Rafael San Juan's Primavera in Havana, Cuba

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I was obsessed with her, craning my neck as we flew by her. This is “Primavera” by Raphael San Juan. It’s 26’ tall and was made of reclaimed found metal as a tribute to the sensuality and strength of Cuban women.

Film Notes:

During my first 2022 visit to Havana with Jon Canlas and The Film School Road Trip Matthew and I shot a lot of film. Having shot digital images almost exclusively whilst being intrigued and intimidated by film, our trip offered a deep dive into film. 3 days of shooting in the rich visual landscape of Havana and Vinales along with Jon’s break-neck shooting pace offered an opportunity in an inspiring, stimulating set and setting to experiment with film, settings, cameras, lenses, etc.

In post-processing I realized my Bronica had a focusing problem leading to many many near-misses where in-camera I’d seen sharp, beautifully composed images. Painful learning costs are the way and actually give these fresh, sharp, beauties of this sculpture a BINGO precious feel.

Film: Kodak Gold box rated pushed 1 stop in developing

Development & scanning: Standard Scans via The Find Lab on the Noritsu scanner

The Force That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower

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The force that through the green fuse drives the flower
Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees
Is my destroyer.
And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose
My youth is bent by the same wintry fever.

The force that drives the water through the rocks
Drives my red blood; that dries the mouthing streams
Turns mine to wax.
And I am dumb to mouth unto my veins
How at the mountain spring the same mouth sucks.

The hand that whirls the water in the pool
Stirs the quicksand; that ropes the blowing wind
Hauls my shroud sail.
And I am dumb to tell the hanging man
How of my clay is made the hangman's lime.

The lips of time leech to the fountain head;
Love drips and gathers, but the fallen blood
Shall calm her sores.
And I am dumb to tell a weather's wind
How time has ticked a heaven round the stars.

And I am dumb to tell the lover's tomb
How at my sheet goes the same crooked worm.

-Dylan Thomas

Gygi on Film

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Snowy drive, hot drinks, a winter walk to the meadow with Gygi. A lil talking, a lil crying, a little screaming in the trees.

These last few years Gygi and I have both lost our parents, connected already, we’ve seen each other deeper as we’ve stumbled at the threshhold of death and experienced the strange rebirth that has come in its wake. Her deep presence. Her deep love of life. The way she inspires me to be. I love you Gygi.

Yoga instructor Gygi Koster stand in snowy meadow surrounded by trees at fog at Sundance nordic center.
Woman walks in snow in full parka with fog and trees

Film notes:

Very foggy, snowy day- first snow. Shot rated at 200 pushed a stop on the Rolleiflex 6001.

Film notes:

Camera: Rolleiflex 6001 w 80 mm lens

Film: Portra 800 rated at 200 pushed 1 stop in development. So that means the ISO is set to 200 and then in development you do this THIS which adds a dollar to the cost. WORTH IT.

Lab: Standard scans at The Find Lab Scan with borders on Frontier