Alley no. 106 – Stacked (2008, Mare Island, CA, 10:30pm)

She was tasked with writing a school paper on a particular image and photographer. She chose to write about Goast Pier (which was shot with another friend, Kathy). I thought she did a good job, so here’s her paper:

Alley no. 102 – Goast Pier (2008, San Francisco, CA, 11:30pm)

It’s still all clear to me the day Xavier sat down and told me the story about his latest photograph of Hunter’s Point. The sky was a dark grey, almost like a blank cement wall. The clouds hung low, hugging the city tightly.
Ever since he was a teenager, he’d find himself digging through restricted areas for hours, just to get the right shot. He’d climb over fences, venture under overpasses, anything to get that perfect shot. My friends and I thought we were the only ones who did these kinds of things until we befriended each other. But the stories he had up his sleeve were far more exciting than the ones I had to offer.
I couldn’t even explain how I felt when I first saw the photograph. There were endless details, your eyes always finding something new. The colors were so vibrant, the detail of the buildings so crisp, and sharp, it was unbelievable. So, I asked how it all went.
The moon was high, and the night was dark, as Xavier drove up to the abandoned district at about midnight. With the gravel crunching under his every step, he tried to be as quiet as possible while carrying the equipment he needed for the shot. He’d been waiting for this moment, and was quite excited to see such a great spot. I respect him for this, for the stories I heard about Hunter’s Point at night weren’t too pleasant. Hunter’s Point was one of the most dangerous crime-infested areas of San Francisco, the homeless and gang population was sky rocket high, but that didn’t stop him. He felt that no matter what, he needed to get this perfect shot, and nothing was going to get in his way.
Hunter’s Point was not the nicest area you could think of. The water surrounding the harbor was clear until about a foot off the coast, where oils and green materials stuck to the surface. The local refineries and industrial buildings producing gases that smelled of rotten eggs and fecal matter. But once you really dug into the abandoned buildings, and old shipyards, it was the most interesting place on the planet. So much history crammed in one little place. He set down his tripod, and loaded his Hasselblad with Kodak Ultra 120 millimeter film. With that, he began the twelve minute exposure, and kicked back. Everything around him was visually pleasing. It wasn’t going to be a very long twelve minutes because there were many things to look at, and question. For urban explorers like him and myself, this sight was the most beautiful thing on the planet. Whenever an abandoned area is open, we don’t even hesitate to go inside and explore.
Xavier focused on the area of the shot, the water was perfectly still, grasping onto the dock’s support poles. The railings were broken in half, some dangling over the water, the others flat on the dock. The part of the dock closest to Xavier looked like it was broken off, as if someone took a saw to it. The buildings on the left looked newer, and still operating. The lights shined bright, like stars in the sky, illuminating the abandoned building. The abandoned building had boarded up windows; the wood looking like it had taken a beating or two in the past. The wood across the surface appeared to be weak, and rotting. Both buildings were covered in graffiti, different colors used in each piece of art. The red tower lights from the airport blinked repeatedly in the background, signaling the planes to land in the correct spot. The tall skinny tower sticking out of the building looked as if it were being held up by four pieces of hair, almost as if it was pointless to even have the support lines there. The big wire framing on the dock looked like it was about to fall, the cement block on the verge of losing all support from below.
As the shutter close, Xavier got up, and began to pack his belongings. He put his camera back in his bag, and put it around his shoulder. Picking up his heavy tripod, he looked back at the scene. He smiled, he was quite satisfied with what he saw, and was very anxious to see the final result. Little did he know, he had just produced one of the world’s most amazing photographs.
I looked up from the photograph at Xavier. I still couldn’t get over how amazing it was. The water was a deep violet, and the sky a mixture of peach, dark blue, and purple. The reflection of the docks as red as blood in the water, and the color of the wood deeply saturated. Looking at this photo reminded me of what being an urban explorer was all about. It was about making a simple alley, or even the ugliest shacks in the middle of nowhere, look like art. This task was never impossible, as long as you took the picture just right. As an urban explorer, it’s my goal to show society how beautiful abandoned places just might be.

Here is my blog post the night after the shot. And this is 2 days later with a more detailed account of the shoot.

Alley no. 110 – Compactor (2008, Indianapolis, IN, 2am)

This is the Polaroid that was shot that night to test my lighting. Following the test, I made 3 exposures on film. Polaroid is notorious for producing bad colors at night, which is fine. I’m using it to see the intensity/direction/quality/coverage of my light and the available light - I know what most of the colors will be. My film, thankfully, captures a much wider, and more accurate, range of color.

Vergara became interested in the plight of the inner-city in the late 1970’s, when he began travelling the country with his camera. But he then decided to return to these same places, over many years, where he would stand on the same spot, shooting the decay in process. The resulting sequence of images is mind-blowing, and can only be seen to be understood. Two of his sequences are posted below.

He, like I do, sees great beauty in modern ruins. He has even suggested preserving some of the country’s grander examples and turning them into museums or tourist attractions.

I have two of his books: American Ruins and The New American Ghetto. They are worth having in your library.

A Camden, NJ street through the years:

South Bronx:

I bought a new auto digital camera, the Kodak Z1012 - something small that I can take with me everywhere (except the alleys of course, which are reserved for my Hasselblad and Kodak film). It will replace the piece of crap I’d been using. It’s the same size, but is infinitely better, and costs less than my old one HP camera - purchased 6 years ago. It has a Schneider lens (that’s a very good thing), a 10MP chip, a 12X optical zoom, fast response time, and manual over ride .. all good… yay!

But my HP has travelled a lot with me… Here are some shots I took at sunrise in the Central Valley last week.

Here’s one of my interiors.

QUESTION:

Hello X.N.,
My son and I saw your work at the Des Moines art show.  We really liked your work and spoke with you for a while about the night shots you do.  We’ve been contemplating trying some shots of our own.  You said, and correct me if I’m wrong, that you use 100 or 200 speed film, and that you use 30 to 45 minute exposures.  And judging from the depth of field in your photos, I’m guessing that your aperture is as small as it can go.  (forgive my lack of photography lingo).  How much “filling in” do you do with the flash?  For instance, the picture on your website of “San Francisco ruins”….  how much of that had to be filled in with flash and how much is sodium and mercury vapor?  How many flashes per position?  What time of day was it (at what time of the year)?  Was there moonlight?   I hope you don’t mind an amatuer pestering you for tips, but I was fascinated by your work (note shameless flattery).  I also enjoy the photos on “lost america”… google that if you haven’t seen it before.
One last question, could one use a faster film (400) / shorter exposure (10 min) and still get the same effects / quality.
Thanks for your time and thanks for coming to DM and inspiring us.  Hope to see you next year.
JJ

RESPONSE:

I learned most of my techniques through trial and error – there is no formula that will explain the way every shot was done, as each image is a custom built photograph. The best way to learn this is just by going out shooting. Having said that, here’s some information you should find useful.
First, the film…
I use Kodak Ultra 100asa film. Its a film that gives me very rich colors. The 120mm film version was discontinued a year ago (but I have a 10-year supply of it in the freezer… bouahahahah!!). They may still have it in 35mm. The film I used before this was Agfa Ultra 50 asa 120mm. I used it from Alley 25 to Alley 57. I took a 4-year break (between #57 and #58) from shooting alleys for several reasons. When I returned, the Agfa had been discontinued and I wanted to cry because it was such an amazing film. It may still be available in 35mm, in which case I’d suggest you start with that. I then discovered Kodak Ultra (which also gives me great colors at night), so the heartache was short-lived, but I learned my lesson, which explains the freezer-full.
The lower the asa, the richer and more contrasty your colors will be (plus the image will be sharper and less grainy). If I shot with a 400asa film, a 60-minute shot would be reduced to 15-minutes, which is great, but the final result would be an inferior image, which is not so great.
Exposure time:
My exposures run from less than a minute (rare) to 90-minutes (rare). Most run in the 10-15-minute range. All the controls are customized for the specific shot, so although I want the aperture to be closed down to get everything in focus, sometimes it is almost wide-open. Stadium and Window Fire and others were almost wide open because the settings were extremely dark. Closing another stop for Stadium would have given me greater depth of field (which I wish I had), but would have meant a 3-hour exposure, instead of the 90-minutes I opted for. A side note: closing “all the way” can be detrimental to image quality. Optimal is roughly 80% closed down.
Lighting:
Once again every shot is unique. I’ve used everything from a small pen light to hi-lite a tiny area (the street poster gun in Can’t Sleep), to enough lighting to fill most of the frame (Green Door). And when I started the series in 1991 and for several years, I forbid myself from using any of my lighting (or even moving anything at all), under punishment of death.

Today I light most of my images. A recent example is Angel Luis. During this 10-minute exposure I walked/ran around with a 30CC Green Lee gel on my flash, pointing it down, firing it, and doing what’s called “light painting.” The 30CC replicates fluorescent lighting on daylight balanced film. I have a whole set of Lee gels (i.e. filters for lights) that I look through to decide on my lighting.  WAKE UP, WAKE UP! I’M NOT FINISHED!
I then switched gels to a 1/2 CTB (blue) Lee gel and continued my lighting, again firing it numerous times.

“Goast Pier,” my recent San Francisco pier shot is a case where I used a hi-powered halogen spot light to light the entire building, a quarter of a mile away in the background. I used the same spot to light parts of the pier and its legs. These features were dark at the site, and their amazing detail had to be seen. The city light at the scene was sodium vapor, which creates an almost neon orange color on (my) film. My halogen lighting is also orange on film, though of a different quality.
All the Alley images are shot long after dark, although some sun can creep in in the form of moonlight. The effect of this light is mainly seen in the blue skies at night. When moonlight is mixed with a sodium vapor-filled sky, the result is a pink or purple hue.

So now you know my secrets, and as they say… now I must kill you…

I had many leads from the good Denver folk, but after several hours I was having a hard time finding what I needed. Then I headed for the Gates Rubber Plant, a hundred-year-old factory that had seen better days and was slated for demolition.  As soon as I saw it I perked up… this was a beautiful eyesore… just what I love. I parked the car in its parking lot and got out for a closer look. Immediately a spotlight is on me, coming from a nearby security vehicle. I groan. I walk over, shielding the bright light from my face, and try to explain why I’m there. “Leave now! This is private property” is the snappy reply.  I look around and see that I might even get a good shot from a few steps away. “Can I just take a picture from right there?” I ask, pointing to a nearby spot. “No!” “But you’ll be seeing me the whole time!” “No!” But, but, but… No, No, No! Aaaarrrggg!!!

I see there’s no choice. I get back in the van and drive away. Gates Rubber is my undoing. Its 2am, Pam has been sleeping most of the time and I’m getting tired again. We have an 18-hour drive back home so I decide I’ll give it another try when I return some day to Denver.

Two blocks later I see an old abandoned gas station and stop. From a first glance I have little hope of getting a shot here, but I get out to look. I can’t believe my eyes. The old pumps have been stripped of their skin and the corroding guts are in full display. Beyond the pumps is an antique store that frames perfectly within the shot. Everything is working together and I’m delighted! I do several 10-minute exposures, using some of my lighting, until I’m satisfied I have what I want. Yay!

I shot a polaroid to test my light; it is a feeble version of the final image.

Old Milwaukee at dusk:

Me shooting last night:

I found a fascinating little corner in an old industrial sector. At the core was an old window, illuminated from the inside, while old rickety wooden stairs cast a striking shadow from behind. This is what first struck me. Around this were numerous amazing elements, including a window that once, long ago, had plastic sheeting for curtains. These plastic curtains had shredded with time, leaving behind a bleak and frazzled dramatic detail. The more I looked the more I saw, and I started stepping backward to capture more. I finally took a shot but I no longer felt the same initial connection with the scene. Then I realized my mistake. I changed lens, stepped closer and did a second exposure. Once again I realized I wasn’t trimming enough fat. So I stared and finally understood what the essence was… what it was that made this location so endearing (if you can call bleak endearing). I stepped much closer and took a third shot. This will be the one I print.