Duality of Roadside memorials

Colloferro, Italy copyright Douglas Stockdale 2012

I have been photographing roadside memorials since 2006. Initially I visualized this project in black & white  and titled it ”In Passing”, which was published in LensWork magazine in 2008. I have come to understand that this project transcends a larger subject, one that in a way haunts me. Memory. And the retention of memory, to preserve the feelings and thoughts of events that have occurred.

So in a way, I found myself drawn back into photographing this same subject; roadside memorials as symbolic of memory and its preservation.

There are many, many ways to investigate memory, some subtle and others very direct. Perhaps this project is more in line with a direct investigation, as are not memorials about memory?? Perhaps on the surface level they can be understood in that context.

What intriges me about the roadside memorials is their multiplicity of the memories they evoke. One is probably obvious, for those who erected the memorial, it is to place symbols or mementos that might serve to recall the memories of that person. They are poignant reminders that a living, breathing individual lived a full life at one time. These are also reminders of the memory that a tragic accident occurred at or near this place and represents the horrific experience of pain and ultimate death.

Melancholy might be a good way to describe the feeling one obtains upon viewing these roadside memorials.

In the case above, I had noticed this small arrangement alongside the A1 between Rome and Ferentino, near the exit for Colloferro last September, making note that upon my return, I should photograph this roadside memorial if it was still there. A couple of days ago when back in Italy and driving south on the A1, I saw that this memorial was still present and made note of its precise location for the following day. I also noticed that this memorial did not seem as vibrant and bright as it appeared in September, perhaps the plastic flowers were aging under the Italian sun.

The following morning, it was raining cats and dogs in Rome. bummer, I did not have high expectations for my drive south towards Ferentino and photographing this memorial. As sometimes happens, things do not always work out as intended. During my drive South on the A1, something unexpected occurred; the rain let up to a slight drizzle and the clouds began to thin. Hope eternal. As I passed the exit for Colloferro, I made the decision to stop regardless and see what the conditions were. I did have an umbrella just in case and although awkward to use while creating photographs, it works well to save an otherwise difficult situation. By the time I stopped, which can be daunting on the A1 in Italy, the light and drizzle were almost perfect to create a very moody condition that seems to work well with this composition. Very nice and this image will work well with my portfolio and pending photobook submission.

Best regards, Doug

Memory – sometimes murky

copyright Douglas Stockdale 2012

Memory is a fickle thing. Probably to my chagrin, something that I am not always in control of. Maybe for me that fact is related to getting a little older, but hey, that’s a stereotype, isn’t it?

Regardless, the subject of memory that has been really intriguing me as of late. I seek perfection in the recall of facts and events and I become a little frustrated when that does not occur as quickly as I would like. Which brings me indirectly to this recent photograph.

 On a recent series of flights, I found myself changing planes in Chicago’s ORD en route to my final destination earlier this week. There was something about the dismal appearing tarmac in the falling snow that captured my attention, perhaps it related to my current journey, or symbolic of yet another journey.

The idea of using Photoshop to expand the contrast to obtain the white, white snow and the blacks in the shadows to obtain the full dynamic range is not appealing to me. There was something about leaving this image awash in the middle grays as this tarmac winds off towards an unknown future. Perhaps not photo-technically right, but seems emotionally right for me. Not sure how this image relates directly or indirectly with memory, but at the moment it does for me.

Perhaps like memory, the current events are clearly seen and felt, but over time these same events becomes indistinct and vague.

Looking ahead at 2012 – with a nod to 2011 accomplishments

Ciociaria by Douglas Stockdale copyright 2011 Edizioni Punctum

Looking ahead at 2012 is of course like attempting to read tea leaves or stare into a crystal ball, or perhaps in my case, peer into the dense fog while yet still hurling forward (okay, I am attempting to find a way to tie in a photograph from my book with what I hope is a fitting metaphor).

To drive forward into 2012, I do have a set of planned goals, which I will check from time to time. Meanwhile, while driving ahead, I think it is always a good idea to check the mirror. So here is what I see in the mirror for 2011, that in part sets the stage for 2012.

First most, I continue to work on my personal relationships, building on the existing friendships, while making new acquaintances. As you might imagine, also continues to be first most in 2012.

My big accomplishment for 2011 is the publication of my book Ciociaria in conjunction with Marco Delogu and his team at Edizioni Punctum, so a big thanks to Marco for seeing the possibilities and helping to make this project a reality.

The publication of Ciociaria (now available for purchae at photo-eye) lead to my interview by Susan Burstine on Underexposure, a series of wonderful reviews and shout-outs by Karen Jenkins, Tomas de Tersa, Aline Smithson, Harvey Benge and Andrew Phelps, and an amazing YouTube video of the book by Libros de Fotografia. Looking ahead for 2012 is the US book lauch and the availability of a limited edition book and print set, and perhaps a print exhibition.

Another is the insights gained into my earlier project In Passing, which has morphed into a concept that I have tentatively titled “Lest I Forget”, dealing with memory and its preservation. Now this project is on my 2012 to-do list for submitting for photobook publication at the beginning of 2012.

My interest in photobooks is still unabated, thus I continued to acquire more, and subsequently provided my thoughts on about 40 of them at my photo-book-blog, The PhotoBook. With a big thanks to those who submitted their books for consideration. FYI, I am on the cusp of posting 200 book reviews on this blog. I waver as to these reviews, pretty sure that I do not provide enough criticism, bordering on commentary, but hopefully I provide some additional insights on the book’s subject.

For 2011, I was juggling a demanding day job that entails extensive travel, which I attempt to use to my photographic advantage, development and move forward a number of photographic concepts, while keep posting photobook reviews. I think juggling is an understatement.

Looking forward into 2012, I see that I have many wonderful opportunities to improve my juggling skills, adding a new diversion, learning to play the acoustic guitar.

So likewise, I wish you the very best for the New Year, as we venture into a foggy and unknown future while still attempting to keep all of the balls in the air.

Merry Christmas!

Ciociaria Christmas, Fiuggi 2011 Douglas Stockdale

Wishing you all the very best for this Christmas season, as well as Happy Holidays to all you celebrating your various religious events.

This is also another year in which I take on Costco for the printing of the Christmas cards. In years past, I would print the Christmas cards myself, first 4 x 5″ silver gelatin and selenium toned prints tucked into a simple folded sheet of Arches watercolor, then segwayed to ink jet prints and lately the merry Costco prints. Not exactly an elegant evolution, eh?

So the last couple of years, I have been selecting an image to grace the Christmas card, last year it was the whole family photograph, this year I opted for a photograph that I had made last year in Fiuggi while working on my Ciociaria project (and the larger version is included in the book). For my Christmas card photograph, I always allow myself some creative liberties. This is also coupled with low expectations as to what Costco will print, so I am usually content with however this turns out. Not like it is going into an exhibition.

In this case, I provided a little more cropping of the orginal photograph to tease out my “Charlie Brown” Christmas tree as the main subject. Then a little softening and lightening of the edges, trying to be a little liberal knowing from past experience with Costco, what you see will never be what you will get. From past experience, I also know that Costco will not be concerned with their color control, so I dummy these settings as much as possible. Likewise, I also added another contrast curve to lighten the background enough so that it did not turn to sea of muddy and dark tones.

The end result was not too bad and the cards look pretty decent. As expected, the picture did not appear cropped as indicated when I used their kiosk to make my order, but my liberal allowance in the edge treatment did manage to provide most of the effects I was after. This year, the colors (sRGB) and tonal range were pretty close. I am happy, the adventure was fun and I am guessing that just about everyone who receives our cards this year will probably enjoy it and not know the differences.

Best wishes for the holidays!

Boston skyline

Copyright 2011 Douglas Stockdale

Pathetic, but I am still a sucker for a pretty skyline.

Hiroshi Watanabe – studio portrait

Hiroshi Watanbe studio portrait 2011 copyright Douglas Stockdale

I know that I am a bit of reactionary, that is, I usually need to be engaged in a photographic project for a while before it dawns on me what a photographic project might actually be. I was well into my photobook Ciociaria before I understood what it was I am attempting to convey. Likewise, I have been working on a project about memory and its preservation since 2006 (initially titled In Passing),  and only now understanding enough of my background stuff  to write a vague conceptual scope. sigh.

Thus it was no surprise that after spending a morning with Hiroshi Watanabe, on and off taking his portrait as we sat and discussed photography in his studio, that I was able to suddenly grasp what a portrait of him could look like.  I have been writing about his photography since his photobook Findings was published by Photolucdia in 2007.

Not a surprise to think that his photographic images really are a extension of him and a likeness of his work could then be liken to have captured his spirit. Naturally it should be in Black and White. With layers and shadows, some personal aspects, mixing in ambiguity that is laced with threads of mystery. nice.

And this was a composition (above) that I observed as I was packing up my equipment to leave, thus resulting in a couple of quick final exposures as I was about to head out the door. It will not be a portrait that will grace the inside cover of one of his books, but for me, a wonderful portrait of Hiroshi.

Faygo RedPop

Faygo RedPop 2011 copyright Douglas Stocdale

I am sure that everyone has in their past, some food or drink that seems to provide an immediate passport to their youth. Recently visiting some friends in Valencia (SoCal), my buddy Peter dragged me into a new (soda) store claiming that he had found the magic elixir of youth. Growing up in Southern Michigan as I did, he knew of the legendary mythical drink called RedPop.

Yikes, there on the shelves it was, bottles and bottles of Faygo RedPop. OMG, I have not seen this since leaving Detroit some many (okay, some toooo many, like close to 40) years ago. I had no idea that it was still being bottled, although a tad bit more expense today. Back in the 60′s, this was really, really cheap pop (soda) in the greater Detroit area and surrounding suburbs where we lived. So as a result, we had plenty of it. I think Alex Karis of the Detroit Lions used to pitch it on today, something to the effect that “I got my RedPop”.

So oh yeah, I had to buy a bottle and bring it back home with us. After chilling it down, this afternoon I popped my RedPop open to complement my ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. Deja vu! It does not seem like it has changed much in the many years, still has that sharp carbonation attack to the  mouth and the slight chemical strawberry taste, although now a bit tooo sweet for my taste. Even smells the same! Better yet, many memories of drinking these, such as after a long day on the sandlot playing ball with my buddies at the end of a sultry Michigan summer day. nice memories.

Thanks Peter!!

Darkroom – Hiroshi Watanabe

Hiroshi Watanabe’s darkroom 2011 copyright Douglas Stockdale

Earlier this week I had an opportunity to meet up with Hiroshi Watanabe (books: Findings and Love Point) at his studio and during the tour, I found myself rather taken by his darkroom. What a wonderful and ideal place to work. A very classic arrangement of wet side versus dry side, enlarger set up across from the tray processing. Yikes, this darkroom left me green with envy.

I think back to my first tiny bathroom that entailed at least an hour plus to drag all of the enlarger and processing equipment in to set up. Even so, I could only process the prints to the first stop bath, hold and wait until I could replace the developer trays with the additional trays and chemicals to complete the archival developing and selenium toning. Then at least another hour of break down so we could use the bathroom the following morning (after about 5 hours sleep).

When we finally moved into a house, then I outfitted the spare bedroom/den into the make-shift darkroom. By that time I had the Bessler motorized 4×5 condenser enlarger that I could leave in place, as moving that turkey around was no joy. Regardless, I had to wait until our kids were off to bed before I could set up the room for printing. I least now I could set up all of the trays for continuous processing, although arranging the necessary 16 x 20″ trays was still a little daunting. Hiroshi’s darkroom is about the size of two of our small bedrooms from that house combined.

I can only speculate as to what I would be photographing today if I had a darkroom like Hiroshi’s at my immediate disposable. I would like to think that I would be captivated by similar projects. I know that my investigations of digital capture and printing was a direct result of not having a working darkroom. Likewise, I now regret selling the Bessler 4×5 as I had very good intentions of acquiring a Bessler 23C-XL, but that did not come to pass, as neither did the purchase of a 8×10″ camera system. oh well, water over the dam and need to keep moving on.

Hiroshi had also mentioned that this was his place for contemplation and I think I can understand why.

Ciociaria – Karen Jenkins review – photo-eye

Ciociaria copyright 2011 Douglas Stockdale

photo-eye just published Karen Jenkins review of my book Ciociaria. Jenkins goes into considerable depth, and grapples with an undercurrent of memory that weaves through most of my photographic projects, where she states; the theme of the memorial also emerges, wherein nature is shown as an inextricable part of how we commemorate loss and reckon with the passing of time, seen here in wilted bouquets, neglected fountains and shrines embedded in the rolling hillsides.

She states: A dichotomy is suggested between this variation on street photography and unpopulated landscape or topographical views. In this guise, Stockdale rejects both narrative reportage and the purely picturesque. He instead delves in between – seeking places where the strange becomes familiar and the familiar strange – creating touchstones of personal symbolism that transcend the particulars of Ciociaria. Within this realm, Stockdale takes a deadpan look at the human-altered landscape, finding in the banal a cross-cultural link to broader metaphorical meaning. Yet the book is also studded with heavily lyrical images (not least of which is the final view of a misty, open road).

I appreciate her observation: What I liked best about these photographs is how simply they capture the relentless and sometimes beautiful, sometimes bewildering encroachment of the natural world on man-made environments. I find Stockdale to be a keen observer of how people attempt to compartmentalize and contain nature for both practical use and domestic enjoyment.

I invite you to read the review in its entirety, then perhaps be moved to purchase the book!

Ciociaria – now on YouTube

Fiuggi copyright 2010 from Ciociaria published by Edizioni Punctum

One aspect of publishing my book Ciociaria that was entirely unexpected was the upload on YouTube by Tomas de Teresa, who publishes the Spanish photobook review blog Libros de Fotografia. Tomas has made a nice choice of photographs from my photobook in conjunction with an interesting Spanish guitar background. The video does not run long, so take a quick couple of minutes and check it out!

Thanks Tomas!