“CONTEMPLATING INDEPENDENCE” 

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-- 5:30 AM on the Fourth of July found this meditative man sat staring out over the freshly gleaned and raked beach toward the sound.
-- Ocean Beach was spotless, the garbage and rubbish gone, new bags in the bins and all to be heard was the sound of one last person hosing down part of the board walk and the final little bit of beach being raked by a tractor in the distance.
-- All was surprisingly clean...
-- All was pleasantly serene…
-- With the soft click, pause, click, sound of my old camera. 
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---Nikon F2, Nikkor 28-85mm O56 Filter 1/120sec @ f8.
---Double-X @200 W/ HC110(H) Epson V700 Exp. 7-4-‘15
"ARTitecture" 
© 2015 G. Roger Clements

 VISIT 
SASQUA DESIGN
SUPPORTING PRESERVATION & DOCUMENTATION

www.facebook.com/Sasqua-Design-ARTitecture-G-Roger-Clements--366658466820675/photos

The Old Firehouse                                                               G. Roger Clements

COVID-19

STORE & SHOP FRONTS

PROJECT & GUIDE

HERE’S THE WWWW&H

I tried to pull this project from my end only

But it really doesn’t work without co-operation from the “models” and owners..

So….

Here’s a draft version of this project as it stands at the moment…

 

WHAT

             Documenting the stores, shops and Restaurants of New London during the Pandemic.

WHERE

             Right where you are.  Directly in front of your workspaces

 

WHEN

             I’ll post some useful helps (like for instance, don’t have your people heading right at  the sun..) but probably the most important thing is to do this at a convenient time for you.      Probably just before you start your work day, which can be 7:00AM or 1:00PM. 

 

WHY

             This is really an extension of a documentational project that I am doing in conjunction       with New London Landmarks.

             While this started with photographing the buildings themselves with LE500 (Live       Expectancy 500) style of HABS-like images       (https://www.habsphoto.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=14047&AKey=E4VXE478&ajx=1#!asset21634) it       eventually evolved to logging the people who worked with those buildings themselves.

 

HOW

             When you determine the WHAT, WHERE, and WHEN parts I will enter into the How  part.  

                You will provide the models.

                Hopefully, appropriately dressed in your work clothes.

                Aprons, Jackets, “Corporate” T-Shirts or whatever…

                See the one above for example.

                Remember this is film..  We don’t take a million images… maybe a half a dozen at the most.  And the process is not super fast either usual I need a few seconds to change film for each image.

            

It’s really helpful if I know who all the players are.

 

FRANKLY, NOT THE SINGER, BUT FRANKA

Recognizing that almost any camera is really nothing but a black box, granted some black boxes fancier than others and some more durable than others my little Franka kind of falls somewhere in the lower portion of the black box range.

Most of the fussy bits, the lens and the shutter, was "built out" by some very prestigious manufacturers in Germany.

And, after all, the lens is the thing that mostly really gets the credit, and rightly so.

One of the things that endears me to this black is that it is a fold-able box.

I can focus the image on a piece of film up to 6 cm by 9 cm which means I can record a lot of "pixels" and fold it up into my pocket.

"PAUSING AT IT'S PIER"

*****************************************************************************************

05.14.2020

-- Once in a while I limber my Franka

--The origin of my relationship with this wonderful little folding camera goes back about a year or so

-- I think I spent all of about $45 for it

-- These units originally were sold by Montgomery Ward just after the First World War.

-- And, as a result this camera was bit of a German mutt.

-- But they had a heart of gold…..

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-- Fort Trumbull, New London, CT, (USA)

---Franka II, Schneider 1:4.5, 1/100 sec @ f8+

---Kodak Tri-X EI 200 W/ HC110 (H) Epson V700

SASQUA PHOTOGRAPHY, GRC © 2020

Supporting Preservation & Documentation

(SASS #687 R#69-125) fb, sass,fp

 FROM THE RAILROAD, NEW HAVEN FILE

I'm going to attempt to transfer some of the approximately 500 annotated photographs that I have posted over the past years with FaceBook.

I've literally hit a wall with FaceBook and while I'm going to try to maintain my Sasqua Design, "ARTitecture" page and PP&O (PHOTO PEOPLE & OTHERS) posts I will try to slug along with the inevitable education curve that I have been avoiding for ages.

Hope yo will find me here in the future.

Babies, pets and politics only by accident.

I've been told the secret with this is to just keep posting so I will try, yet again.... 

“WAITING ON TRACK 12”

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06/16/’18

-- Having just arrived from New London

-- The signboard

-- Now updated

-- This SLE train, in its McGinnis guise

-- Waits to go back East to Old Saybrook.

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---New Haven Station, New Haven, CT, (USA)

---Minolta srT101, Rokkor 50-135mm, O56 Filter 1/125sec @ f11.

---Tri-X @ EI 200 W/ HC110 (H) Scanner Epson V700

Sasqua Design "ARTitecture"

© 2018 G. Roger Clements

(SASS #499)

           THOUGHT I'D POST SOME THINGS I'D WRITTEN SOME YEARS AGO

SO HERE'S ONE ABOUT A GARAGE I'D DESIGNED

	THE DESIGN PROCESS    When you design a product for mass production—something like a tea cup, a vacuum cleaner, or an automobile, you spend a good deal of time in the planning and testing phase. You then produce a prototype or mock-up of the object, which you subjected to further abuse and testing. Finally you make the final product.  Tried, tested and ready to meet the demands of the real world.    In building design, by contrast, you get only one shot at the task—each design is unique. The planning phase is usually relatively short. You design the project to the best of your ability on paper, build that ‘idea,’ (or something close to it) laboriously construct the prototype…. and then move in to it!     It is axiomatic that the more time and effort spent on the planning phase of a project, the less time will be spent picking your way through myriad details while the contractor and his crew stand around with their tool belts on waiting for a decision.        This does not mean that there will not be moments of on-site revision, changes in direction, or inspiration. But the presence of a well-thought out plan is like a good road map: it doesn't preclude you from making the wrong turn, but it does dramatically limit the possibility of getting lost.       Sasqua Design, LLC encourages the client/homeowner to take an active role in the design process. In the past, for example, clients have provided the measurements for the existing condition drawings, we provide a guideline to help in that process.      One way we make available to shortcut the concept-drawing phase by having the owners participate in the actual conceptual drawing or sketching session.      Another somewhat unorthodox approach we frequently employ is to secure budget bid numbers from prospective contractors at an early stage in the drawing process. This practice allows the owners to get to know the prospective contractors as well as understand where the projected project stands in reference to the budget—al this before committing to full blown drawings. We provide a cover letter to the contractors that explains this process and increases the meaningfulness of the responses.     Designing one’s home can and should be a creative and, on the whole, enjoyable process. By following these and other practices developed over the last two decades, Sasqua Design helps to make that goal the reality.

A FILM WASHER FOR AN SP 445

SASQUA PHOTO

EQUIP. IDEA

SP 445 FILM WASHER

INTRO:

          The SP 445 developing tank that is designed for 4X5 sheet film and does it spectacularly.

          shop.stearmanpress.com/products/rev-4-sp-445-compact-4x5-film-processing-system

          Over the past year or so I have made a few field modifications to my own but none were (I deemed) production worthy, such as painting the fill end of the lid in red or epoxying two pieces as rubber “feet” on the ends of the base of the tank and “protect" a really big rubber-band.  

         The rubber pad protects the band from the “chines” of the tank and the that works very nicely to “Lock” the top and, almost more importantly, lets me know there is film in there and not to unintentionally open it up… 

          One, however, is not really a hack (an hack.?) directly and allows me to more thoroughly rinse the film.

          I originally created one of these rinsing device for use with a Unicolor drum that I was using for my 5x7 negatives.

          I discovered that the water flowing into this device actually scavenges the wash water and unusually the water level showed to be lower inside the wash unit than the level where the wash flows over the rim of the tank.

          The scavenging effect.

ITS USE:

           The wash jet is simplicity itself.

          A small funnel is affixed to a short piece of plastic tube and to put the extractor or washer jet in place I remove the first tank baffles, insert the unit into that end of the tank and turn on the wash water.

          If you turn the water on too hard the water will over flow the funnel.

          It seems that the optimal flow is that which shows that the wash water is actually below the line overflowing the tank.    

SUPPLIES:

          (Item #1.)

          I found a small funnel at the local Dollar Tree store but probably any “super discount” type store will do just fine.

          I found a nest of three funnels for all of the proverbial dollar…

          The 5/8” ID  tube came from the local Home Depot altho’, again, can be sourced from most home or plumbing supply. 

          The only real caveat here is the fact that the end of the funnel fits within the inside of the tube.

          It’s also helpful if you can find a globe shaped funnel (see: Illustration #2) rather than a conical one altho’ this is not mandatory.

          It’s nicer if the funnel just rests on the rim of the tank.

CONSTRUCTION:

          I started with about a 7” piece of the 5/8"ID tube.

          While this is too long for the final washer it gives you a workable section of tube for sizing things.

          Your funnel determines the ultimate length of the tube.

          What I then did was to put the funnel into the tube and mark the point at which the tube seats against the tapered part of the funnel.

          Having removed the two baffles (they just slide out) in the tank put in the tube and funnel assembly.

          The tube will seat on the small bulkhead at the bottom of the tank.

          A good thing…

          Now carefully measure the distance from the rim of the tank to the point at which the tube will fit into the tube.

          Cut off that length from the tube.

          You’re almost there.

          I drilled two holes as shown at the base of the tube although it could probably be a notch or a couple of holes of almost any sort.

          I cleaned up the cuts as much as I could.

          I also cut back the funnel nozzle until it only fits into the tube by about ½” or so.

          This will probably increase the opening a bit more.

          Another good thing….

          I then scarred up or sanded the inside of the tube and the outside of the base of the funnel and epoxied the two pieces together with J-B Weld.

          Once it’s cured all you have to do is to put it in the washer and turn on the water……

         

ILLUSTRATIONS:

Illustration #1

Illustration #2

Illustration #3

"WAITING"

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02.15.2020

-- The SLE train sits on a ready track

-- As does a passenger

-- Each in there own way

-- Both eventually will come closer to me

-- From the vanishing point

-- By which time I may well be elsewhere……..

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--Track 4, New Haven, CT, (USA)

---Minolta srT101, Rokkor 50-135mm, O56 Filt. 1/125 @ f8.

---Kodak P3200 @ EI 1600 W/ HC110(B) Scanned

© 2020 SASQUA PHOTOGRAPHY

SUPPORTING PRESERVATION & DOCUMENTATION

G. Roger Clements

(SASS #656 R#135-189b) fb, fp, f2

Additional Commentary to SASS #656
Rail Roads are something of a cheap shot so the photographer needs to work a bit more to make the image a bit different.
Some are inherently dramatic (Steam trains immediately comes to mind) while others tend to be more retrospective or analytic, as with this picture.
This is a passive picture so any tension or drama must come from within.
I take a 35mm old Minolta SRT101 that I used when I was in Collage and whether the age of the equipment surfaces in the final work as with an old limber etching press I used to print with or not, I don’t know.
It was small simple and rugged and sported wonderful lenses that only fit those cameras.. read cheap but with some they have the co-operation of Leitz, and are wonderful.
I digressed..
A bit..
The film on this particular trip was Kodak’s P3200 that I was exposing at ISO 1600 hoping to reduce the “grainality” a bit.
It really didn’t help enough. 
The first thing that happens after you decide that this is something you want to immortalize is which way to position the film, vertically or horizontally, and sometimes I will try the image one way, pull the trigger and then decide that that was the wrong way.
As some of you may know the pillars of my work are grounded in geometry,
Hand in hand with that is my desire to compose images in camera.
An old habit
An architectural habit.
So this picture is full frame with all of its limitations and eccentricities.
Whether it’s a 5x7 view camera or a small 35mm miniature camera once I’ve picked a “victim” I “cruse” the perimeter and try not to encounter too many obstructions.
Some times, as a mater of fact, an obstruction can be a boon as with the image on the left.
 
Sometimes the format challenges us a bit and we end up have to include a bit more of the foreground or sky than we would like to but that’s part of the overall challenge. 
I like to anchor my diagonals in the corners or a least try not to leave them floundering around with no relationship in the picture.
While it’s nice to get a major relationship it works better to get a lesser line as you see in the rails and the overhead wires.
This brings up the all important line of verticals.
I think there are only two was to cope with them
Work with them or totally disregard them.
Anything between the two looks sloppy craftsmanship.
Then I tend to start cropping and hope everything comes back together.
   
    With the “Waiting” photo I started by aligning the edge of my finder with the stairwell and raise or lower my camera until I have it plumb.
Sometimes I have to strike a compromise and end up panning to pick up the vertical I’m interested in and then pan back.
Sometimes the horizontals can even be more elusive as the soffits pitch from one direction or another. 
This is where I made some compromises and you can see that the catenary stanchions had a distinct pitch and for to level it would have meant to encompass a much larger part of the stairwell walls and loosed the train or it would have left me standing on an imaginary ladder somewhere just to the left of track 4.
Something like this image from October 2018.
 
What I did want was the relationship between the train and the passenger and something close to the window line.
I recall that part of my, sometimes apparently spasmodic, dance as I move the camera up and down and up and down that I tested to see what the effect would be if I lowered the view point (I didn’t have too much ability to go up unless I had the aforementioned ladder).
It wasn’t bad for the train but lethal for the suitcase and its owner.
Then there are the elements of happenstance.
The image immediately above was made in the morning and the sun, I felt, complicated the light on the platform whereas the one at the top of this piece was photographed in the afternoon with the platform in a nice co-operative soft gray (6ish to those of you care).
The parts I really cared about was that the M-8 car that served as a lighter backdrop for the “face” of the Shore Line East (SLE) cab-car giving it a bit of contrast.
This might be one of those situation where I might dodge that background a little bit without feeling that I’m violating my “darkroom only” version of PhotoShop.
  
The other lucky item is (are) the very subtle shadows from the overhead on the side of the car body whose angle relates quite nicely to the safety chevrons on the front of the car. 
Just luck…
‘Till next time…
Roger

DOCUMENTING THE ENDANGERED... OR WORSE

SAVING HISTORY WITH A CAMERA 

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I usually have two sources that I get when I start to look into an Endangered Structure.

1)     I get a request from the Landmarks Office who has done the spade digging for me and gives me a lead, sometimes with an address but not always.  Sometimes it’s just a “look into” call and the description of the structure and an approximate address.

Usually an Endangered Structure looks the part.

        Un-mowed lawn.

        Open or removed windows.

        Dramatically “deferred” maintenance.

        Abandoned construction work.

        Disconnected utility services.

But sometimes not…..

Sometimes the owner or a Developer has the intention to remove or “scrape off” an old, but functioning, structure,

Then, often, Landmarks calls me because it’s been keeping its “ear to the ground” and looks into the background and passes the information along to us to do the release work to photograph the site as required.

While we can photo from the street we can’t go on to the property without a release from the owners and notification to the Mayor’s office and the Police.

 2)    I follow my own hunches and, looking at all the above indicators, I start a file on certain buildings (for instance I’m interested about the missing windows at 11 South Water Street right now…..have been for some time)  and obey the “see something, say something” motto. From my point of view the Amtrak slogan “We’re All in This Together” equally applies to the cities structures as well…

For instance….

When I first moved in to New London, some five years ago, I started to take pictures of 130 Bank Street and posted a number of cries for its help on FaceBook.

But to no avail.

It wasn’t until I started documenting places with Landmarks that there was some action….

The list has changed somewhat but it, sadly, hasn’t gone away.

 ******************************************************

THESE HAVE DRAMATICALLY ALTERED

OR HAVE GONE

As of 2015

66 Franklin St. New London, GRC

313 Pequot Avenue, New London, GRC

2 Belden St., New London, GRC

SASQUA PHOTOGRAPHY 

Supporting Preservation & Documentation
GRC © 2019 

(860) 304-3017