Vodka

A fotografia é dos inícios dos anos 80, o texto está como o escrevi e publiquei pela primeira vez, em 1998.

Vodka

It’s amazing what we do remember when looking to our own work, done long time ago!

I shoot this in early 80’s, when I had to fight with my parent’s furniture in order to have room to photograph. I still have the same kind of fights, this time with my own furniture.

I remember using my Linhoof Color Kardan 4x5 , with a Xenar 150mm f/4.5, over Agfachrome tungsten balanced. I got the camera for some advertising work and, if I do well remember, I stop doing it because art directors and my self didn’t share the same aesthetical concepts. Now I think they had some good points, but I was young, then.

I do remember this photo being done for a challenge. The idea, among this group of fellows young photographers, was advertising something, more because of it’s use than it’s brand name.

I also remember using a bottomless bottle. I cut it with olive oil and a burning wire. I never tried this technique before and I was lucky doing it at the first attempt. But I had two more bottles, just in case. For the shoot, I fixed it on a stand, at the desired position, and pored the water (What do you think? I use Vodka to drink, not to make photographs!) when and how I wanted.

I remember that I did not use real ice cubes. They would melt due the light source’s eat. So, I build some fake ones, using uncoloured jelly and water, and moulded like ice in the freezer.

I do remember not having money enough to buy a Gossen punctual light meter for large format camera. So I had to use my hand held Seconic for general readings and controlled the contrast with my Pentax Spotmeter. I still have then both and give them a good use.

I do remember doing just one photo, being absolutely sure of the results, unlike what we do, now a days, with digital cameras.

I do remember dreaming of a Polaroid back and having no money for it. Further more, we could not found one for sale, here in Portugal. The only occasions I use one was for serious advertising work, borrowed from a friend who had a photo school.

What I do not remember is where I stored the original 4x5 diapositive. I looked and looked around and I can’t find it! All I have is this printed copy. Cropped then as I wanted, since it doesn’t have the original proportions.

However I do remember, almost as it happened yesterday, the fun I had doing it. As well as the satisfaction when looking at the diapositive, the following week.

Memory can make us this kind of practical jokes. But, maybe, the most important is the “doing” not the “having” it!

By me