Man, it truly is a joy to print with the Epson EcoTank ET-8550 printer. Mama mia, i have so much fun. And it just works so well. I am deeply impressed. And yes, from a amateur stand point - because I have very little experience. But at lest I have plenty of experience from the real analog darkroom including plenty of color work. So, that means I am not totally helpless or clueless.

I am not making exhibition photos - just home use. And in that regard, I consider the printed images to be just wonderful. Better to the naked eye, than a photo from prints (like in the above picture). In reality the portraits of Carla, are darker. More Mysterious

The story to it, comes from August 2017 - when Carla and Paola traveled in secrecy to Stockholm, in order to surprise Sal at our wedding. During the few days after, Carla and Paola, stood "model" in my home photo studio. But they run the show entirely- with their natural creativity. We; Sal and I, just stood there and like old dog taking photos of young girls. It almost felt like it.

Carla had a black dress on, made all kinds of shape-shifting (changing clothes, positions and accessories / wigs), and so did Paola, in most fantasy like creation. Carla, however pulled up the inner cloth from her skirt and wrapped it over her head. That is how the portraits of her came to be. Funny to even come to the idea to just lift the inner linen over her head, and it made her look like a mystical Madonna

Their natural fantasy and changes in the studio was so... man, totally natural. I am deeply impressed how they changed like magicians. When i think about it today, i do feel old, you know. I still know myself from the times when I was full of ideas, passion and kick-ass projects i pulled though.

Yet today, i am just not on the same level. And while i am trying to accept this change - gradually - i am a bit ambivalent about me as a photographer / artist... asking myself; where do i even stand with everything i have done and still do ?!

 

Natural Gifted Gals

Naturals like Paola and Carla, well - they are so gifted, that what i gathered in 10 years, they acquired naturally in 6 month. (Carla did a lot of photography, and even got a ... how do you say; a kind of final certification, issued from the Art School of Catania - in which she did photography project. And i thought they were amazing - really loving it. I think among other things, she made a series called "the 7 sins". And her master work was i think about "masks".

Mask like human masks, the way we put on different masks in different kind of situations. Also her brochure she made for her final work, was absolutely wonderful. Way beyond anything i ever could teach her. The way she did it, was so much better, in every detail.

I still have the PDF somewhere, because i loved the layout and structuring as well the text of her CV

It is just so amazing how the two girls developed, what they do in their lives, the way they take place and space, and do their own thing. I am really, truly deeply impressed by both Carla and Paola. In a way it is an honor to take part if it in the periphery, to experience two young women in everything they do, they way they do it.

 

Comparison - not a good idea, i supposed

It is better that i don't compare myself with them. It's a bet i loose like 99% *LOL* It also makes me realize, how extremely unfree and inhibited i have been. I guess those are the stripes from my childhood all the way up to young adulthood. In a way, I can both see that, and understand that with the background of mine. So, with that in mind, well - I did well. I think my photography and everything around it since the 80s, was perhaps just this; a way to survive from within and outside.

A guide along the road of life. Perhaps the purpose never was to become an artist or whatever (and it really doesn't matter anymore I don't find any satisfaction to suck up big egos in order to earn approval, in todays crazy world). That is now a concept bound to fail like 100%. Back then it perhaps made some sense still - especially in the protected atmosphere of Sweden back in the 80s. But certainly not today.

Even if i would be young again.

So, whether i was gifted or not, ultimately doesn't matter. I probably wasted it many times or though long periods in my life, and often felt a bit... helpless. Aimless, too. Didn't know how to really utilize it. But it served me to survive mentally, psychologically and to keep sane. Even if some ex boyfriends wouldn't agree. But that doesn't matter anymore, either. It also helped me to express deeper seated emotions I felt were difficult to work with. Overall, I did huge amount of work in photography - but it is unseen and forgotten. Even if i had 100+ publications - it was never meant to be somebody.

And i also think, that deep down i liked to be lone wolf. Doing my own thing, within the strong limits of whatever kept me trapped most of my life.

 

Back to printing

The larger Epson EcoTank ET-8550 does an overall better job in print quality compared to the small, entry EcoTank ET-1810. It is likely because the larger printer has both an additional gray dye based ink, as well one black pigmented ink tank. It somehow gives even smoother transitions - and i think it does a fantastic job.

I am also impressed that without many settings, images really turned out so good. I mean they don't really differ much from what i see on my screen. That a printer can work that well "right out of the box", is astonishing. Sure, sometimes motives are tricky.

Like the grainy (ISO 8000) photo portrait of Carla in a black veil, was a rather tricky motive to print. But as long my naked eye can accept the print as pleasant, and doesn't differ much from what i see on my computer screen - i am totally fine with the results.

It is also amazing, that i can always re-print images. Make slight changes, without breaking the bank. Just a thing like that, is amazing.

At the post office I have two packs of 100 sheet Ilford matte paper in A4 size waiting. I thought that the paper was so good, that i wished for a smaller size, because as I only have matte A3 and A3+ papers.

Anyway. Now I have real vacation.

Wooopiiiii !!!!!


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