Urban scenes Ray McSavaney

foggy interior, 1980, ray mcsavaney

replete dark corners, vast inaccessible coal-black interior spaces barely visible detail, shafts of hazy light beaming through roof , wall breaks, tire factory presented extremely difficult technical obstacles making satisfactory photograph. in terms of adams’ zone system, luminance levels ranged ‘from dc light’, is, adams zone zone xvi or higher. such wide luminance range exceeded film s recording abilities , extended far beyond of extant print paper. consequently, in order make expressive print, mcsavaney faced need ‘open’ shadows , ‘compress’ highs ranges film handle, , enable him make expressive print. after extensive experimentation, further diluting dilute of adams’ compensating developers, found produce satisfactory negative. applying photographer’s rule of thumb, ‘expose shadows, develop highlights’, handled difficult subjects. shown accompanying photograph, techniques worked effectively. on two-year period, exposed more 800 negatives in factory. parenthetically, estimate of lifetime production exceeds 50,000 negatives. of those, 30,000 remain in archives. didn’t believe exposures masterpieces. in respect, agreed assertion colleague john sexton, single important darkroom tool trash can.

inspecting vast bunker hill construction site, mcsavaney struck knew inevitable impending sterility. had remembered small mom & pop stores growing in los angeles, busy street scenes, many varied activities of old neighborhoods being demolished. when bunker hill construction completed in 1990s, result had foreseen — area dominated institutionalized cookie-cutter high-rise office buildings. however, while being built, ray attracted ongoing construction, emerging new buildings, , continual changes vast job progressed. realized accidental arrangements , juxtapositions among construction tools , materials created unplanned visually pleasing compositions. multiple reflections, erratic lighting patterns, , unusual associations between near , far elements related in striking combinations, @ night when areas of light , shadow appeared in unexpected contexts. @ such times construction site, empty of workers , people, showed stark reality.

bunker hill, 1981 ray mcsavaney

in order make effective photographs of bunker hill constructions, mcsavaney faced new set of technical problems working @ night , in harsh lighting. once again, tire factory, faced range of luminance extremes exceeded recording capabilities of available film. however, in bunker hill conditions compounded exposure challenges of site’s bright electrical lights , surrounding streetlights. eschewing use of floodlights or other artificial lighting, forged ahead knowing take care of exposure problems control of materials — negatives , print paper. turning again experimentation, suitably modified film compensating development formulae handle new conditions. techniques summarized in photography magazine interviews. accompanying photograph of bunker hill scene speaks itself. in subsequent interview, discussed emotional , visual conflicts presented these urban projects. found sensitivities, tire factory created conflict between grandeur , ugliness of space ; whereas, new bunker hill environment sea of well-organized architecture , planning ... becomes repetitious . knowing region well, mentally compared city s old established neighborhoods there seem order chaos .