My Final Workshop in Germany

Jasmine & Abel - 6"x6" Black Glass Ambrotype - 7 Nov., 2010It's bitter-sweet. I just finished my last Wet Plate Collodion workshop I'll do in Germany. Two photography teachers from Brussels came down; Erwin and Frederick. We had a good time. It's always fun, and I'll miss it terribly. However, there is a time to call it and this was it. I could be weeks away from being back in the United States and I need time put things away, both literally and psychologically. I need to separate a little bit. Time will do this.

Jeanne asked a friend, Jasmine, to come over so that Erwin and Frederick would have someone to make portraits of - other than each other or me. Although, they made plenty of images of one another. Jasmine brought her boyfriend, Abel. They were patient and kind, I ended up making this portrait for them.

There will be more teaching and more exciting things in the U.S. for me, I know it. I'm already looking forward to it!

It’s Coming Along Nicely, Thank You - The Paris Exhibit

For the last few weeks, I’ve been able to ignore most of the distractions in my life and concentrate on getting ready for my exhibit. It’s been really nice. We don’t have a television but the other technologies can be a huge distraction. Give up Facebook, email, (fill in the blank) forum(s), for a week and see what happens. Your attitude toward these things change a little bit. (In all honesty, I didn’t give them up completely, but cut way back).

I’m on track and feeling good about most everything. There is still a little bit of anxiety – I want it perfect, or as close as possible to perfect as I can get it.   Framed work waiting to be wrapped, packed and sent to Paris.

I’ve been framing and varnishing images for the last few days. Two coats of varnish per image and several days of drying – it’s process but they look outstanding! The plates look wonderful matted and framed, too. I get a rush seeing all of this – I can’t believe that I made all of this work (sounds ego-oriented, but true)! Where in the hell did I find the time to do all of this and sleep? There are 70 pieces, almost 100 images! Keep in mind, this is Wet Plate Collodion work!

It looks like we are going to rent a VW Transporter and keep it in Paris while we’re there. We had originally thought to rent a van, drive it over to Paris, unload it and turn it in there in Paris. Then we would take the train back home after the first week (opening, lectures, demos, workshops, etc.). I think I’d be “stepping over a dollar to pick up a dime” doing it that way not to mention the hassles and headaches. We’ll pay the fees and keep the van and drive it back. By the time we pay for a taxi, train, we’ll pay about the same (which is a lot).I hanged and varnished 10 large ink jet prints for the show. They turned out very nice.

From what it sounds like, I’ll be making a lot of portraits there. I have five days and one night of making portraits. Standing room only, 20 minutes per session – really? There are that many people interested in having their portrait made? Maybe I can pay for the van for the week (grin). I think I’ll do okay on that front. 

The gallery has pulled out the big guns – they’ve got some great press on the event. I’m going to have a journalist from Réponses Photo (French magazine) in the first workshop. I should have the cover and a portfolio spread from it. That won’t be too bad, eh? There are a lot more doing pieces on the event, too. Yummy! 

I’ll post more as things unfold. So far, so good.

Vernon Trent, from Düsseldorf came down yesterday for a Wet Plate Collodion "refresher" and to make some images for a piece for stern.de. I think there was a totally of nine images. He made a couple of really nice ones. Here's a couple of snaps from the day. We capped it off with me making a portrait of him with his new camera.

The models: Christian and Carina. 
Whole Plate Alumitype
Vernon - photo by Quinn Jacobson - Whole Plate Alumitype
Wet Plate Collodion images – Viernheim, Germany 13 February, 2010

Köln (Cologne), Germany Wet Plate Collodion Workshop

I spent the last couple of days teaching a workshop in Leichlingen, Germany (just outside of Köln). It was a great workshop – we had five participants: Vernon, Robert, Marcus, Artur, and Ugo. They made some wonderful images! Every student caught on fast and was up to speed making plates on their own in hours, amazing!

Vernon set up the studio space – it was very nice – ArtLight Studios. We made images with natural light and had two models to work with. I’m looking forward to seeing work from all of these guys, and Ugo, let’s talk about an exhibition in Belgrade, Serbia!

"Vernon Trent" - The first image of the workshop. This is made with window light and my Derogy lens - 12 seconds - 5"x7" Black Glass Ambrotype. 
Workshop student, Vernon Trent made this plate. A nice still life made with a Russian 5"x7" camera. This is an Alumitype. 
And another Alumitype. 
5"x7" Alumitype portrait from the workshop. 
And one more Alumitype - 5"x7"
There were about 30 plates made from the five students at the workshop.

Höchster Schloßfest Portraits

We setup near the tower there on the river - Main River, Frankfurt.Yesterday we were sitting under large Chestnut trees (Kastanienbaum) next to the Main River in Frankfurt, Germany eating peaches and souvlaki (yes, I said peaches and souvlaki).

 

It felt unbelievably good. It's been a long time since I've felt that kind of peace and "rightness". Do you know what I mean? Being in the right place at the right time and doing absolutely nothing.

 

I've said this before and will say it again - Europeans know how to relax and they have an understanding of what "community" means. This seems to be lost on Americans. I'm a little anxious about returning to the states. I'm trying to be present to what I have here. I'm trying to be "in the moment", feel everything and experience as much as I can.

It was a big day for the Höchster Schloßfest (Castle Festival). We were on opposite side of the river, normally, we setup where you see the white tents in this photo.

 We were given some artwork and a bottle of (private stock) Riesling wine yesterday by our artist friends. It was very kind of them (thanks again!). One of them, Mirjam, brought a catalog of an exhibition that was in Frankfurt a few years ago. All of the images were Dags, Calotypes, and Collodion. There were some beautiful Albumen prints! It's called, "Frühe Photographie im Rhein-Main-Gebiet 1839-1885" I'm going to buy a copy. You can see Mirjam's portrait in my June 22, 2009 blog.

I didn't do a lot of portraits yesterday, but the ones I did I'm happy with. I also made a negative of the the huge Chestnut tree we were setup near. I really like the feel of the image. Although, I consider myself a portrait photographer, I do like to make images (now and then) of nature.

  Chestnut Tree by the Main River in Frankfurt - Wet Collodion Negative.

After I made a few images, we packed everything up in the Toyota and wandered around the fest for a while. We had a beer, Apfelschorle, Rindwurst and an Eis. It was a very nice day.

Uwe - Frankfurt, Germany Uwe mit zig - Frankfurt.

Germany issues arrest warrant for Sobibor's 'Ivan the Terrible'

German authorities issued an arrest warrant on Wednesday for John Demjanjuk, 88, the alleged Nazi war criminal ‘Ivan the Terrible’ suspected of killing tens of thousands of Jews in a World War II death camp.

"The accused is currently still in the United States," a court official said in a statement. "As soon as he arrives in Germany he will be questioned and tried."

Ivan the Terrible

A spokesman for the Justice Ministry told The Local, “We are looking at how this arrest warrant can be carried out. As to how, or when, I cannot say.”

If the US authorities do not expel Demjanjuk, a formal extradition request will be made.

Ukrainian-born Demjanjuk, now living in the United States, is thought to have assisted in the deaths of at least 29,000 Jews during his time in a Nazi concentration camp in Sobibor.

Demjanjuk, one of the world’s most wanted Nazi war criminals, emigrated to the US in 1950 but was extradited to Israel in 1986 after being accused of being the infamous ‘Ivan the Terrible.’

Sentenced to death in 1988 in Israel, he was released in August 1993 when Israeli judges dropped the case against him after statements by former guards collected by the KGB suggested another man was the infamous ‘Ivan the Terrible’.

Demjanjuk then returned to the city of Cleveland in the US state of Ohio where he has been living under house arrest conditions.

Six years later, the case against him was revived as evidence emerged that he had worked for the Nazis as a guard at three other death camps. He is still on a Simon Wiesenthal Centre list of the most wanted Nazi war criminals still alive.

Story from thelocal.de