THE WINDOW IN MY DREAMS
On this date 6 years ago, I posted the photo essay below on my T&L Photos website that was my final project for one of my photography classes at the university back in 1981. The introduction and concluding photos in the series were typeset on paper by a local typesetter, I photographed the pages with my 4X5 view camera and reversed processed the negatives into positives so when I printed the sheet film I got white letters on a black background. I made each photo with a combination of long exposures and manually triggered flashes to capture movement with some clarity in the images. I had to carefully calculate each exposure and plan the details of each shot to successfully execute each photograph because I could not preview each shot before I processed the negatives. Only one 4X5 negative was exposed for each print in this series. The project was a major undertaking.
I noticed the writing was not my best back then. I didn’t have a personal computer, so I didn’t write nearly as much as I do today. These days, I would never use “Sometimes I venture into the deepest shafts of my mind, into a room…” How clunky is that? I would change it to something like “Sometimes I wandered through the deepest recesses of my twisted mind, into a room…”
Click on the gallery to see the photos larger.
I would rewrite the conclusion, as well:
“As the images behind the window faded, I turned to find my way back to reality. Teetering on the edge of consciousness, I looked back to see my shadow hanging in the window, I was guilty of the execution of photography.”
Off Center & Not Even 
Most interesting. I too remember past university and graduate efforts, and several I’d also modify. By the way, your de-clunky procedure was most successful. 😉 (Maj’s comment)
Thanks, Maj & Sher. It’s interesting to look up past projects.
I remember that execution of photography post. It was good.
Thanks, Lavinia.
Bravo, Tim. I thoroughly enjoyed your commentary about the context, and the photos and prose. It reminded me of taking photo classes in high school, the black room, creating photographs. It is a super fun process, even when it is simply a pic of a flower. Great post, Tim.
Thanks, Jeff. Film is an interesting process.
You’re welcome, Tim. Indeed, it is. Agreed.
Now that was a memory in time and quite a project in the day! It’s fun to see the pictures and how your writing has progressed although it sounded good to me! ! 💕
Thanks, Cindy. There’s plenty of clunk in my past.
You’re so welcome Tim! Not you 👏😝😻
Oh I dunno. You had away with words and images even then. A little tweaking is all that’s needed but the talent is there. Great post.
A little tweaking is always needed. But what’s life if you can’t tweak and twerk to make it work. Thanks, Shey.
I agree, Shey!! Tim has a marvelous way with words and images.
Aw shucks! Thanks, Rebecca.
ooo…forgive me, I’m desperately trying to grasp the process and the title. Also the six letters. I see a camera on a hangman’s rope. Please help me out, you write so well. I love both versions, the shafts and the recesses.
It’s all obscure. A “score” is 20 years so 2 score = 40 years ago when I made the series o photos in 1981. My first post of these photos on another website was 6 years ago = 6 Gone By. The title is description of the dream. A window in a dream, where the dreamer witnesses the “execution” of photography with a print being stabbed, and cameras getting shot and hanged, while looking through the window. More like a nightmare, I suppose.
Yes, thank you. I first thought a score was 10 years thay got me a bit confused.
Thank you for opening my mind there. The hanging camera did appear morbid to me.
Very interesting dream. Like slamming and closing in on journalistic and photgraphic freedom, or freedom of the press or expression in general.
Impressionistic photography reminding me of World War Two movies,
Oh, Tim what a brilliant project! Your images speak deep and loud and I have to agree with your word renditions. Bravo, my friend.
Thanks, Marina. I knew you would especially appreciate the old, laborious process involved in making the images. As you have dealt with all the process for making art in one way or another. It was a different world back then where you had to be precise and calculating. Film and paper were expensive, and the process took a lot of time.
Oh… don’t I know! 😉🙄
I agree Marina. Tim embeds deep insights and philosophical ideas in all of his photography.
Dounbe shucks. Thanks, Rebecca.
So much so, I leave his posts open as breathers throughout my days! 😉
That’s really sweet, Marina. I’m really happy I can give you a few breaths of fresh air.
…daily, and by keeping them handy in multiple windows… more than daily! 😉
Thank you for this share into your most interesting past project. Don’t be hard on the writer you were 😉
Amazing shots! You tell a story in the 12
Thanks, Dale. Often when I look at old projects and writing I sometimes say “Wow! I did that? Amazing!” Or “Oh! My! I can’t believe that is mine!”
I know I’d be more than wowed, if I were you 🙂
What’s your reactions to your earlier writings and photos?
I am told my writing has improved quite a bit. I honestly couldn’t say!
As for photos, I haven’t done anything fancy like you 😉
It is fun and a little nostalgic to look back at out work at a younger time. Your creativity and deep regard for art shines even then. The photos and words are captivating.
Thanks for the wonderful comment, Holly. What are you reactions when you look at your earlier poems and writings?
Lol! I am sorry about them.
Sorry?
The were pretty bad but we are all our worst critics
Wow, now that brings me back – I can imagine the effort that took to pull that all together – as they say, those were the days when the chasm between professional photographers and hobbyists was deep and treacherous. I always liked the deep ominous blacks the old print production could produce.
Everyone is a photographer and a selfie star these days. And as Socratis mentioned it used to be everyone is a star. These days everyone is a porn star. Thanks, Brian.
Back to the college days… I was in college during the 80’s. Great memory!
And your writing sounded great then and of course sounds great now too.
Thanks, Nancy.
Tim – this is a profound exhibition, on that I will be coming back to view again. What is most fascinating is to look back at thoughts that have occurred before and how they have influenced your journey forward. A great post, as always.
It’s interesting to go back to earlier times, and see what we thought and did.
Figured out the post title … a little slow off the mark this morning. I remember the post from T&L. Poor film camera meeting an unglamorous end. Foul play, I suspect. Anytime you have a flare gun in the mix, it can’t be a good ending.
I still have that old flare gun around somewhere. I could have used a Colt Python .357 back then, but the flare gun is more absurd like dreams tend to be. I’m happy I had it. Thanks, David.
This is a clever concept, Timothy. Did you get a good mark for it? I think it deserved a good mark.
I think I did. Thanks, Roberta.
There is so much more to photography than just taking a picture. I’m not sure if people generally appreciate the art behind good photography.
Definitely a way of see. Back then there was a lot more technical skills involved.
Wow, Tim, so profound, and really interesting! I don’t think your original words were so clunky, the message comes through loud and clear!
Thanks, Tiffany.
Interesting, Tim.
You’ve always been a creative. This is very different. LOL.
Thanks, Resa.