So I’m going to go splitfilm for my Mid-Hudson Regionals entries.

Many years ago, when I first got involved in photography, I tried establishing my own creative niche, especially in the use of lo-fi film photography. And one of my more successful endeavors involved a concept I called “splitfilm,” where I shot two rolls of film in one camera, or I shot small-format film in medium-format cameras. I did this several times, and it worked out well for me in competition.

Now I need to see if this will work for my submissions to the 2021 Mohawk Hudson Regionals, the first time I’ve ever considered entering this competition in ten years. I have until the end of May to submit my entries…

And last night, I went through what I had … and pulled my three entries. All three were created with my splitfilm techniques, whether it involved stuffing two rolls of film into one camera and exposing simultaneously; or re-wrapping small-format film into medium-format paper and exposing it to the sprocket holes; or a combination of the two.

And with that in mind, if I’m going to do this, I’m going big. This involves grabbing the following images.

FIVE TICKETS TO RIDE DAY AND NIGHT

When you start playing around with way-expired Instamatic film, and getting all the images to line up perfectly with the spokes of a Ferris wheel … there might be some shots worthwhile from this.

I went a little further back in my archives and dusted off…

STEP AND PIVOT

Yeah, let’s see how well a piece of dancing neon against a strip of film works out.

And finally, I’m dusting off this old veteran…

THE AGFA BRIDGE OVER ANSCO LAKE

That’s right, kids. So what if this image is ten years old? I’m sure when you were ten years old, your parents told you that great things were destined for you.

So why are these three making the final cut, and other photos like After the Rain or Washington County 2:30 A.M. or Strasburg Number 90 or your favorite or your other favorite not? Well, there’s a couple of reasons. First, I wanted the three submitted images to be representative of a theme, the ability to use film itself as both the visual media and the interpretive media. Sort of like how Grandmaster Flash uses the turntable to both play the music and to be its own interpretive instrument.

Also, if any one of these three artworks are accepted, I can immediately port them over to ArtBeat Studios in California and get an aluminum / acrylic print in time for the show. So there’s that.

Besides, Competition Season 2021 is still heating up for me. Two of my five entry locales area currently accepting artworks, and I’m eyeballing when the other three (maybe four) will open their acceptance periods. Trust me on this.

And if either of these three splitfilm taste treats actually reach the walls of the Mid-Hudson Regionals … that will be an achievement that, ten years ago, I would not have believed was possible to achieve.

So there.

And here we go.