Recommendations:
“Loafing With the Sissies” Colm Toibin on Andy Warhol
On Instagram I noticed an insta-pal of mine made a Polaroid emulsion lift of a car crash. I commented, “you must like Warhol” and he responded that he was only familiar with his most famous works. Then I sent him a link to the car crash paintings and his mind was a tiny bit blown.
I also saw someone on Instagram accuse another photographer of plagiarism because they had posted a photograph using the same background and pose. I wouldn’t define that as plagiarism. If your idea is so easily copied, how original was it? Who says you own it?
I love this image of Anya Phillips by Julia Gorton. I became obsessed with Phillips after seeing another of Gorton’s photos. I made my own series of photos based on the various images of Anya, making my own versions of her clothing designs, but tweaking them slightly to my own skills and sensibilities. My obsession with her legacy made it into my David Berman interview and an editor contacted me asking if I wanted to write about her, but then the pandemic happened and that’s on the back burner indefinitely. Still, I’ve sat on my Anya series and I decided to make collages of the images. Partly because a direct homage didn’t seem to change the context enough. My original concept was photographing my friend as if she was an actress playing Anya in a biopic, and while I love the images I made, I always felt I needed to manipulate them further in order to truly make them my own. I’m putting something together. Maybe a virtual gallery? Details to come. Might take me time, though.
One of the “Anya” photos I made. The original is fuji fp 3000b black and white pack film using my Polaroid Land 195. Then I placed that image in the close up stand with a strand of string lights and used my Polaroid Spectra camera to take the photo. Except the camera jammed and created an accidental double exposure, but I like the effect very much.
Until next time…
Adalena
I love to receive comments and questions about photography and cameras!
My email: adalenakavanagh@gmail.com
Instagram: @mamiyaroid (instant/film) @5redpandas (personal)
Twitter: @adalenakavanagh
Also, if you’re thinking of buying Polaroid film for the first time, here is my referral code, which gets you 10% off, and I get some reward points.
Original photography prints: adalenakavanagh.bigcartel.com (I change out the shop every month of so. If you see something you like, let me know, I’m happy to make you a print.)
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-Adalena Kavanagh