Tales of an Indoor Cat

As our lockdown continues, I’m determined to make a dent in the drawer of old negatives. Although I’m spoiled for great subjects here in DC, I tend to do most of my photography while traveling. Right now the things I love most - travel, live music, museums - are all out of reach, for who knows how long. I’m enjoying remembering all these trips, but it’s a little bittersweet, too.

If anyone is reading this, I hope you and yours are well.

Montreal, 2016

Montreal, 2016

London, 2009

London, 2009

New Orleans, 2008

New Orleans, 2008

At home...

Staying home right now, along with most of the rest of the world. I’ve got more than enough photography projects to keep me busy, but it’s been hard to concentrate or feel creative. I finally sat down today, and put in a nearly full day at the scanner. I’m glad I did.

Iceland, 2019

Iceland, 2019

Providence, 2019

Providence, 2019

WallMountables at DCAC - plus a show in Providence, RI!

If you’re in the DC area, you can see (and buy!) some of my latest cyanotypes at the DCAC WallMountables show in Adams Morgan through August 16. (Plus a bonus silver gelatin print of the Dupont Underground, shot with a Lomography Diana+ plastic camera.) This is a fun, unjuried show that really shows off the variety of creative talent in the DC area.

“Courtnoy Time Machine,” tea-toned cyanotype on watercolor paper

I’m very lucky to have a partner who is not only an academic folklorist, but who also shares my love of historic cemeteries and travel. The moment we walked past this tomb in Brompton Cemetery, we knew it was something special and I made sure to take plenty of shots. Later on, attending a Fortean Times get-together in a London pub (as you do) he learned that there was a local legend that it was, in fact, a time machine.

I’m honored to have had this work selected for inclusion in the Ars Necronomica show as part of NecronomiCon Providence. I’ve attended this convention for several years, and to have my work hanging next to artists I’ve admired is a rush - and also a bit nerve-wracking to be honest.

Odds and Ends

One of the things I love about film photography is that it makes me slow down and pay attention – while shooting, in the darkroom, or even scanning and editing. Even though my Photoshopping is mostly just dust removal, it’s time consuming – a process I enjoy, but have to make time for.

This is all a long-winded way of saying: I’ve got a lot of old film lying around waiting to be scanned. These are from our trip to Scotland in 2015, along with a few extras I shot in DC to finish up the roll.

Filthy Lucre by Darren Waterston

I miss being able to go see this piece on my lunch hour! It was fantastic. More info here.

Expired Film Day!

I’m participating in Expired Film Day for the first time this year! I loaded my Pentax K1000 up with some Kodak Gold that expired in 2005 and headed to Rock Creek Cemetery and took these weird, thin, grainy shots. I generally like the effect - it’s literally and figuratively looking into the past.

Rock and Roll and Film and Iron

A few months ago, my husband and I found out that one of our favorite bands was playing with another one of our favorite bands along with another one of our favorite bands who I’d never gotten to see live before…in Birmingham, Alabama. So what would a normal, responsible adult couple do? Yes, fly from Washington DC to Birmingham for about 48 hours.

While there, we met up with some friends who took us for a walk around the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark. Once a pig iron blast furnace, after closing it was preserved and restored and is now a museum, center for metal arts, and concert venue. It’s a beautiful site to wander around on a grey, drizzly day.

I’m sure we’ll be back at some point to actually explore more of what the city has to offer, eat more biscuits, and take more photos. (Oh, and the show was amazing.)

Goodbye, October...

October just never lasts long enough for me. It’s the very best month, even when it’s unusually warm like it was here in the Mid-Atlantic. And then, all of a sudden…it’s gone. And there’s Christmas music everywhere.

My darkroom is fully up and running (although I’d like a few more shelves…and maybe some more large trays…and…and…) and a wonderful old friend made me a UV lightbox for wintertime cyanotypes. Which is my way of promising new work soon!

In the meantime, I thought these would help everyone keep an autumnal feeling for just a while longer.

Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia 2017

35mm Diana Mini from Lomography

Hirshhorn sculpture garden, Washington DC 2014

110 Diana Baby from Lomography

Rock Creek cemetery, Washington DC 2013

35mm Pentax K100

New Site!

Fall is my season of renewal. Back to school, back to decent temperatures, and back to creative pursuits. I’ve been doing a lot of cyanotypes lately (before we hit this Month of Unending Rain) , and trying to make a dent in my huge backlog of negatives to scan. I’ve also finished turning the laundry room/darkroom into more of a darkroom/laundry room. I hope to begin posting more examples of darkroom prints soon.

One glitch: the info@opulenttarnish address is not working right now. But! I added a handy contact form to the new site, so feel free to drop me a line.

Mardi Gras 2018

Although I've been visiting New Orleans since "before the storm," I'd never been to Mardi Gras before. I decided this was the year to do it, since it's also the 300th anniversary of the founding of New Orleans. Thanks to some friends who are Mardi Gras veterans (and now, locals) I was even given a chance to march in one of the oldest parades on Mardi Gras day itself with bagpipers Kilts of Many Colors. Since I was going to be spending my time either trying to catch (and dodge!) beads or marching, I decided to bring only my smallest camera - a 110 from Lomography called the "Baby Diana." Everyone seemed amused at the tiny camera, but the tiny negatives are extremely lo-fi...and a pain to scan!

1460 Wallmountables at DCAC

Quick update: I have some work hanging at the District of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC) for their 1460 Wallmountables show. This show has been an annual event since 1989, and offers an opportunity for artists to show in an open, unjuried hanging. The gallery divides its wall space into 2 foot by 2 foot squares with string - all art must fit into a square, with no overlap. I'm showing (and selling!) a tryptich of metal prints and a cyanotype, and will be there for a Happy Hour reception on Wednesday, August 16 at 6:30 PM. If you're in DC come by and have a drink and support local art!