science of rowing

Come around, dark passenger. Settle in to breeze and lean, but don’t close your eyes. We’ve a mountain to climb. A sea-bird sigh. I tap my feet and ‘Why?’ Reflection over edge, pupils like lead. Piranha much, feed tendon and leave bone. On the inside of you, somewhere, is home. I will be flux, to attach, if you will torch. With a little luck, a pheonix hatch&scorch blue sky red. I burst into a million tiny stars at talk of touch. raise my sail and blew into a dead sea. you are me, you are. drew you like a weapon, an oar though. Lessons in rowing through the human body, stop when you get to the heart. Massage gently so the beats don’t break you.

Patience is a virtue.

PZ680 film from The Impossible Project shot with Polaroid Spectra System

Orchids on Softtone

Earlier this year, I took a trip to St. Louis to see Radiohead. While I was there, I found out that the annual orchid show was going on at the Missouri Botanical Garden. I HAD to go, as I’d brought some fresh Spectra Image Softtone Film and I’m so in love with orchids. They had over 500 different species of orchid. I was in heaven! (All photos shot with Polaroid Spectra System with film from http://www.theimpossibleproject.com)

(I know these aren’t orchids, but they had a wonderful selection of cacti and succulents there. I died!)

This is me, 5 months pregnant

Adieu!

We’re married!

On May 19th, Paul & I finally said our ‘I do’s’ in Franklin, TN on his parent’s farm. I mean, we didn’t get married out in the pasture or anything, but our wonderful friends drove a while to get there. His mother and her friend had been planning it since we announced our engagement on Valentine’s day. Paul asked me to marry him in Europe! The wedding was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever witnessed. When I saw my bouquet, I cried like a little bitch and his mother hugged me and told me that she loved me, which made me cry even more. His brother, John even performed the ceremony rites, which was awesome! When it came time for me to say my part, I started crying again. Getting married was kind of a big deal for the both of us. We were both recently divorced when we met. He randomly messaged me on the internet and asked if I would like to come over and eat dinner. He cooked an amazing dinner for me and we sat on opposite ends of the couch staring awkwardly at each other while listening to Chris Garneau. I was instantly attracted to him from the day that we met, and he has turned out to be the funniest guy I’ve ever been with. Paul is amazing! He works so hard to give me everything that I want, he takes me anywhere I want to go, and he tells me that he loves me every day. Not to mention he’s friggin’ handsome as hell.

Anyway, the ceremony happened at 2pm. My grandfather walked me down the aisle. Unfortunately my parents could not attend, but my mother is coming in August to be with us when Eden is born. Here are a few photos that our friend Joe Melanson shot of the wedding. We had a photographer, but haven’t gotten the photos back yet. I made the fascinator and veil that I’m wearing in the photos, too.

These next photos were shot with special edition NIGO film from The Impossible Project, which they sent to us as a wedding gift. Thanks so much, Impossible. You have my heart! Unfortunately, most of the photos were shot by family members who were confused when I started to yell that they needed to shield the images from the sun after they came out of the camera, so a lot of them are washed out, but I still love them anyway.

I felt beautiful, but the dress was hot. It was a Galina sweetheart taffeta dress from David’s Bridal.. it was one of the only ones I could find that had an empire waist that wouldn’t crush Eden. She’s so big inside of me now. I think I really wanted it because it had pockets and I could carry my phone in one pocket and put the polaroids in the other. Here’s a photo of the wedding band that Paul placed halfway on my finger. I have to wear them on a necklace because pregnancy has caused my fingers to swell pretty badly. I can’t wait to actually get to wear them both, because they are BEAUTIFUL!

These last photos were shot with my Spectra System on Image Softtone film, which is and will always be my favorite. I’m sad that Impossible is almost out of it.

The woman in pink on the left is Paul’s mother, Mary. She is absolutely gorgeous and I couldn’t thank her enough for putting this all together. I’m so glad to be a part of their family now, and I always have so much fun when I’m out with her. I can pretty much tell her anything, and it’s okay.

Wesley & Angela, who were wed while we were in Europe. I’m so glad that they could make it even though we didn’t get to go to their wedding.

Brandt & Aurora, two of the coolest people I’ve ever met. I’m so lucky to have them as friends. They need to move to Nashville, already!

Charlsie & Patrick, who are also expecting their first baby around the same time that Paul & I are. I’m so excited to have her live so close to us and I’m even more excited that our babies will get to grow up together. They are recently engaged and I’m so happy for them!

This cake is making me hungry, so I’m going to go eat something. I’ll post more photos later on when we get them.

-Ashley Fly (!!! what an awesome last name !!!)

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!

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:

Polaroid Spectra Macros

Out of all the Polaroid cameras I have, my favorite one by far is the Spectra System. A while back, my husband purchased me a Close-up attachment kit for it. Policemen used to use them for photographing evidence. I’m not sure if they still do, but I do!

I haven’t written an entry in a great long time, so I’d like to show you the macros I’ve been shooting as of late.

“But all I have for light is one book of matches and the duration of each ma-” (for whatever the reason the tape cuts off here)

This is a House of Leaves diptych, and it’s accompanied by an excerpt from the book, which you can read by clicking through the image.

bubble

a soft sort – a very delicate diptych of balloon flowers & a garden spider

wasps, grazing – this is my favorite. It’s a close-up of two red wasps.. I was worried I was going to get stung, bit it seemed like they didn’t have a problem with being shoved inside of a tiny box.

untitled – a cactus

blkbrry – delicious blackberries in my mother-in-law’s backyard. These weren’t fully ripe yet, but four days later, they were delicious!

I’m going to try and keep this short. You can click through the last four beneath this to see full detail of the photos.

Polaroid Spectra film can be purchased at The Impossible Project HERE.

Beauty In Death – not for the faint

If you’ve been following my progress throughout the years, then you’ve noticed that I’m a bit weird. Very, very odd. Let’s face it, I photograph a lot of dead shit. You might think, “Fucking gross.” but I think “Fucking awesome.” There is beauty in death, whether that’s just my opinion or not, it’s a huge part of why I do what I do.

Yep, that’s me – when I was just a wee nugget.

In 2004, I took my first set of Polaroid 600 photos in Ashland City, Tennessee. (My mother had bought me an iZone & Joycam in my junior high school days, but the photos remain lost.. so I consider the ones from 2004 to be my first true Polaroid experience.) Four polaroids remained in the camera before I went for a walk.. out in bumfuck wherever.

These are the last three in the set, click through for full-size.

I was cleaning a trailer out for a friend’s mother with my roommate. This friend was a woman who worked at a popular hospital in Nashville, TN. She was an RN. We were teenagers. She paid us to clean this place out in return for Ritalin & things of the sort. (a few years ago, I read her obituary in the newspaper. She had committed suicide while on her lunchbreak at work.) These first Polaroids of mine were from her camera, that she’d lent to me before I went for my walk. I owe a lot to her, and I wish I could tell her ‘thank you for really getting me into photography.’ … but I can’t.

Ribcage found at the end of a driveway to an abandoned house off of Britton Springs, Clarksville. Digital shot.

Bird skull found at Trice Landing, Clarksville. Rattle can spatter on canvas. Shot with Polaroid Spectra System/Image film with law enforcement close-up attachment.

Outside of Cumberland City. Shot with Polaroid Spectra System/Image film

Near Paris, Tennessee. Shot with Polaroid Spectra System/Image film

This guy was found ripped to shreds near our apartment in downtown Clarksville. Deer hooves. Shot with Polaroid Spectra System/Image film

This photo was shot with several different cameras. This one was shot with a Canon EOS Rebel 35mm. Kodak Tri-X 400 film, & developed at home with Kodak D-76 chemicals.

Same shot, again, with the Holga 120N. Fuji Neopan 400 film.

You can view the entire “Dead Things/Houses” set on flickr HERE.

Film grain, fields & power lines

I am intensely fond of these things. I try so hard to resist letting my work look modern, or digital (unless it’s actually digital.. & even then, I’ll try to shop in a vintage/retro feel into it.) I’m not sure why I like power lines. I think it’s because they’re massive, and they make me feel small. Once I was at the Welcome Stop in Del Rio, Texas. It was pitch black & 2 AM except for a bright red/orange lightning storm miles off in the distance, over an entire canyon. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.. so I sat. I sat near the largest wind turbine I had ever seen, and was simply heartbroken upon feeling so little. Everything around me was just..breathtakingly huge. I didn’t matter, and it felt good to not matter. That’s the way power lines make me feel. I’m weird.

Fields at sunset, who doesn’t like them?

MIR Gallery

In the month of February, Miranda Herrick (owner & creator of the MIR Gallery, Nashville) had chosen my Polaroid Spectra Images to be on display at one of the shows. I was featured with 7 other photographers (including Jennifer Ford, which I have mentioned in a previous post) The show has long since been down, and a new brilliant show has taken its place. I would like to display of few of the Spectra photos that she had decided on displaying during that month.

Charlsie’s chuckfeet. I write on the bottom of most of my Polaroids with a vintage IBM Selectric typewriter. Quotes from my favourite books, authors, and even my own poetry. I used to type ‘ab’ in the corner, but have since been married, so I now type ‘as’.

I did not want this one displayed, because it was so out of focus. But Miranda seemed to love it. It is an acrylic that I painted in January. I have a slight obsession with painting animals, or people in animal suits.

This is a favourite of mine. It was taken in Pennyrile Forest with the law enforcement close-up attachment. They used to use Polaroid Spectra cameras on the police force, and the close-up attachment was for photographing evidence.

Charlsie let me paint her face one day and take photographs of her. This was a difficult process, because she kept laughing, and the paint kept cracking.

This is a timed shot at Land Between the Lakes. From left to right: Matthew Smith, Charlsie Harrison, myself. I have crumpled the photo and put it in my pocket to develop. I have a problem with messing my photos up on purpose. Not necessarily a problem, but I LOVE imperfections.

I have a roadkill problem..