Something About the Grain: Shooting Film for Pleasure

The back snaps open with the pull of the metal nob; film goes in, unwound a few inches for insertion in the receiving spool; the back is snapped back in place with a mechanical *click* vibrating the frame; crank cocked, body straight, camera on face and with a press blades snap....closed.

Images taken with Pentax K1000 and Canonet ql17 iii. Black and white film shot with HP5 Plus and Color film is Professional Portra 400

The End

Peek-a-boo
"The End ('16)"

As I was sitting on the sand looking at the sun set for the last time in 2016 I considered all the things I have experience these last 366 days (it was a leap year). I learned what I want to do as a doctor; Geriatric medicine. I also learned a lot about art and photography and how it’s not always just about the picture as much as it is about the emotions they offer. 

I learned a lot about the country I consider my home; for example, everyone has a different idea of what makes “America great again,” but on the flip side everyone shares that desire to make America a wonderful place. I also learned that not all weird things happen in Florida e.g. creepy clowns chasing you down, and the zodiac killer running for President (sorry, not sorry TD). 

It’s been quite an intense year to say the least. But in life there are as many ups as there are downs, and as I watched the sun snuggle below the horizon I was reminded that tomorrow so will the sun rise again.

"The Beginning ('17)"

Message from the artist:

Thank you to those of you that have supported me from the beginning and to those that are just starting this journey with me. I truly do appreciate your patronage. My process of making art does not end with me taking the picture and then printing it, that's just the start: the other half belongs to the viewer, and lastly the investor. Even without funding I will always make art (it's what I love) but with your support I'm able to go beyond what I can do by myself. Just as the process of my art does not end with the click of the shutter, your investment also serves the purpose of continuing my work; with your help I've been able to travel to Cuba and take pictures of the place I was born, and the city I grew up in; I was able to travel to Puerto Rico with my camera and explore the rivers and mountains that exposed me to the beauty of adventure; and with your help I was able to travel to Colombia, one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my entire life which further developed my work as an artist. 

Next time you are considering buying one of my art pieces remember that you're not only buying one art piece, you're investing in the future of art. 

Sincerely,

Rafael Migoyo (Ravimi)

Contact: ravimiart@gmail.com 

Website: www.ravimiphotography.com

"Value of a Patron" 25% coupon code: "ARTFOREVER" [mention this code when inquiring about an art piece)  

El 18 de Colombia

The doors opened with a small pull of the handle, and like a breathe coming from the mountain, the chill trickled into the car. We had arrived at El 18. 

Our small group of family and friends gathered outside the busy patio of a restaurant with a sign that read, "Pa'Las Que Sea!" We started toward a small inclined dirt road on the other side of the highway, El 18. 

We weaved through cars and people, trying not to lose their footing on the loose dirt covering the rocky path. Once we arrived at the summit, a cool breeze and spectacular view reminded us what it means to view the world from atop a mountain.

After the chill surmounted our desire to keep viewing what looked like the edge of the world, we hobbled toward the restaurant where the short walk began and decided to explore the food of El 18. 

Into the restaurant we went. 

In the back we found an inviting patio with a gorgeous view of the Andes. The mountains lay around the valley like giants from prehistoric times, petrified after millennia of sleep, reverent and immovable.

We ordered a nice bowl of hot chocolate accompanied by an adult-sized slab of mozzarella. The cheese melted in the steamy chocolate drink, which warmed our insides, while the view soothed our minds. 

The afternoon came with mountain mist that flowed over the rim of the Andes, and washed across the valley covering it in a sleepy blanket and 

marking the end of the trip through El 18.

Away from the Tourist Trap

I stood there at the summit of Cali, Colombia in the presence of El Cristo that had a chip torn of it's cranium by a lightning strike a few nights before. I looked over the railing surrounding the tourist section and looked to the city I was slowly falling in love with.....

But then, as usual, my habit for adventure with my camera kicked in and I jumped over the railing and began to walk down the mountain side away from the tourist section of Cali's El Cristo. 

What can I discover away from areas contaminated by guided eyes, I wondered. 

And not far from the tourist section my eyes were called upon by an interesting tree stoically resting on the mountain side. I sat down on the mountain, aimed and.....

After a short rest I continued my adventure and came up to some ledges formed by scattering hills of red dirt. I began to jump down from one to the other, slowly, since I was wearing flip flops not having foreseen this adventure. At the bottom of the red hills I came upon a small path formed by rocks sliding down the mountain incline and continued to walk onwards. And there it was, a sight worthy my attention and worthy my lens. I aim and I shoot....

-Ravimi Photography