After 10 years of shooting digital, I started Chasing the MM to go back to the roots and redefine the beauty of photography for myself.  I needed a space to create everything from a to z and I was looking for something that would continue to challenge me and surprise me in every step of the process.

Process - shoot, develop, scan, and photoshop

I told myself to shoot anything.  Use color, use texture, use lines, use nature, don't be afraid of the outcome and don't think about it.  Just shoot like you picked up the camera for the first time, double expose, turn the camera, shoot it again, make texture, create lines, don't think, just shoot. 

Every part of the process does something to effect the final image.  Whether I totally over exposed that frame and I need to burn it down on photoshop, pink emulsion effects from developing most likely due to lack of experience in rolling film, or I poured the blix too late, or temperature was a little lower.... I told myself to let go, perfection is not my strongest feature, so I'm okay using it to my advantage. 

Many of my photographs have multiple exposures.  When scanned in, the blacks are not dark enough and the colors are layered.  I'm not a retoucher, I kind of hate retouching.  I've done retouching for people throughout my career it's my least favorite part in photography, but editing the color of the photograph is my favorite! This is where the frame blooms, colors start to appear, shadows are darkened, whites are brightened.  I'll use it's natural color for the most part, but sometimes the tone is recreated.  I try to stay as real as possible, but sometimes the clouds looks better a little pink.  As I said earlier, every part of the process affects the final frame.  The image above was shot around magic hour with light magenta skies, but the pink emulsion from developing improperly made a great impact for the photo.  

I use film and scanning to get the base of my work, then I use Photoshop to bring out all the colors and tones it's truly capable of.

- a. park