Amy Jasek

I'm a photographer's daughter; I've got fixer in my blood.  

Film *is* photography for me, and I get just as much joy from it now as I did standing on a stool making prints at the age of 7. . . . yet what little I know is but the tip of the tip of the iceberg.  I am constantly learning, and constantly excited about it.

Paparazzi of the average Joe & Josephine, I love the beauty of candid moments.  I seek out quiet grace in places that are often forgotten or overlooked.  Street photography for me is a little window into the heart and soul of a place, a time, and the people in it.  

Texan, mother, lover of life.  "It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters, in the end."  

Read more from Amy Jasek Below

Featured
Mother's Day | CJ Eklund with Katie Mollon, Darren Rose, and Amy Jasek
Mother's Day | CJ Eklund with Katie Mollon, Darren Rose, and Amy Jasek
Austin, TX Photowalk | Katie Mollon, Chris Ullrich, Amy Jasek
Austin, TX Photowalk | Katie Mollon, Chris Ullrich, Amy Jasek
Who we are, now | FSC members & Amy Jasek
Who we are, now | FSC members & Amy Jasek
Happy St Patrick's Day! | Amy Jasek
Happy St Patrick's Day! | Amy Jasek
Polaroid Originals OneStep 2 | Amy Jasek
Polaroid Originals OneStep 2 | Amy Jasek

Observations about the new Polaroid Originals OneStep2 by an instant film novice 

Rhythm | Amy Jasek
Rhythm | Amy Jasek

Recently I read something that a fellow street photographer wrote about what a challenge it is to not keep making the same photographs over and over.  I had never given this any thought, but now I find myself, this year, as I walk around the festivals I have come to know so well, thinking:  is this new?  Did I photograph that before?

CineStill 4x5 and 120 Alpha Review | Ruby Berry and Amy Jasek
CineStill 4x5 and 120 Alpha Review | Ruby Berry and Amy Jasek

Ruby Berry and Amy Jasek report on their experiences (so far) with CineStill 800T in large and medium formats!

Curated Photos | November 7, 2016 | Amy Jasek
Curated Photos | November 7, 2016 | Amy Jasek

See what the theme of Home brought to the cameras of our contributors this week!

Looking back at NOLA | Amy Jasek
Looking back at NOLA | Amy Jasek

It's been a year since my last visit to New Orleans.  The trip was partly a pilgrimage for my heart, since it is a place of family and memory, and partly a fun adult holiday while my daughter enjoyed a ski trip over spring break.  And of course there was also the photography, for which I packed in earnest. 

Medium Format Cinestill 800T and Portra 800, a Comparison | Amy Jasek
Medium Format Cinestill 800T and Portra 800, a Comparison | Amy Jasek

Recently - oh happiness of happiness! - I received a beta roll of Cinestill 800T in medium format. I had been itching to get my hands on some ever since I first heard about the kickstarter; considering how much I enjoy the 35mm version, I couldn't wait to see how it performed in a larger format.  I had never used my Hasselblad at night without a flash, and was keen to have that experience.  And, having heard some people question why we as film photographers need 800T in the first place, since we already have Portra 800, I decided to compare the two.  The Portra was also new to me, so I was pretty excited about the whole thing,
Sweets | Amy Jasek

Get your teeth ready. . . . . 

SilverFast Review | Amy Jasek
SilverFast Review | Amy Jasek

I hate scanning color.  HATE.  The color balancing and spot cleaning makes me feel like going to sleep.  Unfortunately, this is especially true for one of my very favorite films to use, the astonishing CineStill 800T. Enter two things:  a new scanner, and SilverFast.

Amy Jasek | Featured Artist | January 2016
Amy Jasek | Featured Artist | January 2016

I love photography. It's part of who I am, and I really don't see it as a choice, even if the particular path I am on right now changes, which it well may. Photographing has been the one constant in my life; it hasn't always been at the front, but it has always been there. 

On the Nature, Acceptance, and Use of "Flaws"
On the Nature, Acceptance, and Use of "Flaws"

I take "own worst critic" to a whole other level, and flaws of any kind are not my friend, not when it comes to my own work, anyway. . . . . 

There's a new kid in town!
There's a new kid in town!

As of July 20th, some new fun film became available in the U.S., thanks to the good folks at Kono! and Lomography.  I was fortunate enough to get to test it out a couple of weeks ago, and I am thrilled to share the results so far.

Rolling my own
Rolling my own

One of the (many) reasons I am a dedicated film photographer is the tactile element:  I like to be able to make things myself, with my own hands.  I want to get elbow deep into the process, literally.  This is not so much about control as it is about making something organically, and minimizing waste; so, I roll my own 35 mm film.  It's a little bit fiddly, and most likely character building, but it isn't rocket science and can be done just about anywhere, even without a darkroom.  Here I present to you my very un-scientific, somewhat seat-of-my-pants procedure.

Collective Inspiration Challenge No. 1: Inspired by Amy Jasek
Collective Inspiration Challenge No. 1: Inspired by Amy Jasek

For the first Collection Inspiration Challenge, I was paired with the amazingly talented Amy Jasek. My Inspiration for the challenge also happened to be one of my favorite photographs from FSC ever.

Collective Inspiration Challenge No. 1: Amy Jasek and Ruby Falls
Collective Inspiration Challenge No. 1: Amy Jasek and Ruby Falls

One day as I was scrolling through the FSC photostream, I was thinking about what a wonderful variety of styles, genres, themes, and subjects I was seeing.  It also happened to be one of those unfortunately frequent periods when I was finding myself stuck in a rut -- or the Blah Spiral, as I call it.  I wasn't thrilled about anything I was shooting, I couldn't think of anything I wanted to shoot, and while I wanted more than anything to just pick up my camera, I needed A Reason to get me going.  So I thought about how comfort zones led to ruts.  And how I was *always* inspired by the people and amazing work I see on FSC.  And then I thought:  CHALLENGE.  And immediately messaged Amy and Cameron to see what they thought.

See curations from Amy Jasek below

Cameron Kline