Practical Hainting for Beginners

photo: Jeanne Wells

Lesson one: Dinner is Served. Dead bird on paper plate -- always a big hit!

All these ghostly figures from the past make me want to be one -- My hat is off to all those who do self portraits with large format cameras. Every possible thing that could get screwed up here, did. I almost threw away the negative because it was just a couple of dark blobs on a light field. Then I looked more closely. Then I printed it. Now I think it an honest portrait of who I am. Or who I may be one day . . .

Print is split developed in lots of crazy chemicals, including instant coffee and washing soda and glycin, then split toned in selenium and gold. Just playing, seeing what would happen next.