Tosa Washi and Platinum Printing

Everything Collapesed on Tosa Washi Paper

I wrote before about the Tosahakinshi or Tosa Washi platinum paper I ordered from Japan from PGI. I was finally able to test it and I have to say, it is the best mulberry type paper I have used. I have tried the Lightweight "Goyu" Kozo paper from Bostwick & Sullivan and it is good, but it can be easily over-brushed and I had to use a lot more sensitizer to coat it.  With the Tosa Washi paper I used 25 drops of Ferric Oxilate, 23 drops of Palladium and 2 drop of 5% Sodium Platinum Solution Na2 for an 8x10 inch photo using the brush from Japan. I got the drop count from Masayuki Nishimaru. You can watch a below of Masayuki coating the paper.

The other two main points are to use felt underneath and to weigh it down on the ends. For the sticks he uses in the video to pick the paper up with, I use bamboo skewers.

With coating, it is very different than regular paper. When I take the brush out of distilled water, and shake the excess water off just a little bit. The brush is still very wet when I dip it into the sensitizer. I just stick the very tip in and wipe the excess off the side of the bowl I use. You will make a lot of strokes so you don't need to use a lot of sensitizer. The paper is very thin and it doesn't take much to absorb. I start my stroke very fast and then slow down once I reach the other side. I then let it hang dry for 30 minutes.

Gutted Like A Fish on Tosa Washi Paper

I originally learned about the paper from Francis Schanberger who teaches how to do the process with using Van Dyke Brown and the Tosa Washi paper. Check out his work, it is wonderful. He was kind enough to respond to my question through email and sent me the contact information on buying the paper.

Abandoned Like an Old Car on Tosa Washi Paper

Bergen Community College Exhibition

My work from "Where the Ocean Meets the Shore" will be displayed at a group show in the Bergen Community College from October 1st to December 4th, 2013. Join me at the reception on Tuesday October 15th from 5:30 to 7:30pm. The show is located at:

Bergen Community College
400 Paramus Road
West Hall, Third Floor
Paramus, New Jersey 07652

I am also honored to be part of a panel discussion on Tuesday, October 22, 12:20 to 1:40pm, Room A-104.

Show Invitation - PDF

Gutted Like a Fish - Photos from Hurricane Sandy

Gutted Like a Fish - Photos from Hurricane Sandy

Here is another photo from the Point Pleasant New Jersey showing the effects of Hurricane Sandy. The house is right on the Manasquan Inlet. I took this photo once before, but I made a mistake in processing it. I was so taken with the devastation in the area that I went back multiple times to get it right.

See more photos here.

Torn and Tattered - Photos from Hurricane Sandy

Torn and Tattered - Photos from Hurricane Sandy

In Point Pleasant, a whole street on the Manasquan Inlet was torn apart by Hurricane Sandy. An Oceanside restaurant suffered major damage and is still laying in pieces. The waterline still visible, the awning shredded. The place is just a skeleton of what it used to be. See more photos here.

Ripped Right Through - Photos from Hurricane Sandy

I came across this house in Point Pleasant N.J. right on the Manasquan Inlet. The whole street here had been torn apart. This is one of the many that suffered damage. Six months after Hurricane Sandy, it still remains untouched. The belongings from the occupants laid bare for all to see. See more photos here.

Ripped Right Through - Photos from Hurricane Sandy

Abandoned Like an Old Car - Photos from Hurricane Sandy

Seabright New Jersey, a house along the ocean that was damaged by Hurricane Sandy. If you look closely on the left, you can see an old rusted out car. See more photos here.

More Hurricane Sandy Double Exposures

This is what is left of Donovan's Reef in Sea Bright after Hurricane Sandy. This past weekend I to scout out the area with my father to see if there were still places to photograph. I came across Donovan's, or what was left of Donovan's and what struck me about this scene was all the debris scattered about, the large hole that was left and the way the telephone pole leaned over. I have a strong connection to this bar I used to drink at in Seabright N.J. A lot of my old High School friends would go there all the time. I was told it was bad, but I had not seen it for myself. One hot summer day, my father and I were in the area on a Saturday afternoon and we were hungry and thirsty. As we made our way to Donovan's Reef, we were almost run over by a crowd of people. It was bizarre at that time because it was a Saturday afternoon, a time when the place is usually not that crowded. We decided to go elsewhere for lunch and only when we went home, did we find out that Bruce Springsteen made a surprise visit to the bar. I always joke about how people in NJ always have a story about how they met the boss or have someone related to him (apparently, he has a lot of relatives, according to the stories) so I joke that this is the closest thing to a Bruce story I have.

See more photos here.

Hurricane Sandy Double Exposures Photos from NJ

Melting into the Ocean

My parents live in Manasquan N.J. A small town near Point Pleasant, Seaside Heights and Belmar. These places were significantly impacted by Hurricane Sandy. My parents have lived there for 13 years. Before that my Great Aunt Terri and Uncle Joe lived there for over 25 years where they raised their family. I currently live in New York City but I have spent and do spend a lot of time in Manasquan and have a strong connection to the area. I grew up in Hazlet N. J., the first town you go through to get to beaches like Sandy Hook and Seabright. I had friends that I grew up with that live in Union Beach. All these places have been significantly affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Before the storm we helped my parents pack up there belongings and prepare the house as best as we could. The storm came and most people left, a few people stayed. They regretted it. They said they had never seen something so terrible. Sitting on the second floor as the water breached the house and almost touched the ceiling. I sat at work the next week looking at the wreckage online. The Mantoloking bridge, the Seaside Heights Pier, the Belmar beachfront. I watched the Facebook page of Manasquan where the township posted photos. My parents house was flooded with about a two feet of water. They were lucky. A lot of their neighbors were not. The next weekend we went back to help and see what had transpired. As we walked around the town you could see the waterline tattooed on the houses. Trees cutting houses in half. Florescent rectangles with an X through the middle. Pink tags on doors. Boats on the street. Docks twisted like pretzels.

The area most devastated by the storm was the beachfront. It was not open again until December 3rd. I went down there with my camera and some black and white film. My idea was to take a double exposure of the houses that were affected and the force that damaged them and present them together in the same image. To show the source of the destruction that has permanently changed the area and what was left after the waters receded. While I was there I met a lot of people who were cleaning up and rebuilding. Their overall attitude was positive and hopeful. As I was shooting people would come up and talk to me about the camera, their experience, where they lived and how hopeful they were. Some even photographed me while photographing them. At one point the car battery died. Someone came off their porch that was damaged from the storm. He was taking a smoke break for fixing the house and he jump started the car for me. I remain positive about the town and their ability to spring back.  It is out of reverence for these areas that my family and I have called home over the years that I make these images.

 Update: In the past month the popular bar Leggetts in Manasquan N.J. just opened again after the storm deposited 4 feet on sand across the first floor. We went there to celebrate and the bar was completely full. Each year my parents have a St. Patricks Day party and this year they were able to get the house back into shape in time for the party. It was a celebration for many things.

See more photos here.