Haven't posted in awhile! Life has gotten much busier since 2014.
I'm currently working on metadata for the Excel database Sam created at the beginning of our project. The idea is to identify buildings in each view. The database is now over 70 pages long!
Also, going down the streets again to be sure we got the correct views. I bought a new, more sophisticated Epson scanner and will scan all the 1978 negatives. One of the photos from the scans we did a couple of weeks ago looks pretty darn good considering how old the negs are!
I'm creating a calendar of some of the old images for family members. It means taking prints out of the beautiful mattes and scanning a few of them. I'm a little worried about affecting the prints; I've taken care of the old ones for 34 years now. But they should see the light of day--occasionally, anyway.

Planet Railroad

Just published:
"Planet Railroad"

My website is up

My website, www.dianerabson.com, contains several examples of "Changing Denver" photographs.

Name for the project: "Changing Denver"

We've been mulling over names for the project and have settled on "Changing Denver." Simple, and pays homage to Berenice Abbott's book, "Changing New York." Hers was not a rephotographic attempt, but documentation of the city in 1935-1938 for the Federal Art Project. An incredible achievement; 302 images. New York Public Library has the archive: http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/?col_id=160

But perhaps "Denver Changing" is better? Something to ruminate on...

Phase One is complete

Today I brought home 37 beautiful sets of matted photographs (111 photographs: 1937-1978-2012).This is the first phase of the rephotographic project. The  next step is to print the remaining 180 streetcorner views. I will need to purchase scans from History Colorado for the 1937 images and then digitize the 1978 images. Most of the 2009-2012 images are scanned as JPG's. Everything will need to be filed and preserved now and going forward.
This will constitute an amazing look at how Denver has changed over 76 years.

I will initiate a Kickstarter project shortly.

Published a photo book!

This past week I published a book! The one I planned to do through blurb.com: "Love Letter to the Railroad Yards." The 30 or so photographs featured in the book came from my 1976-77 images of the yards in Denver, done with B&W infrared film (no longer made by Kodak). As I noted before, I was very passionate about trains in those days and particularly the yards in Denver...the yards which don't exist anymore, at least behind Union Station. This is out of the scope of our rephotographic project, of course, but led to the project, which I undertook in 1978-79. I used to pass through LoDo on my way to the yards...with some trepidation, I might add. Streets largely deserted...some weird people hanging around...I usually hurried on to my subject of the time. Union Station was also deserted in those days and I often sat in there writing or just resting from a couple of hours photographing. It was a great time. I went out everyday and shot at least a roll of film; developed it in the evening and printed contact sheets (anyone remember those?!); and on Saturdays, would spend the whole day in the darkroom at Metro printing the best images. Then to class the next week with the finished product(s)...

I'm really proud of this work. Blurb.com did a great job. Used a premium paper--lustre--and was very very careful to prepare the photos in Picasa before uploading them to the Booksmart template. Yes, Picasa. I don't have Photoshop--at this point. And I used scanned prints instead of negatives...my scanner has trouble with negs. Ah--post-production is beyond me. I can take great pictures...but I haven't made the darkroom to digital leap yet. I will soon enough.

It's Halloween 2012...we had 35 trick or treaters tonight...the most ever. I'm drinking hot carob milk and trying not to think about the upcoming election and what will happen if...

Progress and plans

Almost done with the Kickstarter script. Sam and I went over plans for the video and decided to use "Seeds" as a backdrop, for at least part of it. Wish that parking lot on 16th street wasn't there. Denver parking lots: the bane of my existence since 1974! I'll have to look at the older photos--not sure what was there before. Possibly a gas station.
Organized photos that we are going to repeat. Many of them were done during the summer months last year. Harsh shadows and totally washed-out streets. Streets are important parts of these photos, so they have to be right. Also, the view down Wynkoop street from 16th. We'll be meeting at 7:30 on Friday morning to cover that view. The EPA building should have some nice light; hope it's soft!
I'm also working on my book, "Love Letter to the Railroad Yards," to be published by blurb. The question is, should I have Photocraft make the JPEG's or should I do it at home on my own scanner?