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| The "Spiderweb" |
In late spring 2021, millions living around the Sea of Marmara woke up to an environmental disaster. Huge swathes of the sea surface were covered in sea-snot, aka mucilage. Turns out it had been in the making for decades and Mother Nature finally had enough. Apparently, She'd been telling us that She didn't feel well in her own language for a long time, but some of those who should've been listening and acting were clearly not paying attention.
When phosphorus and nitrogen levels rise in the sea, combined with warmer and relatively stagnant water, a reaction is triggered in phytoplanktons which begin secreting mucilage (for more detail: Eutrophication). Why do phosphorus and nitrogen levels rise? Because of human activity, plus mismanagement. It seems there is a limit to how much untreated waste water you can dump into the sea!
So, one June morning, the shores of Istanbul, which can be breathtakingly beautiful before sunrise, looked like this:
The two B&W pictures here are part of the emotional fallout of this event in my psyche. I made them because I found the graphical resemblance to "mucilage" very striking, and because I felt that they mirrored the miserable condition we are in. They were made in the same summer of 2021. Both are found objects and there is absolutely no interference or rearrangement on my part.
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| The "Angelfish" |
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I made both pictures with a Rolleiflex T (plus a Rolleinar 1 in the "Angelfish") and Kodak Tmax100 film. The prints are on 24 x 30 cm Ilford Classic FB paper.
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I'd like to add an epilogue about something fascinating. I made the "Angelfish" on the shore of this salt lake:
Any idea what they are? Maybe I've discovered a new species!*
*Thanks a lot to the one and only Phil Rogers, who with his comment shed light on my ignorance: They are brine shrimp larvae.
Hi Omar - firstly the dragons - I believe they're probably brine shrimp. They're tiny and often freeze dried in blocks to feed tropical fish! I've just re-read that last bit, and it seems very indicative of man's attitude to the planet.
ReplyDeleteI like the photos - they've a bit of a Minor White/Wynn Bullock feel to them which isn't a bad thing! What Grade did you print them on?
Did you know that with a Rolleinar on a T and then using it rather like a normal lens, you can achieve the most wonderful early soft portrait lens effects? I've done it a few times - go on, shove it on the camera and then wander around and see what you see - the groundglass looks beautiful.
As always, best wishes from Auld Scotia
Wow, I'm impressed! I'd never heard of brine shrimp. I'm reading it up on wiki now and you're probably right. I'm glad I asked, because I've been wondering about them for a long time. Thanks very much for that!
ReplyDeleteAs for the grade, I'd have to check my notes but I'm pretty sure they are about grade 2 on the Focomat 2C (condenser head). The second one might be grade 3.
Re the Rolleinar, do you mean using it for normal distances ( >1 meter)? Will try it asap.
Thanks for writing, and all the best.
After further checking, they are actually brine shrimp larvae.
DeleteI used to keep fish. The Rolleinar - just rack the focus in and out on not too near to medium distance subjects. It is a lot more out of focus than Photo Succession stuff, but it is a really lovely dream effect. Hope it works for you!
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