Acatenango Day 2

For day 1 click here

The view is 360°, every part of the 3 dimensional world feels below us. Fuego continues to smolder in the south, and the sun is making an entrance to the east. A cloud blanket separates us from humanity below, it is only us and the triangular volcanic islands in every direction. Interestingly enough, one of the best views is the dark ridgeline to the west. Being in the shadows of giants to the east gives a low-key, painterly look. 

Looking west; 1 8x10 silver print available 

Time is irrelevant. None of us left wishing to be anywhere but here.This feeling of timelessness lasted for what could have been 10 minutes or an hour, till we were brought the heartbreaking news it was time to descend. The twisty two hour ascent left us with a straight 10 minute run down to camp, just lift your feet and pretend to ski down the scree field.

Everyone knows the worst part of any camping trip is the clean-up. A quick cup of instant coffee and the tents are rolled up. 

*CRACK*

Fuego Eruption

"In its bulletin this morning, INSIVUMEH reports strong tremor accompanying the rise of new magma. An ash plume has been rising to 5,500 m a.s.l. and drifting 25 km to the S, SW and W, where ash fall is occurring. Strong shock waves from the explosions at the summit can be felt in several kilometer radius." Volcano Discovery April 13, 2016

Close-up

Only a mile across the col from us is the show of a lifetime for everyone but the guides, who were still thoroughly impressed. It feels as though the only thing preventing our cremation is the wind blowing the 6,000 foot high ash cloud away from us. For an amount of time I could never quantify, we sat in awe of this phenomenon, no thoughts in our minds.

Post-Eruption

Moments like these help me reflect on the duality of power and fragility in our world. Though it was hard to leave, entering back into the clouded underworld became our new occupation. The walk down stayed quiet, seemingly more beautiful than the tiring walk up, leaving us to contemplate and enjoy our return to 'normal life'.

Color Film, Black and White Paper

Digression: I have attempted to make this post cover a relatively complicated process, while still making it available to people who have never been in a darkroom.

Making a black and white silver print with color film. If you look at forum and blog posts in the rather hypocritical internet-film world, it is nearly impossible to do. Well, unless you want a low contrast print or have a panchromatic paper which is much more difficult to attain and use. The issue behind this is that silver gelatin paper is very resilient to warm light, and intentionally so. This is because the safelight is red/orange, and the paper would be exposed if it weren't designed for this process.

I have only just started printing color film on black and white paper, and it doesn't represent the scene as accurately as black and white film. But who said accuracy is the intention? Below is a print you have most definitely seen before if you follow my work. It was shot on cheap, expired 400 speed Fuji Superia color film. I had it developed at a lab, then printed it myself on Ilford Glossy Fiber-Based paper with a high contrast filter (4.5). Not bad, eh?

Here you see an un-altered scan of the color negative next to a desaturated version. Kinda nasty, huh?

Now is a comparison of the print and the scan's blue channel. 

For those who don't know, the blue channel in Photoshop is one of three black and white images the program combines to choose the tones and colors of a color image (RGB). That is for another post on another blog, but essentially this is the equivalent of placing a blue filter in front of a camera shooting black and white film. Notice how in both the silver print and the blue channel the warm tones in the gravel have been darkened a great deal.

Though this image was shot and printed well before I saw Eric Erlenbusch's Death Valley Photos, seeing these was one of the reasons I've decided to continue this process. His concept is very similar in that the images are shot on color film and converted to black and white. Rather than letting the film and camera do the 'conversion' to grey-scale, we've both decided to utilize the colors on the film to give us choices in processing on what tones (lightness/darkness) are created by different hues (colors). The difference comes in that he is using Lightroom and I am using Dark Room.

As I said this print was the first in a long ordeal I see myself pursuing. I currently have a roll processing with images intended to directly compare the way different colors are affected. In the future I also hope to analyze the effects of actual color filters, as well as pushing the color film to eliminate necessity for a high contrast filter.

Thanks for reading, I appreciate any feedback from all perspectives!

(De)Composition #1

Order Framed Prints Here

Direction 3; Abandoned hotel in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico

 Framed Print Here

The intent of this series is to showcase abandoned buildings becoming part of the natural environment once again. Each one has its own story, whether a pre-Columbian Mayan temple or a 1940's steel mill.

Reduction; Reduction Mill in Murray, Utah- Framed Print Here

When entering these buildings, you are bombarded with new smells, visuals, and sounds that give each one a unique feeling.  Many are filled with beer cans, shitty tags, and ripped clothing. Some are kept as monuments for tourists to explore. The most surreal though are the ones left untouched by all unwilling to take a pair of pliers to a bolted door.

Toniná Mayan Ruins in Chiapas, Mexico

Though each is so different, with some millennia apart, they all share one commonality; windows.

Dance Hall in Ogden, Utah

This commonality is not as merely as simple as having holes in the walls. These windows control exactly how one perceives the entrails of the buildings. The windows create a sharp distinction between inside and out, new and old, light and dark.  Order framed prints Here
To be continued...

Acatenango Day 1

Volcan Fuego seen from the side of Volcan Acatenango

Layers of trees in the 'Cloud Forest'

While in Antigua, Guatemala this April I took the opportunity to go on a trek up Volcan Acatenango (much recommended if in the area). It stands at 13,044 feet making it third tallest volcano in Guatemala. Though feeling on top of the world is definitely a sight and experience in itself, Acatenango is not the main attraction for most who reach its summit. 

Steam and Lenticular clouds above Fuego

We set up camp about 11,000 feet up the side of Volcan Acatenango after a steep approach with heavy packs. The intent was to camp across the col from Acatenango's active sister, Volcan Fuego for an all-night fire show. A beautiful sunset accompanied by lenticular clouds overtook the fiery cone across the valley.

Streams of lava running down the side of Fuego

Disappointments arose when the day turned to night and the clouds from the lower 'cloud forest' smothered our view. Dinner finished and the Quetzalteca was nearly gone; every now and then a break in the clouds would coincide with a small eruption to give us a few seconds of visual stimulation. Midnight came and most of us were in the tents asleep. Minutes later the few left outside screamed with joy, waking the rest of us up to a 400 meter fountain of lava across the col. This awe-inspiring show continued through the night till our 3:30 AM wake-up call. Summit time. In a weightless 2 hours we will be on top of our big, dormant friend, Acatenango. 
  
Check back soon for day 2, including prints of my 2 best images from the hike.

Subconscious Parallels

Sub-conscious patterns and energies tend to manifest themselves in our thoughts and actions. Many times these manifestations go unnoticed at the individual level, yet are easy to pick up upon looking at many actions together. Upon spreading 400 proofs out on my floor to mix, match, and sort I noticed an uncanny similarity between these two images.

 

Construction Worker; Ogden, Utah

February 2016
(click to enlarge)

Church Patron; Leon, Nicaragua

April 2016
(click to enlarge)

The first was taken in Ogden, Utah at a construction site during the month of February. The second image was taken in León, Nicaragua at a Catholic Church during the month of April; 2 months later. Though the capture of the first image had a direct influence on my subconscious, it was profound to witness this pattern manifest itself so directly. 

The intention in showing this pair is to help the viewer look at their own subconscious patterns from an outside perspective, free of self judgement.

'Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.'
-Carl Jung

 

Sin Satura

Volcán de Agua After Sunrise 
(hand-developed prints available here)

Sin; Without

Satura; Saturating

I never thought I would start a blog. Then again I never thought I would become a traveling artist with a need to distribute work. Here we are. Welcome to my blog, Sin Satura. Content will always be original works of art accompanied by words. Sometimes it will be a trip report, sometimes a mantra, but it will probably never meet your expectations. Hopefully this project will continue to blossom and help me keep traveling and printing. I recently returned from Central America and have 10 rolls of film accompanied by a full notebook. Throughout the next few months I will be posting image-focused articles reflecting and relating my travels. Keep in touch, check out my store and let me know what you think!

Volcán De Fuego just before sunset

For this post I decided to share a few volcanic images from a trek in Guatemala. These images all share a balanced, simple, and meditative composition. The cloud layer isolates the triangular shape of the highest peaks in the vicinity, turning each into an island.

Volcán de Agua Before Sunrise 

Check back a few posts from now for Volcán Acatenango trip report including photographs of a large paroxysmal eruption on nearby Volcán de Fuego.