, schemers, engineers, mediums, all trying to prove (or disprove) that life goes on after we die.”) .. in it there’s a chapter about seances. Who did them, what went on, and HOW they did them. When I found out the entire process that went on, I was utterly amazed.. and was especially interested in mimicking ectoplasm in a photo shoot. We had limited supplies, but cranked out a pretty stellar shoot with what we had.

Inside of the piano – PX 600 from The Impossible Project

The milk was just another idea that ended up sour. (har har) Regardless, I had a blast. I worked with my good friends Chad Spann and Kelsey Lange. Chad shot with his 50D, and I used a Canon EOS Rebel with Kodak Tri Max 400 black and white film, which I developed at home. (4 minutes @ 79 degrees F) All black and white images were shot at the Cave Johnson home at 916 Madison Street, right next door to me. Cave Johnson died in 1849 of Scurvy, and introduced the first postage stamp in 1846. (I’m such a mail nerd) The house has been abandoned since a family was poisoned with carbon monoxide.. I frequent it often, and it will soon be demolished.

Shot with Polaroid One Step express & expired 779 film

Here are a few of the digitals that Chad Spann shot from that day:

Artistic TZ & The Impossible Project

You know what I like? Soft, milky tones and Polaroid film. You know that if you mix all that neat stuff together, then you get Artistic TZ Integral film, right? Well you do, and it can now be purchased from The Impossible Project.

People still come up to me all the time, amazed that I have a Polaroid camera, and amazed that you can still get film for it. It’s been a hard year for Polaroid lovers. Up until the summer, we were all on ebay, viciously bidding against each other in the seemingly never ending battle for instant film – & now WE DON’T HAVE TO. (some of us still choose to, though. Nothing like getting my grubby little paws on some expired 669, 690 & Spectra!)

I’d like to celebrate my very first Impossible Project photoblog post by showing you some select photos from the first packs of Artistic TZ Edge Cut I ever bought from Impossible! I’ll skip the really blurry ones. It took me a few shots to master the terrible Model 3! Click through any of them to view full size

I’m really looking forward to shooting some of the new color film for SX-70, which is now being sold as a 3-pack at the website. You can purchase film directly by clicking HERE.

Sparklers & Long Exposure

In the past month, I got together with people twice to play with some sparklers and do some long exposures with my Canon 35mm film camera. There’s not much to explain.. but I will give you one tip: if you’re going to try and do a serious & creative photoshoot – don’t get drunk while you’re doing it, especially if you’re the one pushing the buttons. I’m not going to say that we ruined these because I was drunk, but I will say that something weird happened with the second roll, in which I thought I was shooting with a completely new roll, but I ended up double exposing the whole thing. Kind of interesting, but I think we had a hard time coordinating. Here’s what happened:

All photos were shot with a Canon EOS Rebel on 35mm color 400 ISO film. Special thanks to Matt Smith, Gabe Garcia, Deli Neblett & Chris Allen. Good times!