The Shape of the Light — mnchrm vol. xlii
Hey everybody, welcome to the evening edition of Monochromatic Aberration. I haven't used the "name" of this newsletter in a while — you might not even know it, if you're a recent subscriber! Does it matter? I don't think so; any other name, you know?
I'm not quite sure how I landed on Monochromatic branding for so much of my work. My blog being mnchrm, my photography at monochromatic. I love black and white photography; I'm certain I shoot more black and white than color. I often feel like the color gets in the way of the perception of an image. Look at instagram: what's the joke spam comment you see most? For me, it's clearly "sick tones."
What does that mean? Basically nothing. However, it seems to imply the valuable part of a photo, the most interesting, the most striking, is the colors portrayed. Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for beautiful colors as much as the next guy. However, in my own work, I'm mostly interested in moment, light, and shape.
I don't want you to be struck by the color, even if it is beautiful. I want you to consider the shape of the light, the implication of the moment, or just the layered shapes.
And writing, too — it's black and white, of course, but anything but, if that's not too corny.
So what about Monochromatic Aberration? The word "aberration" means something that deviates from the norm, a variation or discrepancy, usually with a negative context. In photography, chromatic aberration is a deficiency in a lens, where instead of focusing the light to a single point, it blurs or "fringes" at the edges. Usually this is an undesirable quality, ghosting at edges of high contrast usually in pink or green. However, there are many situations where the effect is aesthetically pleasing, desirable even, if in small enough quantities.
So a "monochromatic aberration" would be the fringing in black and white.
In fact, lenses and digital images are so good nowadays, that it's not uncommon to ADD aberration back in, mostly red and blue, just to give a little more character.
I'm not quite sure how I landed on Monochromatic branding for so much of my work. My blog being mnchrm, my photography at monochromatic. I love black and white photography; I'm certain I shoot more black and white than color. I often feel like the color gets in the way of the perception of an image. Look at instagram: what's the joke spam comment you see most? For me, it's clearly "sick tones."
What does that mean? Basically nothing. However, it seems to imply the valuable part of a photo, the most interesting, the most striking, is the colors portrayed. Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for beautiful colors as much as the next guy. However, in my own work, I'm mostly interested in moment, light, and shape.
I don't want you to be struck by the color, even if it is beautiful. I want you to consider the shape of the light, the implication of the moment, or just the layered shapes.
And writing, too — it's black and white, of course, but anything but, if that's not too corny.
So what about Monochromatic Aberration? The word "aberration" means something that deviates from the norm, a variation or discrepancy, usually with a negative context. In photography, chromatic aberration is a deficiency in a lens, where instead of focusing the light to a single point, it blurs or "fringes" at the edges. Usually this is an undesirable quality, ghosting at edges of high contrast usually in pink or green. However, there are many situations where the effect is aesthetically pleasing, desirable even, if in small enough quantities.
So a "monochromatic aberration" would be the fringing in black and white.
In fact, lenses and digital images are so good nowadays, that it's not uncommon to ADD aberration back in, mostly red and blue, just to give a little more character.
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Last week, I said I would check in with you guys in this newsletter, and see how I've been doing tracking my time. The answer? It's a mixed bag (Surprise!)
I've only been marginally successful in terms of actually tracking the time I spend on things. The actual act of logging the data, even just recording the numbers. It's not that my system is too difficult, I'm just using pen-and-paper, it's just a sort of abnormal activity for me, and I am very lazy. I'm still feeling it out.
However, on the days that I've been better about logging the time, I've also been better about spending it. At the very least, it helps me to consciously say to myself, "Okay, it's 1215, by 1330 I want to be writing", or whatever.
Still trying to find the best method for me, but I feel like I'm making some kind of change. Especially now, which has been a pretty slow period in my freelance cycle, I need things to keep me on schedule.
I've only been marginally successful in terms of actually tracking the time I spend on things. The actual act of logging the data, even just recording the numbers. It's not that my system is too difficult, I'm just using pen-and-paper, it's just a sort of abnormal activity for me, and I am very lazy. I'm still feeling it out.
However, on the days that I've been better about logging the time, I've also been better about spending it. At the very least, it helps me to consciously say to myself, "Okay, it's 1215, by 1330 I want to be writing", or whatever.
Still trying to find the best method for me, but I feel like I'm making some kind of change. Especially now, which has been a pretty slow period in my freelance cycle, I need things to keep me on schedule.
⁂
This video of starlings is so fascinating. I love starlings. I truly believe there may be nothing in this world more fascinating and beautiful than a murmuration of starlings.
Truly beautiful animals. They could be starlings, and indeed they are.
Truly beautiful animals. They could be starlings, and indeed they are.
⁂
This weekend, my girlfriend and I went on one of the Chicago Architectural boat tours that travel up and down the Chicago river in the loop (the downtown area, for those not in the know).
Chicago is a city of beautiful architecture, largely because the city burned down at the end of the 19th century. So they got a chance to rebuild everything from scratch, and by the Gods did they ever. Barely 20 years later, they held the World's Columbian Exposition, which without the photos I wouldn't believe.
You know that hokey question about when in time, past or future, you'd like to visit? Normally, I'm very very comfortable with this exact moment, but I would love to visit the exposition.
The photos are truly astonishing, making Chicago look like one of the old cities of the world, with gorgeous, ornate architecture. Can you imagine building all that and then tearing it down? (It was designed to be temporary, but like, just make them permanent?)
Turns out, World Expo's still exist. I wonder what they're like now. There's going to be one in Osaka in 2025, maybe I'll get out for that one.
Anyways, Chicago is of course a city with incredible and famous architecture, but put in the context of a boat tour specifically to observe and learn about it, it really makes you see it in a new light. I couldn't resist snapping a few photos of buildings famous or not against the stormy skies. Highly recommend if you get a chance to come through my city.
Chicago is a city of beautiful architecture, largely because the city burned down at the end of the 19th century. So they got a chance to rebuild everything from scratch, and by the Gods did they ever. Barely 20 years later, they held the World's Columbian Exposition, which without the photos I wouldn't believe.
You know that hokey question about when in time, past or future, you'd like to visit? Normally, I'm very very comfortable with this exact moment, but I would love to visit the exposition.
The photos are truly astonishing, making Chicago look like one of the old cities of the world, with gorgeous, ornate architecture. Can you imagine building all that and then tearing it down? (It was designed to be temporary, but like, just make them permanent?)
Turns out, World Expo's still exist. I wonder what they're like now. There's going to be one in Osaka in 2025, maybe I'll get out for that one.
Anyways, Chicago is of course a city with incredible and famous architecture, but put in the context of a boat tour specifically to observe and learn about it, it really makes you see it in a new light. I couldn't resist snapping a few photos of buildings famous or not against the stormy skies. Highly recommend if you get a chance to come through my city.
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Unfortunately, my second review has not gone live yet, sorry! I should follow up with the editor on that one. Turns out writing is a fickle business. I've had a few editors seem interested by a pitch before stalling or just ghosting me.
I still have something of a complex, this idea that I have no idea what I'm doing and am certainly not doing this right. Which I know is partially true! Part of the difficulty in self-learning for me is overcoming the impostor syndrome. Since I haven't had much formal education for writing, and what I have had is on the craft side rather than the practice side, I'm still learning how best to execute.
I still have something of a complex, this idea that I have no idea what I'm doing and am certainly not doing this right. Which I know is partially true! Part of the difficulty in self-learning for me is overcoming the impostor syndrome. Since I haven't had much formal education for writing, and what I have had is on the craft side rather than the practice side, I'm still learning how best to execute.
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On the topic of photography, I've been thinking more about doing a photo book. I know I take "good" photos, but I haven't spent a lot of time trying to organize them into series. Or best of all, with the intention to shoot photos for a specific series.
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I want to shoot a series that photographs the in-between of the United States. The places just outside the cities, the highways themselves, the massive business parks that dominate the landscape. Lonely trucks with sleeping drivers, gas stations irradiating fluorescent light into the nothing. Dew on pre-dawn tarmac.
One time, driving a truck out to an early morning shooting call for a commercial in the suburbs, I was struck by the almost Hopper-esque desolate beauty of it all. Hope maybe to capture some of that, and package it in a digestible book format.
This isn't so much an active plan, but something I've been thinking more about. I would need a car, first...
If you enjoyed this dispatch, please consider forwarding it or sharing it with a friend. If you were sent this from someone and would like a copy of the next letter for your very own, I'd love to have you subscribe here. Thank you!
I want to shoot a series that photographs the in-between of the United States. The places just outside the cities, the highways themselves, the massive business parks that dominate the landscape. Lonely trucks with sleeping drivers, gas stations irradiating fluorescent light into the nothing. Dew on pre-dawn tarmac.
One time, driving a truck out to an early morning shooting call for a commercial in the suburbs, I was struck by the almost Hopper-esque desolate beauty of it all. Hope maybe to capture some of that, and package it in a digestible book format.
This isn't so much an active plan, but something I've been thinking more about. I would need a car, first...
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Thanks again everyone for lending me your eyes, minds, and time. I hope it was a beneficial exchange, for you as well. Good luck in your current, and future, endeavors, intrepid reader.
Your faithful commander,
— I
Your faithful commander,
— I
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