The Prodigal Negative
(Don't worry, this will make sense in a few minutes.)
I continue to progress in creating the next chapter in my Long Term Project (LTP) of Academy Street (a re-photographic project comparing the changes in the neighborhood over the past thirty years). I continue to face issues in creating this project. Why wasn’t I a better photographer thirty years ago? Why did I mindlessly follow the Fred Picker method of organizing my large format negatives? Why didn’t I do a proper proof of all my large format negatives? It certainly would make this project a bit easier today. But I digress.
I’ve been tortured for the past few weeks by knowing I made a photograph twenty five years ago. If only I could find evidence I actually made the photograph physically instead of just thinking I made it. For quite a while I was wondering if I was having hallucinatory memories or actually made the photograph. One would think that an image that memorable would have made it past the “develop and file” state of progress, but it did not. I will chalk that omission up to the error of youth.
The good news is I finally found the negative. The bad news is that I don’t have a proof print. The good news is now I can scan the negative to get really good information. The bad news is I don’t have a scanner that will scan 5x7 negatives. Eventually, everything will work out and I will have another pair of “then and now” images for my project.
Post Script - Between the time I wrote this blog post and the time I made the photograph to go with the post, I misplaced the Prodigal Negative. I had to find the negative again. I found that amusing.
You are invited to the opening of the FENCE exhibit in Durham, North Carolina on Friday August 18, 2017. All the cool kids will be there and if you're in the area, you should be there too. I will be there and would love to meet you and talk some photography.
They even have Facebook Page for this event. Click on over and pick up the details.
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