Moving Ahead on the Drive-in Theater Book

We're going full speed ahead again to prepare for fundraising and production on the book version of my 15+ year project photographing drive-in theaters across the country. The design is essentially finished (though "detailing" will be a lot of work) and I've done a completely revised introductory text reflecting important changes that have affected the theater business in the past several years.

A tight estimate for production cost at the printing firm we select is needed before I can design the Kickstarter campaign. So the book design and specs have to be complete enough for accurate estimates. While working on the specs request, I'm also learning the Photoshop Duotone Mode. We'll do the book in tritone or quadtone (not CMYK monochrome) to have the most control over the look of the photographs. To make these, you need to take a file down to 8-bit grayscale, then open a Duotone dialog box. There you specify Pantone inks in addition to black, and you have Curve controls for each ink. There are dozens and dozens of canned duo, tri, and quad-tone choices provided by Adobe, which range from bland to hideous. But by studying the curves in the canned profiles you can get a feel for how the system works (backwards—because it's grayscale the curve top and bottom are reversed from what I'm used to in rgb). One tritone ink set that has nice color offers variations for soft, normal, and contrasty negatives. All three look bad, but the key information is that the variations are done by changing only the curve of the K printer. Compare the mushy "normal" K curve to the harsh chalk and soot treatment meant for a soft original, and you can begin to shape an intermediate curve that gives a good looking "print."

I've been using the preview feature and output to an Epson printer under CMS to get "duotone" proofs that begin to have the look of a direct print made from either my Epson or HP printers.

Early Spring, in May

Washington, Connecticut

Hiking around Steep Rock Reservation for several hours early yesterday morning, everything had the look of earliest spring. About a month behind what you'd expect on May 5.

The Blue Dress

Naugatuck, Connecticut

May Day Trees

Naugatuck, Connecticut

More late signs of spring.

VI-ETTE'S BEAUTY SALON

New Haven, Connecticut

The hand painted sign was what I noticed first, but then the discarded ancient hair dryer in the alleyway made me stop and look.

More Signs of Spring

Washington, Connecticut

Yesterday morning at Macricostas Preserve. Finally the trees are beginning to move into spring, and the pollen count is 10.4 out of 12.

However, the temperature here at six o'clock this morning was still 34° F.

Signs of Spring

Naugatuck, Connecticut

DOT

Torrington, Connecticut

On a cold, gray, mid-April day that felt more like late February, the dirty, beat-up traffic cones made an eye catching pattern of color. The expanse of gray pavement made a nice foil, but when a car drove by things got more interesting. When a jeep heading south and a heavy truck heading north arranged themselves, the picture came together.

MAX FINKELSTEIN, INC.

Torrington, Connecticut

This seems to me to resonate with yesterday's pictures from Virginia. Even though it was mid-April, the light remains wintry. Semi-trailers converted to storage units are almost becoming a theme.

Dawn and Dusk Along the Blue Ridge

Buena Vista, Virginia

Buena Vista is nestled up against the western edge of the Blue Ridge. On a morning last February with unusually cold temperatures, there's haze and fog in the mountains as the sun peeks over the ridge and begins to cast light on the buildings.

Late afternoon the next day there's soft, cool light in the town, with a warm glow on the hills.