Press Release

Here's a link to the press release (pdf) for the exhitbition: http://www.box.com/s/3gobx49t5dn20bitus79

Ron - More Photographs and Thoughts

Well, I thought I was done with making photographs before the upcoming exhibition.  But on Wednesday a few things presented themselves and I had to pay attention.  At times when I least expect it, a photograph presents itself.

The fact that I am entering a new chapter in my photography, and as I am in the midst of editing for our upcoming exhibit, my view of photography continues to clarify.  And, what I  experienced this past week validates what I have been thinking and feeling.

When I am photographing I feel and sense the spirit of what I am seeing.  The "design" of the subject or scene (natural or manmade, intentional or incidental) becomes an integral of the final composition.  I examine and present nature's and/or man's mark, the combination of which is often society's response to my subject.  The resulting photograph shows the condition and existence of the subject within a context, literal or metaphorical.  That being said, trying to recreate my feelings and perception through a lens and onto film via this machine, the camera, is incredibly difficult and at times more than frustrating.

As I imply in my artist statement, which I will post directly below Satch's photograph, I photograph within the environment that I know or find myself in - the world in which I live.  I do not find it necessary to travel to a locale to make photographs that present something exotic, unfamiliar or detached from my day to day existence.  Rather I endeavor to delve into my surroundings within the scope of where I live my life.

When I first read Edward Henry Satchwill III's poem "Societal Instincts" I became more acutely aware of what I was trying to say with my photography and the "Truth From Perceptions" concept was born.  (Full disclosure - Edward Henry Satchwill III is my nephew.  His poetry continually provides inspiration, and I thank him for that.)

My future photography will continue to be informed by these ideas.  As I enter a new chapter both photographically and in my life, which will be discussed in detail at a later date, these ideas and concepts will continue to inform and guide my work.

Ron with his Polaroid Camera, Photograph by Satch, 11/23/2011

You can read the poem "Societal Instincts" at this previous post.

My Artist Statement:

I aspire to discover and reveal the spiritual essence and truth of my environment.  For me, photography is a vital element of life; it is esoteric and abstract, yet temporal and existent.

Anything at any time can be subject matter.  Often I make images as a reaction to the environment in which I find myself or to something that I observe by looking beyond the obvious characteristics and form of a subject, either instantly or over a period of time.

11/23/2011

Digital Postcard for the Exhibition

Indy Star Article and Press Release

Here's the link to the Indy Star online article about 2 Photographers Works In Progress, written by Karen Stroup.

And here is the press release for the exhibition:

For Immediate Release November 30, 2011

From Ron Kern, ronkernphoto@gmail.com, 317-507-7888

Exhibition - 2 Photographers Works In Progress, Ron Kern and Mike Stroup

December 31, 2011 through February 7, 2012

Artists Reception - Friday January 6, 2012, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Midland Arts and Antiques Market

907 East Michigan Street

Indianapolis, Indiana 46202

Hours:  Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday Noon to 5 p.m.

http://2PhotographersWorksInProgress.net

http://midlandathome.com

Carmel resident Ron Kern has been making photographs and studying the art of photography for over twenty five years.  Recently Ron, while examining the contemporary state of photography, realized that, because of the proliferation of billions of images across the internet all vying for our attention, the public’s perception of photography had begun to take on a disposable nature.  

Ron Kern - “As I thought more and more about the current state of photography I felt that I needed to do my little part to bring attention to the fact that photography still has a rightful place in the fine art of self-expression.  As I tried to imagine a better way to show what the art of photography was all about the idea of 2 Photographers Works In Progress was born.  I invited my long time friend and colleague Mike Stroup to join the project.

2 Photographers Works In Progress offers fine art photography enthusiasts a look into the creative process before, during, and after a photography exhibit goes up.  Visit 2PhotographersWorksInProgress.net to see how fine art photographers Ron Kern and Mike Stroup think through the challenges of developing their respective visions for their photography and to learn more about the inner motivations of both photographers for the works they create.

“We want to engage people who like to follow fine art photography to participate with us as we both work through the creative process and challenges to get to where we need to be to assemble our work for this exhibit,” says Kern. “The web offered us an opportunity to provide people with a glimpse into how both Mike and I use the camera to create art.”

Kern and Stroup have been on the Indianapolis fine art photography scene for over 25 years and have shown their work locally, statewide, and nationally.  “This is the first time, though, that we have explored the potential of the web to invite others to join us both before and during the exhibit and after the exhibit to learn how our work with our cameras is never-ending,” says Stroup.

Midland Arts and Antiques, located near the center of downtown Indianapolis, features over 200 independent art and antique dealers from around the Midwest.

Revisiting Ron's Essay

Now would be a good time to revisit the idea of and the concept behind 2 Photographers Works In Progress. Click this link to go directly to the blog post that contains Ron's essay.

Mike Discusses His Hartford City Project

(At the beginning of the video Mike and Ron do a bad SNL Weekend Update Chevy Chase impression, well, mostly Ron)

Video - Ron Discusses Recent Polaroid Work

More Polaroid Work

I've pretty much wrapped up making Polaroid photographs for this portion of the project.  There are several more ideas percolating.  Satch and I might work together on a couple of them.

Here are three photographs from the ongoing Polaroid work/process in progress.  I am very happy with these and will be doing more of this work.  It has been rewarding showing this work online directly after discovering and making these images.  Thanks for checking them out.

Sign and Billboard

Cement Machine

Grain Elevator and Delivery Truck

Mike- Post VIII

                                                                      -- THE MALL --

Probably built in the mid to the late 1960's, the Muncie Mall offered the chance for people in the surrounding towns to drive a short distance and have numerous stores and shops to chose from. Located about 16 miles to the north of the Mall, the people of Hartford City were no different. While our Mom never owned a car, we would ride with friends to the mall to buy our new school clothes. Saving a few dollars on a pair of shoes, and a couple of bucks on pants or a shirt was important at the time. But you know, I don't think we realized what would happen. Maybe it's only human nature, but I don't think we understood the changes that would take place, in Indiana and all across the country. Month after month, as several years pass, and it adds up. Or, for the downtown businesses, it didn't. Of course, they gradually began to close. The last photo above is where the JC Penny store once had been.

Digital Exhibit Card

Click to Enlarge

Mike- Post VII

Not there— Remember the character, George Bailey, in the Frank Capra film, “It’s a Wonderful Life”?  George gets the chance that many of us don’t get to see what our lives would be like and how others would be like if we were not there.  But what do you do with the knowledge of knowing that something “was” there but is “not there” any longer?  And what does it mean to be “not there?”  If you remember something that “was” there that no longer “is not,” does that mean it is “still there?”  I want people to stop and think beyond the literal when they see my photographs to imagine or remember what used to be but is not there now.  With each passing day, we chip away at the canvas of time and place and people and layer after layer is not there the next day, replaced by some thing or someone else.  I believe time is dynamic and dimensional and that to look at my photographs is to take a step back into time with me to enjoy the memories I have of a precious small town that is now not there.

Ron - Work Flow

I get many questions about how I make my photographs so I thought that I'd briefly outline my workflow for the Truth From Perceptions project and my past processes.

In the past, in another photographic life, I developed my film and worked in the wet darkroom.  I did do all of the necessary testing for the Zone System for both T-Max and Tri-X films.  Also, I used Polaroid Type 55 positive/negative film for most of my 4"x5" work.  For printing I used a Selectol Soft and Dektol developer combination and occasionally used Weston's Amidol developer, depending upon the type of work I was doing.  I used two different enlargers, one for medium format and one for large format.  My paper of choice was Oriental Seagull, variable contrast.  I also worked with the "historic process" of Van Dyke Brown printing.

Today I have eschewed the wet darkroom in favor of the digital darkroom, but I still photograph using film.  The reasons for this are very straight forward.  Maintaining a wet darkroom and printing on silver photographic paper is very expensive.  As I do not consistently make prints of any great quantity the cost of having to replenish chemicals became prohibitive.  And the cost of silver paper is not cheap.  Working into a final print involved many sheets of paper that would drive up the cost.

Seeing a fine print made in the wet darkroom still makes my heart race and I do miss making those prints.  But, if this was the only way to make photographs I would no longer be making pictures.

iMac and Scanner

The digital darkroom has enabled me to continue my work and the quality of prints make from a high quality inkjet printer on photographic-like paper rivals, I said rivals, silver prints.

All of that being said, I still photograph using film.  I have the control that I want for making images when using film.  I still use the Zone System when making exposures and I find that film has a latitude, scale and feel that I don't see when I look at digital photographs.



The video below shows the camera and light meter that I am using for Truth From Perceptions.  After making exposures I have a lab, typically Roberts Camera, develop the film.  For the Truth From Perceptions project I am using Kodak BW400CN.  I have found that this film has a nice long scale and a fine grain structure.  At normal development it accurately reflects the metering that was done at the time of exposure.  The film is developed using the C-41 process so film development is quite affordable.

After film processing I scan the film using a flatbed scanner with 24 bit color settings at a resolution that will provide the size of prints that I desire.  I use Adobe Photoshop Elements on an iMac as the digital darkroom.  I adjust brightness and contrast and dodge and burn as required to make the expressive print that reflects what I visualized when I tripped the shutter.  I do slightly adjust the sharpness of the photograph only to ensure that the digital file will accurately print.  And, I fix all of the dust marks.  The one thing from the wet darkroom I do not miss one bit is print spotting.

Printer

My final prints are made using an Epson inkjet printer and are printed out of a RIP.  In an exhibition in January of this year at the Harrison Center for the Arts! in Indianapolis I exhibited 16"x20" prints of my Indiana Small Towns project and many people took for granted that the photographs were silver prints.  They did look great and I was quite pleased with the results.

So, there you have it in a big nutshell, my past processes and an overview of my current workflow.