Updates: July 2014

I have a few bits of news and updates to pass along. 

The Ghost Dance Project: Native American Massacre Sites

I've been preoccupied with my project for the last few months. The work is going great. However, it's a slow and difficult process, but going well. 

I'm still trying to figure out how/what I want to create for the final product. For the last while, I thought I wanted to make silver gelatin prints from the wet collodion negatives, but I am rethinking that now. I've been experimenting with this for a few months and there are too many variables to stay consistent. It would force me to make all Half Plate (4.25" x 5.5") wet collodion negatives. Not a bad thing, but feels limiting to me. I haven't given up completely on this idea, just opening up to other possibilities. 

I'm also considering getting some funding to make this happen (to publish the book and make a series of prints to sell). It's been very challenging to this point in that aspect as well. I've made three photo trips so far, some 6,000 miles around the Western United States. Every site has been a challenge; access, weather, light, etc. Not for the faint of heart.

Every time I return to Denver after a photo trip, I think, "well this project is going to take a few months longer than I thought." I don't have a hard timeline on the work (learned my lesson from the past) but do need to see this come together in the next year or so (would love to have my first exhibition on the autumn of 2015). Things could move faster if I can get some support behind me. 

The other element to this work is publicity. I need to get the word out that I'm working on this. I want to attract some interest for feedback, venues to exhibit the work when it's complete, and prints sales. 

To break up the struggles, I've decided I'm going to make portraits (Native American descendants of the massacre sites or related history). for a while. At least I can work out the final product this way. Currently, I'm leaning toward POP prints from negatives and larger prints - maybe archival inkjet prints - we'll see. The important part is to have this made the right way. As I've always said, "It's a process, not an event." Deep breath!

One more addition to make this project a reality - I needed a better vehicle for pulling my trailer. I traded my Rav Sport in for this, a Toyota Tacoma Baja truck. Towing capacity of 6,800 lbs. This will get the job done! A really nice vehicle.


2014 Toyota Tacoma Baja Edition.

Wet Collodion Workshops

And the other piece of news is my workshops. I will be teaching an Introduction to Wet Plate Collodion Photography on July 12-13. And I will be teaching an Advanced Wet Plate Collodion Workshop: Making Negatives & POP/prints, August 29, 30, & 31. 

The next workshops will be offered in October/November, 2014.

Wet Plate Collodion Books & Podcast Videos

Please let people know that they can find my books on wet collodion photography on my site - I have both print books and an iBook - for Apple computers and iPads - there is a Kindle version, too. 

I will be back making videos (The Studio Q Show) soon. Like I said, I've been preoccupied with The Ghost Dance project. If you have a topic you'd like to see in a show, let me know.

Wishing you the best light!

Here's a recent image from the project. It's called, "Turtle Rock Meadow Massacre" in Medicine Bow, Wyoming. I traveled the Sand Creek Memorial Trail and made plates along the way. I really like the fact that the image has artifacts (black comets streaking from the sky) that look like tears falling from heaven. Subtle, but powerful.  Copyright 2014 Quinn Jacobson