Monday, November 16, 2015

I Heart Film



Film is dead. Or seemingly just the film types that I love the most. For 15 years, I've shot solely with Fuji 160 film because of the lack of grain and sharper-than-real-life quality. Like an unhealthy relationship though, my marriage to film is destined to end.

To give you a little background, I'm a tortured artist. Before I embarked on the project that I will eventually tell you about, I spent 5 years trying to create the world's largest photography exhibition. In theory, it will span 1000+ feet of wall space (over three football fields in length). I say in theory, because I haven't been able to show it in its entirety yet—the consensus being that it is too large.

Since May of last year, I have been photographing the dismantling of the Oakland span of the Bay Bridge, shooting discontinued film with my 8x10 large-format camera, Ansel Adams style. Whereas, my last project was mentally challenging, my documentation of the bridge is physically challenging. It's not as conceptual, as artsy, or as beautiful as my other work, but it's something that I felt had to be done.


Have you ever thought (when sitting across the table from a good friend or your parents), "Wow, there will come a day when this person telling this great story isn't around anymore." That's how I feel about this aging bridge on its last leg.


Some of the hurdles in capturing these images:
  1. The nearest parking lot is 3.5 miles away from the construction zone. That means 7 miles round trip carrying all of my heavy equipment (8x10 camera, film holders, and tripod).
  2. There is tight security. Nearly every night for the first few months, security guards would literally escort me off of the bridge.
  3. The best shots of the construction workers are at sunrise—and I am in no way a morning person. Nevertheless, I wake up at 4:30am, drive 30 minutes from San Francisco to Oakland, and then bike 30 minutes half-asleep just to take one or two photographs.
  4. The film that I am shooting with was discontinued in 2010. I have a limited supply and when I do find a secret stash on eBay, it costs $25 per shot.
  5. My camera is who-knows-how-many-years old and I am always having to repair the bellows with black tape, and then more black tape.
  6. It's crazy windy out there!




I've been escorted by security off of the bridge many times, I have had light leaks ruin many of my best shots, and I have "abandoned ship" on a rainy night only to have my friend Seth text me his photo of the most amazing sunset that has ever happened.

But, all of the pain, heartbreak, and FOMOS (Fear Of Missing Out on Sunsets) is worth it to get that twice-in-a-lifetime lunar eclipse moment.


I wish that I could breakup with film because my life would be so much easier without it.
But I can't, I love it too much.

Learn more about Rocky McCorkle's project here: OldBayBridge.com

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Photoworld China Magazine

Interview by Xing Jiang of Photoworld China Magazine:



1. Could you firstly introduce your background to our readers? And when you begin to photograph this project, were you looking for an older model? 

I am from the United States, the city of Westerville, Ohio. From a very young age, I always knew deep down that I was going to be a photographer. I would spend all day in the darkroom in High School and shot a lot of Polaroids as a young kid.  I moved to San Francisco in 2005 to get my Masters of Fine Arts at the San Francisco Art Institute. All of the photographs in this series were shot in and around San Francisco from 2007-2012.

2. You call your project “non-motion picture” and “walk-through-movie,” what’s your opinion on the difference between still pictures and motion pictures (movie)? Some people believed it’s difficult to tell complete story by photography, because the photography is static, silent, and they are just fragment.  

Yes, that is a real hurdle and the main aspect that I am trying to figure out. This is my first walk-through-movie and with this series I had to use 135 images. In a way, with this series, I am trying to teach the audience how to look at these images differently, knowing that a specific story precedes and will come after each still photograph. There is more than meets the eye with these images and the audience must look deeper to see the foreshadowing and back-story that will gradually unfold.

The reason that I choose to shoot film is because the quality is 40x sharper than the average 35mm movie (828 megapixels). This allows for a sharper-than-real-life aspect when they are viewed in person, leaving the viewer with a much richer and engaging experience than traditional films. For instance, when looking at a print, you can see Gilda's eyelashes, veins in her eyes, wrinkles, a hair on her sweater, etc. which allows the viewer to feel like Gilda is really there in the room with them and to feel an emotional connection to her journey in the story.


3. How long did it take you to plan the project? 

Besides that aspect, I do it because I see a niche of the museum experience that is untapped. I want to bring the movie experience to the museum in the form of 'walk through movies'. This is basically my first and most essential idea. I invented the idea of a 'walk through movie' – large-scale photographs displayed in sequence in a museum - in 2001. It just took me the past 14 years to grow as a person both technically and conceptually to be able to materialize it.

4. What is your role when you stand behind camera facing Gilda?

In regards to 'You and Me,' I am the writer, producer, director, set designer, and photographer. When I was on set with Gilda or any of the other three actors, I become the director. The lighting and stage is all set before hand. All there is to do is capture what I have envisioned. I always drew out "storyboard" drawings that were overly specific. There were no accidents with any of these images. The final product is exactly how I drew it out, for better or worse. For my next 'walk through movie', I will have some more spontaneous moments hopefully.

5. What did you most want to tell with your story?

My narrative isn't the traditional story. Mine is, yes, influenced by real events in my life, but the main aspect of the story is really conceptual. The idea that movies and fictional books control, dictate, and shape our lives. For example, the atomic bomb, credit card, iPod, etc. were all fictional ideas written about long before they were reality. In order to nonverbally explain this idea, I used the film Sunset Boulevard in my story to subliminally shape Millie's dream narrative.  

6. How did you get the idea for shooting each scene?

The story is the one thing that never changed through out the process. Some of the images changed and evolved technically but the core story and sequencing was always the same. The story was at my essence and came very organically. I just trusted my vision and went for it full-steam.

Subconsciously though, the story is based on things that I experienced with my Grandmother. During this Thanksgiving, she told me a story about my real Grandfather when he was a Navy Seal in World War 2. These vivid recollections of hers make him feel as if he is still there; this is the same feeling that I wanted to express through my pictures. 

7. What is your greatest feeling after shooting this project? Do you have any expectations as to the reaction of readers when they read your project?

From my article in the San Francisco Chronicle recently, I was flooded with great emails. One of the most touching emails that I've received was from a lady who runs an 80-years-and-over acting class. She wanted to recruit Gilda for this. So, hopefully she will be able to continue her acting career at 88 years-old.

8. Did you have some difficulties when shooting the project?

Creating full-focus photographs - 90% of the photographs are in full-focus meaning that everything from the foreground to background is in complete focus. I achieved this by shooting multiple exposures of each scene and then combining them back together in Photoshop. The goal was to 'remove all of the blur' that is an ingrained aspect of photography. One would think that this visual style would make the photographs seem flat, however this really gives the viewer a perspective that has never been experienced before and the exhibition prints feel 3D.

9. How do you evaluate a photo as good or not good? 

I don't feel that I am in any condition to judge what is and isn't a good photograph. I don't judge, or think about, other artist's work at all. I'm only concerned with progressing and creating a more engaging museum experience. Therefore, my main concern is to excite the audience and myself. 

10. Have any particular photographers had an influence on you about the concepts and techniques of shooting? 

I haven't really seen any photographers doing the kind of work that I'm interested in: full-focus photographs, interactive movie, and scripted narratives. But, the author that really influenced and touched me is Roberto Bolano, the chilean poet and author of '2666.' In 2009, I read all 14 of his english translated books. His loose, confident-in-himself writing style really allowed me to accept that I could create a visual story where the viewer is switched back and forth between what Millie (protagonist) is thinking and doing without a heavy-handedness.

11. What is your usual work and life like currently? And how would you evaluate yourself? 

I am an artist but am not able to pay my bills solely from my art, so as we speak I still go to work 9-5 week days. When we were shooting this project I would go to my job during the day and then shoot/ scan/ composite/ etc. at night after work and on the weekends. 

My evaluation of myself is that I created something that has never been done before. But, I am still learning and am going to start shooting my second 'walk through movie' entitled "Blazer" in 2015.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

CCSF Fall Lecture Series "Photographers and Their Images"


We had a great time on Friday Night at City College of San Francisco. I gave an 1.5 hour "back stage tour" where we learned about the intricacies of the story, technical aspects, and conceptual undertones.The highlight for me is always the questions that come up at the end, ones that I've never really thought about before. 

Question Of The Night: Rocky, since you write the story, design the set, and take the photographs, what would you consider yourself—an Artist, Director, Photographer, or Writer?

Answer: At the moment, since this is my first "walk through movie," I still look at myself as an artist that chooses photography as his tool. However, as my career progresses, and I release a "walk through movie" every 1 or 2 years, I will probably transform into more of a Writer/ Director.


In case you missed it, below are a few teasers from the 150-slide presentation.



In the middle of the frame is the camera that I've used for the last 10 years.


A Cambo 8x10-inch with wide angle lens and bag bellows. 


This is a drawing made in 2007 of the different exhibition possibilities for this body of work.



We shot over 2000 8x10 sheets of film over the course of five years—and sadly, both of the types of film that you see here, Fujifilm 160s and Kodak Portra 160 are now discontinued .


Friday, December 06, 2013

Back to School at Draper U

Guys, I went back to school for an online 8-week Entrepreneurial Program focusing on Photographic Innovation at Draper University in Silicon Valley. 


As you may know, from 2007—2012, I created a non-motion picture comprising of 135 sequential photographs, which is meant to be a film that the viewers get to physically walk through. Learn more about my narrative photography

The video goes into depth on the scope and length of this monographic project, which will make it one of the largest shows in Photo History.

My video was chosen as one of the top four videos and was screened in Silicon Valley. Here is the video and below are screenshots taken from the screening at Draper University.


NEW RockyMcCorkle.com

Hey Everybody,

I've always managed to put maximum effort into my photography, BUT I came to the realization recently that my website doesn't do my work justice. In the past, I really only knew how to use tables and links when I created my site:).

It was time that I freshened up my site with some div tags and jQuery!

Check out the new RockyMcCorkle.com to see the complete 135 image series—along with videos and drawings in the About Section.

Below is a screen shot of the homepage...

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Boston Flash Forward

This is my first outdoor display, 10 feet x 20 feet; it will be up until September at the Fairmont Wharf in Boston. 

If you are in the area, take a picture with it and send it my way on Facebook or email.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

You & Me On A Sunny Day Teaser Trailer (2013) [HD/ Blu-ray]

After a few years, I am finally at the point where my vision is actually coming together. Most recently, I've been combining all of the images into a 14 minute non-motion picture with After Effects. Gilda did voice-over narration and I'm in the process of licensing the music. Below is a short introduction video that demonstrates the 3D integration and execution. This visual technique combined with the original 8x10-inch imagery creates a sharper-than-real-life feel. Let me know what you think?





Saturday, January 12, 2013

University of San Francisco, School of Law

Just changed out the other photo with the intended photo. This will be on display until May.

Friday, January 04, 2013

University of San Francisco, School of Law

USF School of Law will be leasing one of my photographs from Jan-May 2013. The one currently hanging is the 3rd image that Gilda and I ever shot in 2007 (out of a total of 135). The image was created with a combination of harsh strobe lights and a spray water bottle.



Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Gilda's Recording Session

Here are some pictures from our narration recording session for the You & Me video component. Pierre took these outstanding pics:). Next step is to merge Gilda's "internal dialogue" with the images in After Effects.






Saturday, November 17, 2012

68. Pausing & Posing & Panoramic

Today is the last day that the fictional non-motion picture set will exist. I'm moving in two weeks and here is a panoramic to celebrate.



Thursday, November 08, 2012

Virtual Gallery: Now With Music

I've created a virtual gallery exhibition with music accompaniment.  Let me know what you think.





Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Virtual Gallery Exhibition

This is a virtual gallery show designed in After Effects. This video showcases 42 images; the entire body of work includes 135 color photographs—measuring 40"x80" each.




Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Kindle & Nook Book

You and Me on a Sunny Day eBook is now available for the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook.

Amazon Link
Nook Link