I spent a day this week back in the darkroom getting ready for the Holga workshop I’m teaching with Roberto Rosales in July. I felt compelled to shoot some details around the darkroom with my 5D while we developed the film. If you are a digital photographer and never spent much time working in the glow of the red light, then you may not appreciate the images. If that is the case, you don’t know what you are missing, and you should really take the workshop.

I spent a few days making pictures of two of my favorite people, my nieces Kyla and Alanna. Mostly I shot bw film 120 film with my Holga, but it might be weeks before I am able to process it and print or scan it. For now, here is an underwater shot with my Canon G9. If I didn’t have the underwater housing, I doubt I’d still keep the G9.

I had a chance to try out the Panasonic gf1 for a few days last week. Right now I’m working on a review for Tortuga’s blog which should be done in the next couple of days, but for now I thought I’d share a picture from my wanderings with the camera last week. This picture is straight out of the camera, just downsized for the web.

I didn’t enter any pictures this year, but I’m still fascinated by judging currently going on in Missouri at Pictures of the Year International. If you don’t really love photojournalism, it’s probably like watching paint day. But I do love it, and painful as it is to see some of my friends great work pass by on the way to the “outs” pile, it is an incredible education opportunity for young photographers. I was lucky enough to win a second place in the feature sports (above) category a few years ago, and it is both humbling and inspiring to see all the other great photography. I really need to start entering contests again, not to win, but for the great opportunity they afford to reflect on my own work.

I’m very pleased to announce the launch of a new company called Tortuga Photo Workshops.  Together with  Albuquerque Journal staff photographer Roberto Rosales, we created a company offering photo adventure workshops in Latin America. Our first workshop is scheduled for the remote island of Meanguera off the coast of El Salvador in mid March 2010.  Please have a look at our new website for more information. Also please follow us via our Facebook page.

I also want to take a second to send huge thanks to Ezra at Electrophonic Design, who put this new site together and designed all my web pages. I hope to get back to posting more on Vamos A Ver, now that Tortuga is off and running.

This is a great idea. I found Pro Photographers Network on what is fast becoming a favorite new blog, Resolve.

With the hardships facing many photographers here in the U.S. we, the board of ASMP New Mexico, thought it might be helpful to hold an open discussion on the current economic climate for any and all photographers interested. This is a chance to listen and share ideas and inspiration on ways to navigate the current economy. The focus of this meeting is to open up a dialogue of in-depth discussions, share strategies for surviving a recession and provide hope for members that are feeling the crunch. There will be numerous topics of discussion in this round-table forum open to those who wish to attend.

Seminar Topics:
Strategies, encouragement and hope for navigating the current economy.

When:
June 3, 2009 – 7:00 to 9:00 PM
ASMP NM Social 6:00 to 7:00 PM

Where:
Elixir Studios
2910 4th Street NW, Suite E
Albuquerque, NM 87107
(505) 247-8949

Directions: East side of 4th, halfway between Menaul and Candelaria

Cost: Free