Photography Chat with Merlin

Apologies for the audio on this episode. Hadn't dialed in the new setup yet. Will be better on the next one.

Well, I think that the first in-person chat went really well. I had a great time talking with @sloancam about how he got started and what he digs about photography. We talked about our creative practices and just about life in general. We got a little into upcoming projects and I invited him to be part of some wheat paste projects coming up this spring/summer. I think this will be the first of many in-person chats.

“I tend to use photography as a means for adventure rather than explicitly as a form of art or self-expression. My camera pushes me to go out and explore, whether locally on a short walk with my dog, or on a longer trip.

Photography has enhanced my appreciation of the many small things that I find all around me. I tend to be a big planner, but when I’m out taking pictures, I am pulled back to the present and what’s right there in the moment, rather than always looking ahead and planning for the future, so my work is really just a reflection of the moments I find interesting along those adventures.”

-Cam Sloan

Follow Cam at https://www.instagram.com/sloancam/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

What a chat, so rad to see @danieltrodrigue albeit virtually; love that guy. He shared how he got started doing photography which lead to teaching (he’s an OG Polaroid head) some really great stories there on events that he has covered. He has been carrying the torch at the school that helped him get started with photography which is rad. We talked about #edwinlandday which is coming up on May 7th on Papa Land’s birthday, they are going to be hosting a photo walk in Denton but are also encouraging other people to host photo walks for Edwin Land Day in your local city. I would like to put one together for Toronto if anyone is down, let me know. We of course dug into PolaCon, how it started and what it is about. So much to say here so it's just easier to catch the recording if you missed the live. I shared what PolaCon means to me and how important the people in the community are, love you and miss you guys. Can’t wait to see y’all in September. Stay safe out there <3

“Daniel Rodrigue is a professor of journalism, photojournalism, and photography (digital and 35mm darkroom-based) at Dallas College Brookhaven Campus, where he also advises the award-winning student newspaper and magazines. He's been a contributing writer and photographer with the Dallas Observer since 2008. Co-founded Instant Film Society in 2012 to increase awareness, understanding, and accessibility of analog instant films, and then hosted the first PolaCon in 2016. The rest is history and hashtags….”

Photo of Daniel by Ben Fraternale aka @the.instantgram

Follow Daniel at https://www.instagram.com/danieltrodrigue/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

I love the community that is here on the grams, I have been lucky to meet so many great people and @kate.gos is one of them for sure. Kate chatted about how she got started with photography and about what her childhood was like on a remote Russian island near Japan. We talked about human behavior and the tragedies many countries are facing right now including Ukraine. She shared with us some of the projects that she has in mind and some of her future plans for her practice. She is going to have an exhibition in Woodstock NY this August so give her a follow for updates on that. Thank you Kate it was really lovely talking with you. Here is a little more about Kate.

"I was born on Sakhalin Island in the Russian East, north of Japan. After graduating from high school and art school in my hometown Korsakov, I've traveled nine time zones to study at Moscow State University. I've got a degree in journalism and I was the first in my family who obtained a college degree. When I finished high school it was the 90s, and the Soviet Union had just collapsed, when I arrived in Moscow it was chaos and now I really wish I had chosen a different major. Anyway, 10 years later, after my University graduation, in 2012 I moved to NYC, another 8 time zones. As they say, America is the land of second chances, so I've decided it was now or never to pursue my artistic career, which seemed impossible in post-soviet Russia. I've started painting but pretty quickly realized how this world works in the US and my enthusiasm went down, until the day when a friend of mine introduced me to the Yashica 120G mat. That's it, my heart was stolen and till this very day, I love how every mechanical camera sounds and I became a photographer. I mean, it became my hobby. But I wanted more, so I went to study, then COVID happened, and the study got paused. My family and I had moved to Upstate NY and my dad with my husband built a darkroom for me, so I'm still here, stuck in Woodstock with my home studio, working basically in the woods. 

Interesting fact - I never thought I would come back to my island, but ever since I stepped into the photography world I couldn't stop thinking about my homeland. And in 2019 I traveled there, 20 years later! Unfortunately, it was a brief trip, but I took some pictures and one of them won second prize in the international photo awards. 

In December 2021 I started working on a project about the native population of my island - I was supposed to go in fall 2022 to shoot there for a month, but due to world events it's been canceled. Hopefully postponed till 2023. This is my goal now, as a photographer, I found a purpose - I want to depict "Nivkhs" - the dying nation of my land.

My inspiration - people and nature. My tool - medium format. I love alternative processing techniques - my latest skill - platinum palladium printing, it's a perfect combination of painting and photography, which gives me great joy! :)

I am currently working on a new project called "Wild Woman".

That is the reason why I can’t send you my latest work, it should be unseen."

Follow Kate at https://www.instagram.com/kate.gos/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

We had fun on the chat tonight @johnnythebandit talked about how he got started and got into a project he is working on that sounds really interesting around double exposures. He got into how the film community has been so welcoming and awesome to him and the importance of it. We talked a lot about the camera stores we love like @galaxycameraottawa and @downtowncamera and we got into the nitty-gritty about cheap films and film availability. All in all, I had a great time chatting it out with John and appreciate him sharing some time with me. Here is a little more from John himself.

“I’m John or online Johnny the Bandit. I got into photography in 2019 when I was living in Ottawa for the first time. The local camera shop owner convinced me to try film and I have been addicted since. I love taking portraits. I have asked people whos style has caught my eye for portraits. It is nerve-racking but worth it. I wasn’t permitted to touch the family camera in my younger years. I think this has motivated me to take a lot of what I like to call “Mum or Dad” photography. I am always documenting friends as if I am the Mum or Dad of the hangout. I have been exploring photography and journaling what exactly I like about it. I think it is the ability to tell a story. I hope to start a photography project that tells a story soon. Currently, I am exploring night photography, completing photo challenges from other photographers, and learning how to shoot/develop/scan Black and White film.

Stay gold, JohnC”

Follow John at https://www.instagram.com/johnnythebandit/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

Oh man, I love this guy, what a treat to catch up with @brian_brooks and hear about how PolaCon Bay Area went this year. We spent some time on the great community that is @instantfilmsociety and how to get involved with them. Of course, there was talk of Polaroids and I shared the crazy story of my move across Canada from Toronto to Vancouver last year. Looking forward to seeing Brian and the other PolaPals in Denton in September. Stay safe out there y’all and keep being awesome.

Profile photo by https://www.instagram.com/nickcollingwoodvintage/

Follow Brian at https://www.instagram.com/brian_brooks/

Follow the Instant Film Society at https://www.instagram.com/instantfilmsociety/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

This episode was a great adventure. It was a pleasure to chat with Diane about her work and get to know her more. I really loved that she photographed her whole book with an iPhone proving you don’t need a fancy camera to make great work. *Trigger Warning* our conversation did get a little heavy discussing depression and suicide, we also got into the common theme on the chat about community. Her book holding hands is all about human connection and I feel that is something that really resonates with most of us, especially given the weight of the pandemic. We talked about photo books and movies and how photography can create nostalgia for us. I really look forward to keeping up with Diane and I hope y’all enjoy this episode.

If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental crisis or if you’re concerned about them please do not call the police for a health check. You can share with them some resources below or just try to be there to listen to them.

In Canada: 1-833-456-4566

In USA: Text HOME to 741741

Follow Diane at https://www.instagram.com/theyareholdinghands/

Learn More about Diane here

Purchase Her book here

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

Holy Hannibal this was a fun chat, @stevereevesmsp is an awesome dude. We got into a bit of politics so trigger warning there but then we dipped into photo road trips and how rad they are. He talked about his work over at @filmphotographic which was really cool to hear the behind-the-scenes on some books many of us love. We got into the mutual love of instant film and talked about how great the @instantfilmsociety is. If you missed the live definitely check out the recording. Can’t wait to catch up with you in September at the next PolaCon :)

“Steven Reeves is a photographer, printer, teacher, and FM radio DJ. Together with his wife Erin, they operate Makeshift Photography out of their studio in the historical Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas, TX.

What began as a love for photography has evolved over the last 12 years into a multi-faceted and at times bewildering collection of experiences and opportunities that include amassing a vintage camera collection with some going back 120 years, logging well over 50,000 miles of road trips across the country, teaching traditional black and white printmaking in one of the few remaining teaching darkrooms in Dallas, working extensively with Jason lee and Film Photographic in the production of several books, large format prints, and gallery and museum exhibitions, as well as continued involvement with the Instant Film Society.

Commercially, Steven has developed a specialized group of services that caters to artists and photographers in an effort to provide one-stop shopping for all the elements of putting together gallery exhibitions. The truly rewarding aspect of this is getting to work with new and emerging artists who may be putting on their first shows and helping them navigate the process in an economical way in order to maximize their profits.”

Web: www.makeshiftphoto.com

Radio:

Notes From The Underground

KNON 89.3 FM - Dallas/Ft. Worth

Wednesday Nights from 8 - 10 PM Central

www.knon.org/notes-from-the-underground

TuneInRadio: http://tun.in/ser11

Follow Steven at https://www.instagram.com/stevereevesmsp/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

It was a real pleasure to chat it out with @daniellegoshay tonight. We talked about some of her projects coming up, a book on the history of wheat pasting with @jumblefacefoto, and a group show she is curating in Toronto for May Day showcasing the work of several artists in a public wheat paste display. She shared how she got started with photography and what drives her. Then we got a bit into how the pandemic has affected us all and the hope for a new renaissance in the post-pandemic world and what we would like to see it being. If you aren’t following her yet check out her work and stay tuned for the book and May Day.

“Danielle Goshay is a Canadian/American artist based in Toronto whose practice includes experimental digital and film photography and alternative process. Goshay studied at Pittsburgh Filmmakers media arts center in Pennsylvania and has exhibited work in Pittsburgh and Toronto. Goshay's published visual art and creative non-fiction can be found in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Sublet Press, maybe. magazine for analogue photography, AGON Journal, Hecate Magazine, and KNACK Magazine.”

Check out her website: daniellegoshayphotography.com

Follow Danielle at https://www.instagram.com/daniellegoshay/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

@msdakotalee was a treat to have on the chat. She talked about how modeling go her started down the path to be a photographer. We shared our mutual love of swearing and how fun it is :p we talked a little bit about current events and then we wrapped up on the kind of work that she wants to focus on with her photography practice. If you have not checked her work out, give her a follow and show some love.

“I’ve been modeling full time for 7 years now as an international model, and I started shooting professionally as a photographer about two years ago. I produce photo adventures and workshops on a national level- my next photo adventure will take me to Joshua Tree! I live in Frederick Maryland with my son and cat.”

Follow Dakota at https://www.instagram.com/msdakotalee/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

I had a most excellent time catching up with @kerenhitterman and chatting about what got her started on her photography journey, what inspires her, and what kind of things she’s been working on. She talked a bit about her work in film and the experience she has had in the covid era because of it. We talked a little bit about the Canadian Goose Convoy currently plaguing our country cause it's a current event. And we reminisced of times we could travel. I hope to see Keren soon to go on more photo adventures and I hope you check her out on the grams to see some of her rad work! Here is a little more about Keren.

“My name is Keren Hitterman and I am a photographer living in Toronto. I work in the film industry in Toronto, in the camera department. What inspires my photography comes from experiencing life, and just trying to capture those moments and memories. Otherwise, I get a lot of inspiration from watching movies and television shows, not working on them.”

Follow Keren at https://www.instagram.com/kerenhitterman/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/