Exploring our photographic past...

It always gives me this distant feeling of isolation when I come across an old photograph.  Especially made around the turn of the century. I was always left with a feeling of somber mood and separation when seeing them.  Something mysterious seemed to be projecting from them in a way that's difficult to describe. As small child when I first noticed them, I’d imagined that the past was void of true color and happy expression. I never understood the photographic process until many later years.

Eastern Sierra Photography workshops

I soon discovered that the early portraits, with frozen expressionless faces were the result of long the exposures needed for an image to appear on the photographic glass plates. I also discovered they used metal and wood braces to steady the subjects body and head. This discomfort must of enhanced this effect of isolation of many of them.

This distant feeling is also translated across in early landscape photographs as well.  Modern photography today offers a completely different expression altogether. We are pounded daily with a flood of digital images from many sources. Each trying capture our attention.  This brings me to my attraction to processing some of my images in this old style way,  using the vast array of software available to create these old photographic effects, much like the one posted here. Compounded by antique subject matter with the broken down car and buildings. All this adding to the effect and translating a mood of mysterious separation that I experienced in many of older photographs I came across early on. Join us on one of our workshops as we explore many of these ideas.  More details here: http://goo.gl/Dc0wef

www.jansenphotoexpedtion.com www.markjansenphotography.com

Best Always,

Mark

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