Author Archives: Ray Dillard

Ray Dillard – Some old, some new, some that didn’t work so well

by Ray Dillard

I continue to experiment with multiple exposures. I had some failed attempts at indoor shots; somewhere my math went horribly wrong! I will continue to work on the math and measurements and make more attempts at indoor multiple exposures.

This first image I have included, titled “Angles”, is a look at shooting not only multiple exposures, but a variety of camera angles. I was interested to try and create a combination of vertical and horizontal lines among obviously diagonally skewed lines. I was also interested in the skewed lines being confused further by clearly being objects that should NOT be skewed. I plan to do more experimenting with this angular approach to multiple exposures. This is from a recent set of experiments. Five exposures on my Sputnik, handheld, with Fuji Velvia 100.

“Angles”

 

The next image is titled “Global Focus 3”. This variation of an image posted in a previous pass of the folio utilizes a slightly different alignment of the multiple shots. This variation is presented as it solves some of the issues commented on about the original version, while having other issues that worked better in the earlier version Global Focus presented a few years back. Thus is the nature of experimentation! I am a musician who has found experimentation to be a primary element of my 40+ year career of music making. This is just an extension of that reality. Two exposures on my Sputnik with Fuji Velvia 100.

“Global Focus 3”

Metal sculpture by Canadian sculptor Roy Hickling.

 

The third image I have included is “The Incursion”. This is also an earlier shot where I attempted to carefully place an object in a specific part of another object using a quadruple exposure. It is close to what I had hoped for, but size, perspective, alignment and exposure is a massive set of variables to deal with! Same sort of challenges as found in “Angles” above. Three exposures on my Sputnik with Fuji Velvia 100.

“The Incursion”

Metal sculpture by Canadian sculptor Roy Hickling.

 

Thanks to Steve Lederman for scanning these images for me!

Steve also developed some of the film for me in his home-basement-lab and used his superior skills to aid in some of the mounting.

Ray Dillard – More of the same, yet different

by Ray Dillard

This set of slides is a continuation of my experiments in multiple exposure shots. I am using a more mathematical approach in these, calculating different exposure setting to set things in front of or behind one another based on exposure order and timing. Maybe it is working. Maybe I am just kidding myself.

The Window sm

“The Window” – This is a location I have shot at before. The following two images are also from the same location. Several earlier entries in this Folio have been shot here, also. Always with my Sputnik on Fuji Provia 100F. This image is an attempt to memorize a position in the first exposure and attempting to line up in a very specific way elements of the second exposure. Thus the spiral metal sculpture focusing the eye on “the window”.

The Gazebo sm

“The Gazebo” – A triple exposure – The title tells the story. Again, I am attempting to create interest between the various objects by not only exposure “math”, but also through placement of critical bits between the two shots. My Sputnik, purchased from John Thurston, has a nice modified viewer which made this “alignment” between shots much easier. I don’t think I could have aligned things this well with the standard viewer!

The Apple Gate sm

“The Apple Gate” – A triple exposure – Actually this is a miss on a couple of fronts. I hoped to get the “gate”, which was the last exposure, in the gap of the arched apple tree limbs. I had also hoped for better focus of the second exposure, which was the apple tree in the foreground. BUT, the exposure of the gate was just what I was hoping for! I was also pleased that my math kept this image from blowing out too far. This is what I love about experimenting!

Old and Older sm

“Old and Older” – This was a location my friend and mentor Steven Lederman and I stumbled upon on a day of looking for interesting places to shoot here in Southern Ontario. We wondered onto the property finding this VERY old barn, in the foreground behind a few other building shielding it from view from the road. The barn in the background is certainly well over 100 years old, but the one in the foreground is much older. I will probably post another shot of this older building in the future. I was attracted to the angles of the two structures roofs.

Many thanks to Steven Lederman for not only developing these rolls, but mounting my slides! The mounting is NOT something I have gotten the hang of after many hours of frustrating attempts.

Ray Dillard – August 2016

by Ray Dillard

All three of these images were captured in Elora, Ontario, Canada at the site of an old mill on the Elora River. I was fascinated by how much was left standing of this structure, although all things considered there was more missing than present! Matt Neima and Steven Lederman, featured in this folio, along with some other friends were out for this photo jaunt. It was a bright day, allowing some significant blue skies mixed with the deteriorating building.

RAY DILLARD 1“The Inner Garden” – As per my last run, I am still experimenting with multiple exposures, but this image is the only example I have included this time. It was very bright, so I had to do a bit of calculated guessing at the stacking of the exposure times. I was fascinated by the garden like aspect inside the walls of this building. I also loved the fact I was shooting through a chain length fence. All three images were captured on my Sputnik which I acquired from John Thurston.

RAY DILLARD 2“Under deConstruction” – The strange position of the construction barrel, with the bizarre rebar jutting out of the old foundation caught my eye here. It was also an interesting optical illusion that the supports appear as though they are pushing the crumbling walls over rather than supporting them. The Fuji Provia 100F film did a nice job with the blue sky and drab greys.

RAY DILLARD 3“Stuck in the Corner” – Experimentation is at the core of my shooting. I was intrigued at how much the person in the corner disappeared due to the brightness of parts of the building. My attempt here was to slightly over expose the brightest part of the building, hopefully then under exposing the bottom right area. Maybe it worked…

Thanks to Steven Lederman for developing this film for me.

Global Geometry

by Ray Dillard
GEOMETRY

GEOMETRY

GLOBAL FOCUS

GLOBAL FOCUS

IMPLOSION TO NORTH

IMPLOSION TO NORTH

APPARITIONS

APPARITIONS

Thanks to Steve Lederman for scanning these images for me!

Steve also developed the film for me in his home-basement-lab.

Metal sculpture by Canadian sculptor Roy Hickling.

GEOMETRY

This series of photographs all feature circular sculptural pieces set against various items, creating some interesting geometry.  I especially liked the circular globe set with the squares, rectangles and triangles of the mid to late 1800’s barn.

GLOBAL FOCUS

Again, this image places several shapes throughout the stereo image.  I was also interested in the challenge the shadows brought to this shot.

IMPLOSION TO THE NORTH

This image features a complex globe with an interesting movement of its structural pieces towards what I imaged as “north” in this piece.  This image was actually quite difficult to mount for me.  I am still trying to get the hang of mounting certain images.

APPARITIONS

This was a triple exposure – on purpose – where I was trying to not completely blow out the exposure.  It isn’t a great shot, but it was a great experiment I wanted to share.  To be honest, the more experimental approach is where my heart is – and where most of my shots land.