Michael Sebastian

Over on the Analog Photography Users Group there are frequent threads discussing rumors of this or that film being discontinued. Often, these turn out to be unfounded third-hand speculation. But this time, it appears that the evidence is nearly incontrovertible that Fuji is discontinuing every professional color negative film but 400H. This means that there will be no more Fuji color-negative sheet film at all, and only one emulsion in the roll film sizes. Wow.

For those who don’t know of him, Scott Sheppard is the fellow who does the Inside Analog Photo podcast—to which you should be subscribed if you love film photography. Scott knows all the major industry players—he’s interviewed many of them for his podcasts—so when he relates that he’s received this news at face-to-face meetings with Fuji execs, you can believe him. Read the rest of this entry »

Fraction Magazine Issue #12 is now available for your viewing pleasure. David Bram and his colleagues have created something beautiful there, and well worth your time. The site is clean and uncluttered, leaving the photography front and center, where it should be.

Fraction features work from across the spectrum of contemporary photography: color, monochrome, analog, digital, alt-process; you name it. Beauty and excellence are his unifying themes in every issue. (Well, usually. He featured my work in Issue #7.)

Fraction #12 is all-monochrome. Though I’d hate to have to choose among the five artists whose work graces the issue, I want to congratulate my friend Isa Leshko—whom I met at PhotoNOLA in December—for her inclusion. Way to go Isa!

What I really want right now, though, is a Fraction T-shirt. No XXL, alas….

Kodak recently announced that Ektar 100, its stunningly sharp, saturated, fine-grain color negative film, will soon be available in 4×5 and 8×10 sheet-film sizes. While this is good news on its face, it has led me to ruminate on the future of film in my work going forward. In case you’re wondering why Kodak’s good news should occasion reflection upon less-welcome possibilities, let me explain further. Read the rest of this entry »

Got my application submitted. For once I wasn’t hard up against the deadline.

We’ll see what happens….It’d be great to make a trip to Santa Fe in June.

Not sure when to expect an announcement. I’ll be tooting my own horn most immodestly if anything comes of this one.

After being accosted yet again today while photographing in my own neighborhood, I decided it’s time to update my website with information about privacy rights in public. Essentially, there are none, with some narrow exceptions and restrictions. If you don’t believe me, just ask Bert Krages; he’s your go-to attorney on the web when it comes to privacy and publicity law. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m very pleased to announce that my portfolio of work, 52 Miles,  will be exhibited this spring in the virtual gallery of the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, Massachusetts.

My thanks again to Executive Director Paula Tognarelli and the Museum for this honor.

I’ll post an updated link once I have a firm date and other details; I expect the exhibition to happen sometime in April.

Hotel room view, Central Business District, New Orleans, 12/09. iPhone camera.

I’m a week status post PhotoNOLA, and finally starting to more fully assimilate the experience. Bottom line: I’m so glad I went. I learned a lot; got useful feedback; gained some much-needed direction and confidence; and saw a boatload of first-class photography. And all the while throwing down on epicurean food and drink. Not even the cold drizzle could ruin the trip. I’m still trying to make sense of all of it; but herewith, a few preliminary thoughts.

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Up to my neck in recent preparations for PhotoNOLA, I forgot to mention some blog love I’ve received. Grazie mille to Jin Zhu and Jeffrey Michael Smith for giving me the time of day on their respective blogs Shooting Wide Open and Academy A. I really appreciate your showing my work, guys*, and your kind and insightful comments. I’ve added both of these blogs to my feed reader, and I encourage everyone to check them out.

And speaking of PhotoNOLA—I just got back early this morning. I expect to have more to say about the experience here, but for now a simple “WOW” should suffice. On display were both exceptional photographic work of the highest caliber from sixty participants from all over the US and abroad; and a warm and welcoming spirit befitting the reputation of the host city—which happens to be the city of my birth.

More on that once I’ve assimilated it all, and gotten organized.

*Zhu is a female-type person.

Main Street, Louisville, 11/09. T-Max 400, RZ67, 127mm (?), TMAX dev

I came across this affable young man while photographing among the ruins of a demolished fabric warehouse downtown last month. The light was perfect; it was late on a crystal clear fall afternoon.

I watched him for several minutes, snapping a few pedestrian shots of him going about his business. I’m still not sure what that business was, exactly.  He said he was “working”, and it appeared he was sorting and stacking bricks. I asked him if I could photograph him; his brief flash of annoyance gave way to a look of flattered surprise. I didn’t get his name.

So, friend, if you see this, I have a print for you.

Mike Peters is a New Jersey-based photographer with whom I became acquainted after discovering his work on Flickr. Working on film, Mike has produced an exceptional body of portrait work in and around his hometown of Kearny, New Jersey, and NYC.

In addition to the galleries of work on his site, Mike has also put together a slideshow (is that the right word?) of the work, entitled The Dream, that is also highly worth your time.

I encourage you to check Mike out. I could say more—as is my wont— but instead I’ll just let his work speak eloquently for itself. Congratulations, Mike.