The fact that many of us just get right along making photographs even with Kodak film does not make us stupid or pushovers, most don't go on and on and on like you, Ken and Stone do.
Most are not living their entire lives on the Internet, wasting precious days like some of you do.
It's often said a photograph is worth a thousand words...
It's not said that a thousand words is worth a photograph.
Ironically, I only just saw this upon my return home from an entire day spent out photographing. Drove up to the Oso landslide area a bit north of me for a first-time in-person look. The same sights as seen by the president during his disaster visit. Staggering. Heart-stopping. Makes you want to cry.
As many may know, my formal education was in the Geological Sciences. I wanted to see this for myself. And make some photographs. I still can't believe the scope of what I just saw. And yes, everything I learned about landslides from my professors was right there in front of my eyes. I've just never seen one measuring miles across.
I then moved on to an already pre-scouted site outside of Granite Falls a little to the south. The format will be 8x10. The requirements are no people, heavy overcast, falling rain. I spent a couple of hours on site problem-solving, planning, marking positions, and taking notes. This included determining the trend of a canyon using my trusty Brunton pocket transit. (A fancy geologist's compass.) Knowing this I can figure out the sun angles in advance.
Going to need a street-festival-style awning to protect the camera from the rain. It's the Pacific Northwest here. So I already own one for just this purpose. Mid-September after schools restart looks good, both for reduced people and heavy overcast. There will be moderately substantial hiking involved to reach the location. Not easy with a Calumet C1 and accessories, but doable I think. I may need to draft an assistant.
I'm also toying with the idea of an artificial lighting component. Possibly multiple flashbulbs. Given this is a traditional landscape composition, artificial lighting is way outside the envelope. But if it does what I want it to, it would be a very interesting addition. I'm thinking a return visit to test with some frames using a smaller format may be called for, before wrestling all of the bulky 8x10 equipment out to this site.
After this and while returning home via a locals-only back way I unexpectedly ran across the remnants of what looked like a 1950s-era gas station out on a pre-Interstate Highway System rural road. A Union 76 station, pumps removed, building and signage still intact, but decaying. Interesting find. Out here things that aren't maintained usually get reclaimed by the temperate rainforest real quick.
Feeling a bit nostalgic (that was my late dad's preferred fill-er-up) I stopped and worked with this subject for about 45 minutes, or so. Just sat for awhile at first to absorb and think. Eventually made three negatives using my GF670.
Unavoidable moderate afternoon backlighting made discreet manual fill flash necessary. Done well, no one will notice and the image will look as it appears naked-eye. I'm usually pretty good with this technique as it make life under the enlarger so much easier. No great art happened here. Just a pleasant long-ago rememberance for me.
Once back home I then unloaded film from cameras and reloaded it into processing equipment. I configured the darkroom for a pair of developing runs, but unfortunately this likely won't actually happen until next weekend due to other higher-priority professional obligations.
Now...
What were you saying about spending all of my time on the Internet, and none of it out making photographs?
(We should trade professions and see how long it takes for your consumption to drop from a couple hundred rolls a month to a couple rolls a month. I'd even buy a ticket to watch that. As I keep trying to gently tell you, everyone's photographic experiences are unique. But just because they're not your experiences does not make them any less valid.)
Ken
