When I bought my SX-70 for $20 on eBay, I really had no idea that I would be so smitten with the camera and the pictures that I am taking with it. I have found over the last few weeks that I have gotten better at predicting what the “polaroid effect” will do to an image and actively seeking out subjects that will benefit from that touch. I have been so happy with the results that I have created a new gallery in the “Current Work” section of the website. I have also set a goal for myself to take enough of these by the end of the summer to compile a small book, which I will probably make available through Blurb.com or another print-on-demand service.

It is fun to let go from time to time and improvise a bit with the camera. I had gotten so used to the razor sharp, perfectly composed photographs I tend to make with my Hasselblad that I had kind of forgotten that photography can be much more loose, where perfectly straight lines and tight compositions take a backseat to the overall “feel” of the image. It is freeing, and I also think it is giving me a much needed break so I can recharge before jumping into black and white when I go to Sicily next week.

I was a bit surprised when I showed this photograph to my wife this morning and she said that she had seen it already. After all, I just took it yesterday afternoon, and developed and scanned it last night after she had already gone to bed. But she is convinced that I have taken this picture before.

Now, I know that I haven’t taken this exact photograph before, but she brings up a good point. I spend an awful lot of time walking the streets of Brooklyn looking for interesting sidewalk scenes. This one caught my eye, like many of the scenes I photograph, because of some interesting geometric details: the vertical line of the window and the door on the left, the twin satellite dishes, the checkmark made by the sign and its shadow and the door that floats just above it. This is one of the reasons I love the view camera—it forces you to take your time and allows you to be very precise in arranging the scene. It’s not just about the lines and shapes and tones that make up the picture; there is something a bit melancholy here in the sagging roof and drooping wires and dirty stucco that says something about this neighborhood and its place in the world.

One of the things I often do in my pictures is empathize with inanimate objects. It has to do with how I see the landscape, and how I put together a picture. I won’t take a picture unless I can find some kind of connection, some kind of personality in the objects I am photographing. To me, this is a photograph full of possibilities, and I could take a hundred more like this and find something new in each one. To most people, though, it’s probably just a picture of the side of a building. One of many I have taken, which probably isn’t all that different than the work of a lot of other photographers.

I guess I am trying to bridge the gap between how I see my own work and what the rest of the world sees. When one of my professors tells me that I am printing too dark, I bristle. It’s one thing if that were a technical issue, but as an artistic decision I feel that it’s necessary to stand by my work, even if it isn’t a decision that makes everyone happy.

Which brings me to my final question: how much of your art is driven by personal, creative goals, and how much do you let the others influence what you do?

Photograph by Dalton Rooney

Photograph by Dalton Rooney

I am quite happy with the way these Polaroid photographs from the last couple of months have been coming out. The addition of color, compared to the black and white I usually shoot, feels light and easy; the freedom of using a handheld camera again is something else altogether. When I look back to a couple of years ago, taking pictures on these exact same streets, I am pretty amazed. I’ve been taking this same route to work for years now, but I feel like I’m seeing everything just a bit differently these days.

Can you tell that I can’t get enough of this place?

I was looking at this photograph yesterday when I made a connection between the photographs I am currently taking and an experience I had growing up. When I was young, I spent summers living with my great-grandmother in rural New Jersey. My grandma was a gloomy woman, and her house had suffered from years of neglect. I spent my days there practically alone, reading dusty books that hadn’t been off the shelf in ages, exploring the contents of her musty basement, and playing in the wildly overgrown back yard. Her house was literally being swallowed up by the earth.

I think these memories have been lurking in my subconscious since I was a kid, and are now coming out in the photographs I take. I kind of like the idea, anyway.

Everyone knows that the Colonel puts an addictive chemical in his chicken that makes you crave it fortnightly.

Photograph by Dalton Rooney

Photograph by Dalton Rooney

I have a new crush, and it’s name is Polaroid SX-70.

I don’t know if it’s the promise I made to myself to take more pictures or just the weather, but I made it to Prospect Park to take pictures twice last week, and even went to Central Park on Saturday. In general I think Central Park is too crowded and the landscape views are a bit claustrophobic. Of the three rolls of 120 I shot last week, the photos from Prospect Park are looking much better.

While on one of my walks through through the park, I decided to take a path I’d never seen before and discovered the secluded Vale of Cashmere. It’s hard for me to believe that I’ve been going to the park for seven years now and never discovered this beautiful area (see the photograph from the post below). It’s nestled high up on a hill above Grand Army Plaza, full of birds and squirrels and rabbits, and men hiding in the bushes (oh hey there!). I later learned of the Vale’s somewhat checkered past, known as a cruising and drug spot as well as the site of some anti-gay attacks and at least one murder.

I’m not entirely sure, but I think the perceived possibility of danger in the area makes it even more attractive to me. I will definitely be going back, although I’m wondering if going with a buddy might be a good idea.

Thanks for your interest in my “Taking a Picture” series. Just as a note, I have continued improving my digital workflow and some of these notes are now out-of-date. Feel free to drop a line in the comments or contact me directly if you would like more information on my photographic workflow.

As an experiment, I am posting this example as a video. Feel free to ask for clarification in the comments if there’s anything in particular that you want to know more about. The embedded version is pretty small; click here for a slightly larger streaming version on Vimeo.com, or download a larger version directly from my server.

This series of blog posts follows the process of creating an image from the beginning through to the final print. When I’m done, I’m going to give the print to someone who has commented on one of the posts along the way.

Click here to read other posts in this series.

I have no idea if that is the correct name for this particular structure, but I’m going with it for now. Here’s a Google Map link, in case anyone has any better ideas about the name of the bridge. It’s a deserted and interesting little stretch of beach; I parked my bike at the rest area and walked around Plumb Island, crossing under the Shore Parkway. To be honest I was a little bit worried about who I might meet while crossing under the bridge, but I made it there and back in one piece.

This photo is actually from a couple of weeks ago… I had some film left in the camera which I didn’t have a chance to develop until this past weekend. Fortunately this roll was unaffected by the light leak which has been plaguing my Hasselblad photos lately.

Speaking of the Hasselblad, I took some time today to re-seal every damn nook and cranny on the camera and the A120 back. I’m going to take it out for some test photos after work one night this week. If there’s still a light leak, I’ll eat my hat.

This was supposed to be the day when I posted the next installment in my “taking a picture” series, which will include a contact sheet evaluation. Unfortunately my Hasselblad developed a light leak and half of my photographs from yesterday are ruined! I ordered a new light seal kit, which should be here in a few days, but unfortunately that post will have to wait for a little while.

In the meantime, I will continue to post the few photos I can salvage from that roll. Here’s one I like quite a bit, I think that I may ultimately add it to my “By the Sea” portfolio. I recommend clicking through to see the larger size, I think this is one of those photographs where size really does matter. I am looking forward to printing this one.

Here’s a link to the Google Map. As you can see from the satellite image, this is on a small peninsula which juts into Raritan Bay. Taking a closer look at that peninsula, I can already tell that there is a lot to explore as I work my way further in.