Working in Black and White

 
     Fruita Flats, Co.

I recently made a trip to Utah and came away with a few new images to work on.  As I review my images in Lightroom, I realize how much I appreciate the days I worked with film and the darkroom process.  Working primarily as a black and white photographer, it requires me to pre visualize, as best as I can, the scene as the finished print while in the field.  When working with Black and White film the process is made easier because the only time I have to deal with color is at the time of exposure.  With the digital process there is a disconnect of what I visualized in the field and what is viewed on my computer screen, because of the RAW image being in color.  It can be a bit more challenging to bring out the initial emotional response I had to the subject in the finished print.  It has been my experience that the film/darkroom process is easier at the start and gets more difficult working towards the finished print. The digital process works in the opposite direction by being more difficult starting with a fuzzy. faded, RAW file that is in color, and then gets easier by utilizing the accurate controls offered by photo software.  For me personally, I try to maintain the thought process I used with Black and White film and apply as much of it as I can to my digital imaging work flow to achive my desired final image.  As photography progresses we will be faced with new equipment and ways we deal with our images.  During these changes we tend to get focused on how we photograph and the equipment we use, rather than the reason why we are inspired to photograph and create. 

Bare trees and gray skies

I when I am out traveling in new locations I never know the type of subjects I will come upon.  I usually have a preconceived idea about an area and the expected images I might make there.  I try to keep my travels as spontaneous as possible to have the flexibility to change directions if the weather or other things arise that hinder my chances of doing photography.  Such was the case in my recent trip to Utah.  I was tent camping and had to reroute my trip because of extremely heavy rains and tornados that came through the state.  It made me rethink my plans and adjust my travels to avoid areas of storm damage and flooding.  I ended up not visiting many of the places I had originally planned on, and found myself travel unexpected roads in search of new locations to photograph.  The above image was made in an area that was not in my original travel plans.  Utah is full of spectacular red rock canyons with unusual rock formations that attract many visitors to the state.  It also has many miles of wilderness roads with ranch lands of scenic beauty to explore.   This image was made on a very stormy day with strong winds and rain.  It was a challenge to get out of the vehicle to do much photography in such conditions.  With most all of my field work I use a tripod even when I really don't need to.  It is all part of my many years of using a large format camera that required a tripod to steady the camera.  I made this image with my Sony A7R11 without the use of a tripod.  This camera has a 5 axis built in image stabilization feature that is helpful in situations like this.  I was also able to use the tilt LCD screen on the back to compose my low angle view of this scene.  It is always satisfying to be able to make a few good images on a trip when my original plans don't work out. 

The road less traveled

From an early age I have had a desire to travel and explore remote areas.  I am drawn by the thought of  "what is up around the next corner".   I always feel that if I turn around now I will miss something really great just around the corner.  When I come upon an intersection I almost always take the road less traveled,  believing there are things to be discovered that may have been passed by.  When I think about the early influences that shaped my desire to travel and explore,  my mind always goes back to a poem that stuck with me as a child.   In grade school I had a gifted teacher that would read books and poems to her class.  Her talented expressions with words took me into the story as if I was the one being talked about.  The one poem she read that has always been with me is one of Robert Frost's, "The Road Not Taken."  Many times have I looked down the road as far as I could see and then taken the one less traveled, and yet breathed a sigh of regret knowing I will never return to travel the other.  In life with the many choices it offers, it always has us choosing the road we will follow.
The above image of an old Post Office was made in remote area of central Utah while traveling on a secondary roadway.
                                                                                                  
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Indian Petroglyph

I just returned home from a couple of weeks of hiking and tent camping in Utah.  I have been there many times in the past and it is good to have the opportunity to revisit such a wonderful place.  In my hikes I am always on the look out for petroglyphs created by an ancient civilization.  It is easy to walk right by some of them when looking for other subject matter.  There are numerous symbols carved into the rock and many are hard to determine what the meaning could be.  I enjoy being able to rest and reflect at these sites, and imagine these people sitting in the same place years before.  How different their world was for ours.  The things that occupied their minds were basic survival needs of the day.  I try to compare what thoughts we process daily to what their must have been.  There is so much we take for granted in our lives.  We live our lives surrounded by our technology and almost assume that it is a natural part of the human existent.  How well would we exist it it was all taken away and we were forced to live as these people did for thousands of years. 

Character Study

When I am out photographing I usually have a subject matter in mind, and often it depends on my connection to the area.  If I am in a familiar area my focus is concentrated to one or two things of interest.  The times that I am traveling out of the area in search of new locations I am open to all possible subject matter that may exist.  On a recent trip to the state of Washington I was traveling through an area and noticed an old abandoned Bookmobile bus parked off in a field.  I was intrigued with the multiple layers of faded paint and rust that this old bus had.  I pulled off to the side of the road and thought about what elements of the bus caught my attention.  Desiring to photograph this subject I decided to locate the property owner and ask for permission to walk around the bus and photograph it.   I have found over the years, that when asked, most people are friendly and have no problem with my request.  I saw some movement in a large building out behind a house and with my camera in hand I walked up the gravel drive.  I never know who's world I am walking into as a stranger, but I greet them with a friendly hello and introduce myself.  Over the years I have come across some very friendly and interesting folk.  This gentleman is a diesel mechanic and has a large garage where he repairs trucks for the logging industry in the area.  In our discussion I was able to ask some questions about the area, and I learned about a few new photography locations I was unaware of.  I enjoy getting to know something about the people in the area and their history.  This gentleman's family were some of the original pioneers to move into this part of the state, and he still owns all the land that his family acquired many years before.  After talking for quite awhile I knew taking his portrait in his work place would make a great photograph.  It is always rewarding to be able to meet people and photograph them as I travel around.  In many ways these images of people are my most rewarding work.

Summer hiking

I have been doing a considerable amount of hiking and photography this summer.  It is always fun to get the chance to explore new locations and travel some back roads.  The challenge with summer hiking is dealing with the intense heat and the bugs.  It seems no matter how well I apply bug repellent I usually come away with several severe spider bites.  I made this image while in N.C. during above average heat spell.  It was refreshing to find a small waterfall to rest and cool off.  My choice of camera gear always comes into question when deciding the terrain and distance of my hike.  No matter how I sort out my equipment there is always an item I didn't need to carry along or one I left behind.  Digital camera gear has simplified the process by not having to carry large film holders into the field, but has it own problems with the need of electric to keep batteries charged up.  In this image I used a Sony A7R11 with a 16~35 mm lens.  So far this has been a good camera for hiking as long as I carry enough batteries to keep the camera operational. 

Northwest Coastline

When dreams become reality a sense of fulfillment is achieved.  We often spend countless hours lost in our dreams planning our future.  I have found that it sometimes takes years to fulfill a dream.  My initial thought begins with a desire that soon turns into a purpose.  As a landscape photographer I am always seeking out new locations to explore and photograph.  It may take me years before I actually get to travel to some of these locations, but never the less, I still put it on my active wish list of things to accomplish.  Many times when arriving at these locations after months or even years of research, the weather doesn't co-operate for making good photographs.  Such was the case this year while spending two weeks in Iceland.  It rained hard all but one day of the trip, but I still was able to make a few meaningful photographs.  Two weeks later I traveled to the Northwest U.S. only to have mostly clear skies each day of the two weeks spent there.  Sometimes the reality of the situation doesn't match up to the dream or plans made.  During these times I realize it will take much more work and patience to achieve my goal.  I made this image after hiking out to the beach in the state of Washington.  I spent several hours on the beach under clear skies and was thinking possibly of giving up on the location for the day.  I could see a few clouds forming far out over the ocean so I decided to sit and wait a while longer.  I was rewarded for my time as a storm came in providing an interesting sky.  I was able to make a couple of setups before the rain hit and forced me back to my vehicle.  Certainly a lot of effort was put into getting this image but the reward is being able to fulfill a dream established years earlier.