For years this was my favorite photo. I’ve printed it a few times which is kind of rare for me even though I think that’s the best way to see images. Once someone even commissioned me to do it and I got to go through the process of working with a pro printing lab in New York City. That was real nice, I’d like to do that again.
I’ve scanned the negative myself and I’ve had it scanned on the apex of scanners, an Imacon X5. These babies are the real dark arts of the scanning world. They don’t even really exist anymore, you have to know someone who knows someone or have access to an art school or live in Sweden or pray to an ancient pagan god I. And when you’re done with all that most likely your computer will be too modern to interface with it so you’ll have to delve into the world of obsolete technology and remember how to use Windows 95 or some strange early esoteric version of Mac OS. And you’ll hate yourself for spending thousands of dollars chasing a dream that should be dead but God Damn will your scans look great and you’ll be able to print as big as you ever wanted to but it won’t matter because everyone looks at your photos on Instagram or a monitor at best. I volunteered as a TA at the International Center of Photography just to get time with one and then I didn’t even use my little punch card after weeks and weeks of service. Are you also guilty of self sabotage?
But I digress…
Let’s take a closer look.
There’s that good good grain again and those impossibly milky tones. I mean I was lucky, the fog that day made the sky look just like the water. It was all one big beautiful beige swath and then this little figure hunting for shark’s teeth. Because it’s Venice Florida and that’s what you do there.
There they are, head pointed at the tideline hunting for ancient teeth and I’m just walking down the beach with a Mamiya 7 on Christmas morning for no good reason other than the fact that I had a hunch I’d find something cool if I got on my bike and took a little pedal around. And I did! The world gave me present! It’ll do that from time to time if you let it, you just gotta put yourself in the way.
